PonyFans.com preview: NEVADA

[PonyPride]

The SMU football team will try to win its second consecutive home game Saturday when the Mustangs welcome the Nevada Wolf Pack to Gerald J. Ford Stadium for a game that kicks off at 2 p.m. and can be heard locally on KTCK 1310 (AM), "The Ticket."

Nevada (3-5 overall, 2-2 in Western Athletic Conference games) is a team that has had to alter its approach this year after sophomore RB Chance Kretschmer, who became just the second freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in rushing by gaining a school record 1,732 yards last year, ripped up his anterior cruciate ligament and is out for the season.

Nevada invariably gets into high-scoring games, such as Saturday's 50-47 loss at Louisiana Tech, a game in which Nevada scored its47 points, had 533 yards total offense and held the ball nearly 40 minutes nut couldn't stop the Bulldogs. Such has been the case all year for Nevada, which is averaging 30.9 points and 466.4 yards per game in total offense. but which also is allowing an average of 453.5 yards and 33.2 points per game.

In Kretschmer's absence, the Pack has gone back to its biggest area of success prior to his arrival in Reno: the pass. UN has thrown for 2,473 yards this year, which accounts for 66.3 percent of the team's 3,731 total yards this year. Leading Nevada's aerial attack is quarterback Zack Threadgill, who has completed 193-of-301 passes (64.1 percent) for 2,432 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Threadgill is averaging 304.0 passing yards per game.

Threadgill's favorite receiver is senior WR Nate Burleson (6-2, 187), who has an eye-popping 85 catches already this year, for 1,043 yards and seven touchdowns, including a long reception of 95 yards. Against LaTech, Burleson had 13 catches for 107 yards and a score. After Burleson, the team's top two receivers are junior WR Tim Fleming (6-1, 183) who has 33 catces for 361 yards and three touchdowns, and senior tight end Eric Streelman (6-5, 250), who has 25 receptions for 271 yards, and also has three touchdowns. The team has nine players who averaging 10 yards or more on receptions.

With Kretschmer shelved for the year, the Wolf Pack's ground game is led by redshirt freshman RB Matt Milton (6-1, 211), who has 819 yards on 148 carries (5.5 yards per) and 8 touchdowns. He averages 102.4 yards per game on the ground, and has a season-long run of 71 yards.

Sophomore defensive back Keone Kauo leads the team with 58 tackles and two of the team's five interceptions. Senior inside LB Daryl Towns (6-1, 238) is next on the team with 51 tackles. Redshirt freshman LB Logan Garter is third on the team with 40 tackes and has a pair of sacks. Junior DEs Jorge Cordova and Derek Kennard, Jr. (yes, the son of the former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman) lead the team with 6 sacks each.

Kicker Damon Fine has connected on 26-of-28 extra points and 7-of-9 field goals. His longest field goal of the year is 41 yards.

[DallasDiehard]

Sounds like our secondary is going to have its work cut out for them.
Again.

[Hoss]

Is Garrett going to be back this week?
If not, Jonas is going to have to play great, chasing Burleson around all day.
But I think we can probably stop their run game, since they don't do the option.

[SMU00]

How did Nevada beat BYU and lose to UNLV?
Has BYU fallen off that far? I always thought UNLV was a terrible team.

[Pony4Life]

Do they have anyone in their secondary who can run with Trey Griffin? Our new secret weapon will have another big day Saturday!

