In a pattern that Wolf Pack fans are becoming agitated with, Nevada was in the driver’s seat for the first three quarters of the game, but came up short in the final 15 minutes. The Hilltoppers did make
things interesting for their visitors for the first 45 minutes, but the Pack was able to either regain its lead or keep the game tied.
That was until the fourth quarter, where Nevada was outscored 21-3. Even with a late spark at the end of the game to get within one score, it was a bad onside kick attempt returned by Western Kentucky with under 1:30 to go that sealed the Wolf Pack’s fate, pushing them to their second 1-3 start in a row.
Offense
Similar to their previous two games, Nevada got off to a slow start. Across their three drives in the first quarter, the program was only able to muster up 53 yards of offense, with 46 yards coming from their second drive. Nevada’s success in that drive was thanks to running backs Herschel Turner and Caleb Ramseur, who ran for 34 and 10 yards respectively. However, once Nevada turned to their passing game, the momentum stifled, resulting in a 42-yard field goal from kicker Joe McFadden.
The second quarter didn’t get off on the right foot either. After Nevada linebacker EJ Smith got an interception and brought it into Hilltopper territory, Nevada marched down the field into the Western Kentucky redzone. Once there, quarterback Chubba Purdy tossed a pass to wide receiver Jordan Brown, who had the ball stripped from him at the WKU six-yard line.
After a bunch of offensive misfires, the Pack needed a momentum shift, which they got from tight end Jett Carpenter and Purdy. Carpenter caught back-to-back passes from the sixth-year senior for four and 36 yards, getting the Wolf Pack back into the Hilltoppers’ red zone. From there, Purdy used his legs to get the final six yards, resulting in Nevada’s sole touchdown of the night.
Nevada did mount one last drive to end the half where they got into the redzone, but Purdy wound up throwing his first interception of the night in the back of the endzone, which was the program’s second game in a row doing so.
With the momentum favoring their opponents, the Wolf Pack continued to sputter. Despite putting together 199 total yards of offense through their five second-half drives, the Pack only scored two field goals. There were hints of things coming together, with Purdy completing a short pass to wide receiver Marcus Bellon that turned into a 20-yard gain in the third and back-to-back double-digit yard completions to running back Ky Woods and Carpenter in the fourth with the running game still powering on. However, Nevada’s achilles heel from last year – its discipline issue – reared its head once again, as two holding penalties across the half stalled the Pack’s offensive pressure, resulting in either the aforementioned field goals or punts.
Looking down the barrel of another fourth quarter defeat, Nevada defiantly tried to score with 23 seconds left, but Purdy threw another interception to end the game.
Defense
Nevada’s defense was the star of the show once again. Throughout Western Kentucky’s seven offensive drives in the first half, the Pack defense only allowed three points and 124 total yards.
The Wolf Pack did have moments in that span where the Hilltoppers exploited mistakes and bad coverage, like in the second drive of the game that resulted in Western Kentucky kicker John Cannon nailing a 40-yard field goal. However, great team play and coverage made those moments few and far between in the span.
Despite the defensive prowess in the first half, with the momentum swinging the opposite direction, Nevada started to let Western Kentucky claw back. Hilltopper quarterback Maverick McIvor and running back Marvis Parrish constructed a strong drive with multiple, double-digit passes and rushes to open the half, scoring the home team’s first touchdown of the game. The Wolf Pack were able to force a three-and-out in Western Kentucky’s final drive of the third quarter, but that did not hold the Hilltoppers for long.
The Pack completely fell apart in the fourth quarter. In their first defensive effort, McIvor found tight end Noah Meyers and wide receiver Jairus Mack for 21 and 32 yard completions, pinning Nevada in its red zone to start the quarter. WKU running back George Hart III eventually found the endzone two plays later.
Four minutes later, in the Hilltoppers’ final full drive of the game, running back La’Vell Wright and McIvor pushed the ball down the field with help from a facemask call on Nevada safety Bishop Turner. Nevada began to use their timeouts, which did not do much to stall the Western Kentucky offense. Nevada eventually gave up another touchdown on a Wright eight-yard run, pushing the lead to double digits with 1:49 left in the game.
After a field goal from Nevada’s offense, the Pack elected to go for an onside kick. This would ultimately be the final nail in the coffin for them, however, as Western Kentucky wide receiver Matthew Henry scooped up the ball and ran for 48 yards for a touchdown, sealing the final score at 31-13.
What’s Next
The Wolf Pack will have a much needed bye week to attempt to patch up their wounds from the last two weeks. After that, they will start conference play on the road against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Oct. 4. The Bulldogs are currently 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference with a solid 23-21 win against Hawaii.
Kickoff is currently slated for 7:30 p.m. PST.
