Gearing up
Kansas brings potent offense to Mackay Stadium
After being blown out by an FCS school at home last week, Nevada football has officially hit rock bottom.
Many in the fanbase have thrown in the towel on the season and want head coach Ken Wilson to be fired, with extremists calling for the whole program to drop back down to the FCS.
If nothing else, the 2023 season has been interesting, and it’s only Week 3. To make matters worse, the Big 12’s resurging Kansas Jayhawks come to Mackay Stadium as a 28-point favorite to kick Nevada while it’s down.
Kansas’ offense is lethal
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki have implemented a unique and exciting offense that has brought one of the country’s cellar-dweller programs back to life.
The problem is there isn’t a catchy name for it.
When someone brings up offenses like the Wing-T, the Run N’ Shoot, the Wishbone, or the Spread, the average football fan knows what those offenses try to do.
Kansas’ offense might not have name recognition, but it’s getting results. Kotelnicki has described the offense as “a multiple pro-style offense with spread concepts.”
Whatever it is, it’s working. The Jayhawks are fifth in rushing, 10th in total offense, and 25th in scoring. (Maybe a name like “the Power Spread” could work?)
Against Illinois, starting quarterback Jalon Daniels went 21-for-29 for 277 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Running backs Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. combined for 22 carries for 218 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 10 yards per carry. It’s an offense that will give its opponents headaches.
Meanwhile, Nevada’s defense is in complete disarray, ranking in the bottom third of the country in rushing defense (114th), passing defense (130th), total defense (131st), scoring defense (129th), and red zone defense (90th).
Opposing offenses are running the ball at will while also finding and exploiting gigantic holes in the secondary.
If football is all about matchups, this one favors the Jayhawks big time.
Nevada’s offense underwhelms
While Kansas’ defense isn’t the team’s strength, Nevada’s offense may not be able to take advantage. Thus far, Nevada ranks 74th in passing, 117th in rushing and total offense, 127th in scoring, and 128th in red zone offense.
The unit with the least experience on Kansas’ defense is the defensive line, but Nevada’s offensive line has been manhandled, giving up five sacks and paving the way for only 2.7 yards per carry.
Once Nevada has to abandon the running game, quarterback Brendon Lewis will have to make plays through the air, which hasn’t worked so far. Lewis has 286 passing yards, zero touchdowns and an interception while completing 56.6 percent of his passes.
He’ll have to make plays against Kansas’ secondary, which has proven to be the strength of the unit, ranking 37th against the pass.
The losing streak
After Saturday’s loss to Idaho, Nevada has lost 12 straight games, the longest losing streak in program history.
According to ESPN Analytics, Nevada isn’t favored to win a game for the rest of the season. The three matchups where Nevada has the highest percentage chance to win are New Mexico (42.5 percent), Hawaii (38 percent), and Colorado State (32.1).
Answering the Bell
A bright spot for Nevada in an otherwise grim picture has been the play Jaamal Bell. The senior receiver has 16 catches for 188 yards and a touchdown while averaging 11.8 yards per reception.
He has more receptions than the next three Nevada receivers combined and has 102 more yards than second-place Spencer Curtis, who gained 73 of his 86 yards on one play. Bell is already on pace to smash all of his career highs from last season.
How to watch/listen
Nevada (0-2) and Kansas (2-0) play on Saturday at Mackay Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
The game will be broadcast on TV on the CBS Sports Network and on the radio on the Wolf Pack Radio Network (105.7 FM).