Talented Wolf Pack need defensive boost
Nevada’s offense thrived last season under the direction of first-year coach Jay Norvell.
The team ranked No. 32 nationally in passing offense, averaging 270.4 yards through the air per game.
However, a tough schedule and some natural difficulty adjusting to a new coach left the team with just three wins last season and it may be a challenge to double that total in 2018.
Nevada is ranked No. 113 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings.
Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team. Nevada
Jay Norvell (3-9, entering second season; 3-9 overall)
3-9, 3-5 in Mountain West, 4th in West Division
Norvell installed a modified Air Raid attack, pushing his team to run a pass-heavy offense that also featured a dangerous run game.
Quarterback Ty Gangi thrived in the system, going 228-of-374 passing for 2,746 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. It was a major improvement for the Wolf Pack, with Gangi becoming the first Nevada quarterback to complete at least 30 passes since Cody Fajardo in 2014.
Nevada got better as the season rolled along, but the team still only managed wins over struggling Hawaii, San Jose State and UNLV. 3 3
OL Austin Corbett, WR Wyatt Demps, DL Patrick Choudja, DB Ryan Mack, LB Austin Paulhus, DB Jaden Sawyer
QB Ty Gangi, WR McLane Mannix, OL Sean Krepsz, LB Malik Reed, DL Malik Reed, DB Dameon Baber
Gangi, the top returning quarterback in the Mountain West, will anchor a prolific offense and should connect often with big-play receiver McLane Mannix. Nevada is expected to field one of the most potent offensive attacks in the Mountain West and could get some help from talented new players Norvell landed during his first full recruiting cycle.
The offensive line is young and needs to make a lot of progress during the offseason to avoid hindering a powerful offense.
The defense has the most room for improvement. The team ranked No. 119, or among the bottom 10 nationally, last season in total defense, giving up 471.3 yards per game. The Wolf Pack struggled equally against the pass and the run.
Norvell has Nevada trending in the right direction and the offense should be fun to watch, but improvement on defense and big plays by some young players will be the difference between bowl eligibility and another losing season.