California
8th PAC-125-7
Nevada
1st Western Athletic12-1
California @ Nevada preview
MacKay Stadium
If the offenses of California and Nevada deliver as advertised, their nationally televised matchup Friday night in Reno should provide plenty of fireworks.
The Bears and the Wolf Pack are both in the top 10 nationally in scoring, and they both topped the 50-point mark last week in remarkably similar blowouts. Cal clobbered visiting Colorado 52-7 last week, while Nevada blew past Colorado State 51-6 at Mackay Stadium.
The teams go about their production in vastly different ways. Under coach Jeff Tedford, California uses a classic pro-style, quick-hitting offense, led by senior quarterback Kevin Riley, to rack up points in a hurry. Tedford’s clubs are never at a loss for weapons, and they showed plenty as Cal rolled to a 31-0 halftime lead against Colorado.
Riley threw for 197 yards and four touchdown passes to four different receivers. Featured running back Shane Vereen, the latest in a long line of Cal standouts, ran for 59 yards on 16 carries in a short day’s work. He had a touchdown rushing and another receiving.
California also showed an improved defense that relentlessly harassed Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen and forced five turnovers. The Buffaloes finished with just 239 yards of total offense.
Nevada uses the innovative Pistol offense to keep defenses off-balance. It’s a half-spread, half-shotgun formation that has caught on – UCLA installed a similar version this year – in large part because of Hall of Fame coach Chris Ault’s success with it at Nevada.
Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick is one the country’s more explosive players. He’s a threat to break a long run at any time and is underrated as a passer. The senior has the speed and skills to perhaps catch the attention of an NFL club as a Wildcat quarterback/receiver hybrid, in the mold of former Missouri standout Brad Smith.
Kaepernick ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado State, while also completing 21-of-29 passes for 243 yards and two more scores. Running back Vai Taua piled up 118 yards and a touchdown as well. The durable and deceptively quick senior has 169 yards rushing and three touchdowns this season, and has gained 3,147 yards in his career at Nevada.
The game offers a prime-time stage for Nevada, which is leaving the Western Athletic Conference next season for the Mountain West Conference. However, the Wolf Pack has not fared well in previous such settings. Since Ault took over in 2004 for his second stint as head coach, Nevada is just 2-18 combined against BCS opponents, WAC rival Boise State and in bowl games.
The wins came against Central Florida in the 2005 Hawaii Bowl, 49-48 in overtime, and a 31-21 win over Northwestern in 2006.
The Bears and the Wolf Pack are both in the top 10 nationally in scoring, and they both topped the 50-point mark last week in remarkably similar blowouts. Cal clobbered visiting Colorado 52-7 last week, while Nevada blew past Colorado State 51-6 at Mackay Stadium.
The teams go about their production in vastly different ways. Under coach Jeff Tedford, California uses a classic pro-style, quick-hitting offense, led by senior quarterback Kevin Riley, to rack up points in a hurry. Tedford’s clubs are never at a loss for weapons, and they showed plenty as Cal rolled to a 31-0 halftime lead against Colorado.
Riley threw for 197 yards and four touchdown passes to four different receivers. Featured running back Shane Vereen, the latest in a long line of Cal standouts, ran for 59 yards on 16 carries in a short day’s work. He had a touchdown rushing and another receiving.
California also showed an improved defense that relentlessly harassed Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen and forced five turnovers. The Buffaloes finished with just 239 yards of total offense.
Nevada uses the innovative Pistol offense to keep defenses off-balance. It’s a half-spread, half-shotgun formation that has caught on – UCLA installed a similar version this year – in large part because of Hall of Fame coach Chris Ault’s success with it at Nevada.
Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick is one the country’s more explosive players. He’s a threat to break a long run at any time and is underrated as a passer. The senior has the speed and skills to perhaps catch the attention of an NFL club as a Wildcat quarterback/receiver hybrid, in the mold of former Missouri standout Brad Smith.
Kaepernick ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado State, while also completing 21-of-29 passes for 243 yards and two more scores. Running back Vai Taua piled up 118 yards and a touchdown as well. The durable and deceptively quick senior has 169 yards rushing and three touchdowns this season, and has gained 3,147 yards in his career at Nevada.
The game offers a prime-time stage for Nevada, which is leaving the Western Athletic Conference next season for the Mountain West Conference. However, the Wolf Pack has not fared well in previous such settings. Since Ault took over in 2004 for his second stint as head coach, Nevada is just 2-18 combined against BCS opponents, WAC rival Boise State and in bowl games.
The wins came against Central Florida in the 2005 Hawaii Bowl, 49-48 in overtime, and a 31-21 win over Northwestern in 2006.