[PonyPride]

Some more notes for the SMU/Nevada game:

• Kevin Garrett, who recently was invited to take part in the Senior Bowl and was added to the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back) list, will not be back in the lineup this week. Garrett has blocked six kicks in his career.
• Jamey Harper will start ahead of Ruben Moodley at free safety.
• Nevada hasn't won a road game in nearly a year (at UTEP, Nov. 24, 2001).
• Nevada head coach Chris Tormey is 8-23 in three years at Nevada and 41-46 in his college coaching career, which also included five seasons at Idaho.
• Nevada WR Nate Burleson's average of 10.3 receptions per game leads the nation.
• The 27 points the Wolf Pack scored in the first half in last week's loss to LaTech were the second-most Nevada has scored in a half since putting up 31 points in a half against BYU.
• The 73-yard touchdown pass Luke McCown threw to Ahmad Harris was the longest pass play surrendered by the Nevada defense this year.
• Nevada QB Zack Threadgill has thrown for 200 or more yards in seven straight games.
• Threadgill has exlipsed 300 yards passing in five games this year.
• Threadgill is second in the WAC with 309.0 yards per game of total offense.
• RB Matt Milton had four touchdowns against LaTech, the first four-TD game of his career. He's run for 100 yards or more in three straight games.
• Nevada leads the WAC in six statistical categories: opponent penalties (103.1 yards per game); punting (36.3 net yards per game); first downs (200), kickoff coverage (17.3 yards per return); opponent third-down conversions (31.0 percent); and field goal percentage (.778).
• The Wolf Pack is second in the WAC in time of possession (33:39 pergame), trailing only SMU (33:59 per game).
• SMU is first in the WAC in punt returns (averaging 15.6 yards per return) and second in kickoff returns (averaging 23.0).
• Keylon Kincade's seven 100-yard rushing games are the third-highest single-season total in SMU history. (Eric Dickerson holds the record with 10 in 1982.)
• Kincade's 1,030 yards lead the WAC and are the ninth-highest single-season total in SMU history. His average of 144.4 yards per game are the second-most in the conference, and rank him 20th in the nation.
• Richard Bartel's 30 completions last week were the 11th-highest single-game total in school history.
• SMU converted four turnovers in last year's 35-14 loss to Nevada.
• Saturday's game is the third between the schools, with each team winning once.
• Don Ieremia-Stansbury's four quarterback sacks lead the SMU defense.
• Cody Cardwell (106 career receptions) and John Hampton (105) rank 12th and 13th, respectively, on the all-time SMU receptions list. Albert Johnson (107) is 11th, Brian Berry (108) is 10th, Michael Bowen (109) is ninth and Ken Fleming (110) is eighth.

[In Tate We Trust]

Threadgill sounds like a really talented QB. Secondary needs to come up big.
Go PONIES

[Higher Authority]

The Morning News quoted Bennett in this morning's paper as saying Moodley practiced better than Harper yesterday.

Don't be afraid, Coach. Go with Harper. He's the future at the position.

[Recruiting Guru]

I'm coming to Dallas Saturday morning to see my first SMU game of the year. Thanks for the preview info. The American-Statesman gives us nothing down here. Yall have a great site, and I'm glad it's here to keep us up to date on SMU teams.

[fbdad]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Higher Authority:
<B>The Morning News quoted Bennett in this morning's paper as saying Moodley practiced better than Harper yesterday.

Don't be afraid, Coach. Go with Harper. He's the future at the position.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Neither Moodley or Harper are capable of playing the level of play required by the position. Whether Moodley practices better than Harper is a moot point since both have given up TD's this season that were stoppable. There's a monumental difference between practice and game day. Ask anyone that has played the game.Moodley has the speed and size but refuses to hit anyone head on. He invaribly goes for the ankles which equals broken tackles. Harper just gets run over because of his lack of physical conditioning. Harper may be good next year depending on conditioning and execution.

[sam]

I would have to agree fwdad,I think it is time to see someone else off the bench that bennett has failed to recognize that has talent.So much for bennett ability to spot good talent.Safety has been our weakest spot on defense and bennett refuses to make the move.My friends in Dallas told me that Moodley has run 1st team all week,no one else even got a look.

[fbdad]

Sam, Harper got reps but was pathetic so Bennett went back to Moodley. I just don't understand his thinking on this. He's disproved his practice good,play good philsophy nine times with Moodley. What does it take to get someone else in who can play the position???

[Guest]

Anyone know if KG is back? I saw him working out, but didn't get to see practice yesterday.