The world of college sports is a weird one, with stories of amazing feats and crazy controversies popping up at minimum a couple of times a season each. Nevada and head coach Jeff Choate found themselves caught on the controversy part of the spectrum last weekend when they took on FCS powerhouse and current No. 1 Montana State and silently shut down starting quarterback Carter Jones minutes before the game.
Our own Chase Dulude did a recap of what went down in his Mountain West Week 2 Recap, so I
won’t get into a lot of the details here, but share more insights as to what we, the media, felt and saw on the field and thoughts about what occurred, recording the outrage from fans on social media and finding the remedy to get the Wolf Pack out of the rubble.
What Happened on Game Day
So, as many know, Jones was set to be the starter for Nevada’s week two game, but was surprisingly kept off the field despite being fully suited up. I remember seeing UCLA transfer Luke Duncan warming up before Nevada took the field and thinking one thing.
“Why is Duncan warming up, isn’t Jones starting? He’s literally right next to the offensive line.”
I brushed it off, assuming Duncan was just staying warm in case of something bad happening during the game. It turns out that the bad thing already happened, and he took the field for the Wolf Pack for the first time.
Everyone on the sidelines, including every reporter/photographer, was confused. The video board that announces the starting lineup of the team right before the game said that Jones was going to start, so all of us on the field assumed the decision came after warm ups when things like graphics could not be changed.
Some started to speculate the reason why Jones was not playing, including myself, with many of us settling on that it was either an injury problem or Choate disciplining the sophomore for whatever reason. As we know now from the post-game press conference, it was the former, as Jones was dealing with an arm injury that, according to his head coach, decreased his velocity on his throws enough to sideline him for a game.
Nevada fans were UPSET
The whole situation was weird, which many fans pointed out and criticized the program for. Many were saying that they felt Nevada was finally turning a corner and getting back to potentially winning ways, all for that to be dropped out of nowhere.
Others were turning their attention to Duncan and third-string quarterback A.J. Bianco and their performance during the game, which outside of one drive resulting in a touchdown from a Bianco pass to wide receiver Marshaun Brown, did not see the endzone for a score.
Nevada fans have a right to be upset about last week’s events, the lack of transparency behind the decision to bench Jones after a good performance in the previous week against Western Kentucky was going to leave a sour taste in their mouths. This is especially true when they wouldn’t tell even the journalists that have covered the program for years so that way communication could travel, leaving too many question marks for fans to not be upset.
I will give some grace to the Wolf Pack as they were playing by the rules, as they did not have to give an injury report before the game since this was a non-conference game (which should be a conversation for the Mountain West and college sports in general going forward). Having Jones on the sidelines, suited up and seemingly ready to play, could potentially throw off Montana State and make the Bobcats think he could go out at any time. Mind games are not uncommon in sports at all, that’s why some teams, including Nevada, sometimes will have four play-callers on defense. However, the mind games were not just being played on the Bobcats, it was every member of the Nevada community as well, sparking the justifiable outrage.
The Trust was Harmed, But The Pack Can Rebuild It
Week two was very much a low point for the Wolf Pack, both in performance and in community trust. And while morale and outlook are in a volatile state from the community side, Nevada can redeem itself and get back to similar levels once again.
First things first is making sure that Jones is as healthy as possible for the rest of his time at Nevada. Since his first appearance last year against Fresno State, Jones has shown he could help the Pack get things rolling again. He is not perfect, and he will make mistakes, especially while getting comfortable with the team as it evolves over time and as he grows this season as a sophomore. But if Nevada can promote that growth and keep him on the roster for his career, I truly believe he will become the next great Wolf Pack quarterback that could be its next draft pick at the position. It’s easier said than done in a sport where physical play rules all, and you obviously can’t prevent all injuries, but an as-healthy-as-can-be Jones leading the Pack is best for the program.
The second part works in conjunction with the first one, and it’s something Choate keeps saying time and time again. Nevada needs to continuously put out a product with winning potential. Jones is a key piece of that, but everything needs to fall back into place to get the fans behind them again.
Running backs Dominic Kelley and Hurchel Turner Jr. need to support the efforts by continuing their great backfield performances from week one (and partially week two) to open the field. The Union need to be stalwarts of protection and aggression to get both pass and run games off the floor. The wide receiver/tight end rooms need to shake off their drops and missteps from last week and get their glue hands back. And the defense needs to replicate everything they have been doing (except the tackling from week two, that was bad overall) that has held their opponents to 24 points in three halves of non-garbage time football.
I know just saying “keep doing what you’ve been great at” is very sunshine and rainbows of me, but this program has been missing one or two pieces from seeing growth, and a massive part of that has been quarterback problems. And as much as I risk sounding like a Nevada homer, I do like Choate, from the personality and the viral quotes to how he owns up for the program’s problems and missteps when they make them. He is still very much on the hot seat in my eyes, but I do believe he can be the coach to turn Nevada back into a threat to the rest of the Mountain West.
Nevada is not out of the woods yet and needs to prove they can be trusted again, and that starts this weekend when the program takes on Middle Tennessee on Sept. 19. Transparency will come (especially in conference games starting next week), but if they can get Jones back to great health again and get back on the current they were riding on from the Western Kentucky game, week two will fade and the Wolf Pack will be alive once again.
