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The strength of Nevada’s high-powered running game is unquestioned. The development of senior quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s passing has made the team’s pistol offense even more dynamic.
Kaepernick and the 21st-ranked Wolf Pack go for their third straight victory Saturday night as host Fresno State looks to build off back-to-back road wins.
Nevada (8-1, 3-1 Western Athletic Conference), which ranks second in the FBS in rushing yards per game (317.8), ran for a season-best 453 in last Saturday’s 63-17 victory at Idaho. Fresno native Lampford Mark rushed for a career-high 116 yards, while Vai Taua (113) and Mike Ball (101) gave Nevada three 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since it had four in a 62-7 win at San Jose State on Nov. 8, 2009.
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Kaepernick, 38th in the FBS with 88.1 rushing yards per game, ran for a season-low 22 with no TDs against the Vandals, but in an effort to balance out the offense, he threw for a season-high 320 yards and a career-best five scores as Nevada racked up a school-record 844 yards.
“Everything was just clicking for us,” said Kaepernick, who needs one TD pass to set the school’s all-time record with 79.
The Wolf Pack are second in the FBS in total offense (556.1 yards per game) and fourth with 44.2 points per game.
Kaepernick, who starred at Pitman High School in Turlock, Calif. - 80 miles northwest of Bulldog Stadium - will face a Fresno State defense that is fourth in the FBS in quarterback sacks with 26. Defensive linemen Chris Carter and Logan Harrell are tied for third in the nation with nine apiece.
Fresno State has also been strong against the run lately, allowing 70.7 yards per game during its three-game winning streak, which started with a 33-10 victory over New Mexico State and continued with a 33-18 win at San Jose State.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-1), who along with Nevada are trying to pressure WAC leader and No. 4 Boise State, became bowl eligible last Saturday with a 40-34 victory at Louisiana Tech.
Trailing by 14 just 3:33 into the game, Fresno State was carried to its best eight-game start since 2005 by sophomore Robbie Rouse’s career-high 286 rushing yards - nine shy of the school record.
While Rouse’s third straight 100-yard game helped the Bulldogs run for a season-best 300 yards, senior quarterback Ryan Colburn passed for 229 yards with three touchdowns to junior Jamel Hamler, who caught eight passes for 118 yards.
“We also threw it for well over 200 yards so I thought it was very balanced,” Bulldogs coach Pat Hill said. “… I’m very happy we got a win on the road. This is a tough place to play, but we’re going to have to improve a lot before Nevada.”
With offensive linemen Joe Bernardi, Leslie Cooper, Kenny Wiggins and Andrew Jackson all nursing injuries for Fresno State, Colburn could face plenty of pressure from the Wolf Pack’s defensive front. If Hill is forced to go with a patchwork offensive line, Rouse might find it difficult to repeat last week’s performance against a Nevada run defense ranked 19th in the FBS with 114.7 yards per game.
If Kaepernick can’t connect with junior Rishard Matthews, who had seven catches for 151 yards last week, Nevada coach Chris Ault has plenty of options out of the backfield. Taua, who became the fourth rusher in school history to go over the 4,000-yard mark in his career last week, ran for 179 yards and two scores as the Wolf Pack totaled 506 yards in a 52-14 win over visiting Fresno State on Nov. 14, 2009.
In the teams’ last matchup at Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 7, 2008, Taua carried 28 times for a career-best 263 yards and a TD in a 41-28 victory. Kaepernick ran for 118 yards and two TDs in that win while completing 7 of 17 passes for 128 yards and a score.
Fresno State leads the all-time series 24-15-1 but has surrendered at least 41 points in each of the last three matchups.
Kaepernick and the 21st-ranked Wolf Pack go for their third straight victory Saturday night as host Fresno State looks to build off back-to-back road wins.
Nevada (8-1, 3-1 Western Athletic Conference), which ranks second in the FBS in rushing yards per game (317.8), ran for a season-best 453 in last Saturday’s 63-17 victory at Idaho. Fresno native Lampford Mark rushed for a career-high 116 yards, while Vai Taua (113) and Mike Ball (101) gave Nevada three 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since it had four in a 62-7 win at San Jose State on Nov. 8, 2009.
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Kaepernick, 38th in the FBS with 88.1 rushing yards per game, ran for a season-low 22 with no TDs against the Vandals, but in an effort to balance out the offense, he threw for a season-high 320 yards and a career-best five scores as Nevada racked up a school-record 844 yards.
“Everything was just clicking for us,” said Kaepernick, who needs one TD pass to set the school’s all-time record with 79.
The Wolf Pack are second in the FBS in total offense (556.1 yards per game) and fourth with 44.2 points per game.
Kaepernick, who starred at Pitman High School in Turlock, Calif. - 80 miles northwest of Bulldog Stadium - will face a Fresno State defense that is fourth in the FBS in quarterback sacks with 26. Defensive linemen Chris Carter and Logan Harrell are tied for third in the nation with nine apiece.
Fresno State has also been strong against the run lately, allowing 70.7 yards per game during its three-game winning streak, which started with a 33-10 victory over New Mexico State and continued with a 33-18 win at San Jose State.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-1), who along with Nevada are trying to pressure WAC leader and No. 4 Boise State, became bowl eligible last Saturday with a 40-34 victory at Louisiana Tech.
Trailing by 14 just 3:33 into the game, Fresno State was carried to its best eight-game start since 2005 by sophomore Robbie Rouse’s career-high 286 rushing yards - nine shy of the school record.
While Rouse’s third straight 100-yard game helped the Bulldogs run for a season-best 300 yards, senior quarterback Ryan Colburn passed for 229 yards with three touchdowns to junior Jamel Hamler, who caught eight passes for 118 yards.
“We also threw it for well over 200 yards so I thought it was very balanced,” Bulldogs coach Pat Hill said. “… I’m very happy we got a win on the road. This is a tough place to play, but we’re going to have to improve a lot before Nevada.”
With offensive linemen Joe Bernardi, Leslie Cooper, Kenny Wiggins and Andrew Jackson all nursing injuries for Fresno State, Colburn could face plenty of pressure from the Wolf Pack’s defensive front. If Hill is forced to go with a patchwork offensive line, Rouse might find it difficult to repeat last week’s performance against a Nevada run defense ranked 19th in the FBS with 114.7 yards per game.
If Kaepernick can’t connect with junior Rishard Matthews, who had seven catches for 151 yards last week, Nevada coach Chris Ault has plenty of options out of the backfield. Taua, who became the fourth rusher in school history to go over the 4,000-yard mark in his career last week, ran for 179 yards and two scores as the Wolf Pack totaled 506 yards in a 52-14 win over visiting Fresno State on Nov. 14, 2009.
In the teams’ last matchup at Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 7, 2008, Taua carried 28 times for a career-best 263 yards and a TD in a 41-28 victory. Kaepernick ran for 118 yards and two TDs in that win while completing 7 of 17 passes for 128 yards and a score.
Fresno State leads the all-time series 24-15-1 but has surrendered at least 41 points in each of the last three matchups.
