Wolf Pack Cruise To Victory Over New Mexico State 55-28
Carson Strong throws a career high six touchdowns as Nevada cruises to a 55-28 victory over New Mexico
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Carson Strong Sets Career High With Six Touchdown Passes As Wolf Pack Win 55-28 over New Mexico State
The Nevada Wolf Pack closed out their non-conference portion of their 2021 season with a 55-28 victory over the New Mexico State Aggies.
The Wolf Pack got a great performance from quarterback Carson Strong who also made some history on Saturday night in Reno. Strong completed 25 of 32 passes for 377 yards and a career high six touchdown passes as the Wolf Pack overcame a slow start to easily defeat New Mexico State.
Early in the game, it looked like Nevada was hungover from their emotional victory on the road last week against Boise State. The Wolf Pack’s first three possessions on offense were two punts and a Carson Strong interception to New Mexico State’s Syrus Dumas. The Wolf Pack offense in the early part of the game was struggling.
However, the Wolf Pack defense played brilliantly after giving up a 19-yard touchdown pass when NMSU QB Jonah Johnson connected with Jarred Wyatt to put the Aggies up 7-0 in the first quarter.
After that Aggie touchdown, the Wolf Pack did not give up another score until the fourth quarter when the game was well in hand for Nevada. The Wolf Pack defense recorded six sacks against the New Mexico State offense and held things down while the Wolf Pack offense was getting it together.
The Wolf Pack offense got it going in the second quarter when Nevada cut the deficit to 7-3 after Brandon Talton connected on a 41-yard field goal. When Nevada had the ball next on offense, Carson Strong connected with running back Toa Taua on a 16-yard touchdown pass to give the Wolf Pack a 10-7 lead and Nevada never lost the lead after that.
On Nevada’s following offensive possession, Strong connected with wide receiver Justin Lockhart for a 10-yard touchdown drive to extend the Nevada lead to 17-7. The Wolf Pack scored once more when Strong found Melquan Stovall for a 65 yard touchdown pass that gave Stovall his first career touchdown pass. That score put the Wolf Pack up 24-7 and the lead would only go up from there.
Carson Strong would throw three more touchdown passes (two of them to tight end Cole Turner) to record a career record of six touchdowns as the Wolf Pack scored 52 unanswered points against NMSU after being down 7-0. Strong’s touchdown record is one short of the all-time school record which is set by two quarterbacks as Chris Vargas and Mike Maxwell both threw for the school record seven touchdowns in 1993 and 1995 respectively.
The Wolf Pack defense even got in on the scoring late in the third quarter to extend the lead. Cornerback Berdale Robins stripped NMSU receiver Jared Wyatt of the ball and Robins recovered and returned the ball 25 yards for the touchdown to put the Wolf Pack up 52-7.
The Wolf Pack defense did ease off and New Mexico State took advantage by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter but it was clearly too late for the Aggies. Carson Strong and the Wolf Pack offense was sensational (even without the services of Romeo Doubs) while the defense did play well for most of the game as the Wolf Pack secure the win.
Nevada’s win over New Mexico State improves their record to 4-1 and now they will head into Mountain West conference play. Next week the Wolf Pack will host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and kickoff is set for 7:30pm local time on CBS Sports.
