Despite A Slow Start , The Wolf Pack Drop The Hammer On Portland State To Open The Season at 1-0
The Nevada Wolf Pack overcame a slow start early to drop 70 points on Portland State on Friday night.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]
Contact/Follow @garredom & @MWCwire
Wolf Pack Trample Vikings 72-19
The Nevada Wolf Pack holds Portland State scoreless in the second half for a 72-19 win behind senior quarterback Ty Gangi’s 342 passing yards and McLane Mannix’s 3 receiving touchdowns. They’re able to avoid a second home opening loss to an FCS program in as many years.
Nevada showed some home opener jitters as the Portland State Vikings started the game with a 7 play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Davis Alexander to tight end, Charlie Taumoepeau. Nevada was scoreless and down 9 after a safety and were showing signs of dejavu from last year’s season opener against Idaho State. The Wolf Pack began to find their identity after a pick 6 by Daniel Brown with just over 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
Ty Gangi and Nevada’s air attack offense found its touch on their first drive of the second quarter that resulted in a 1 play, 58-yard touchdown strike to McLane Mannix. Nevada would go on to score 23 unanswered points, before a 1 play, 75-yard pass from Alexander to Charlie Taumoepeau for a touchdown, once again highlighting the lack of experience in Nevada’s young secondary that was exploited on the first drive of the game.
After a late 1st half field goal for the Vikings, Portland State would have no answer for Nevada’s unstoppable passing attack in the second half while the Wolf Pack’s defense would settle in nicely.
Nevada’s backfield would rush for 220 total yards lead by Jaxson Kincaide’s 116, including a 73-yard TD grab from RB Toa Taua. Wide receiver threat, Brendan O’Leary-Orange was a late scratch, but the Wolf Pack would still net 420 passing yards with huge contributions from McLane Mannix and Kaleb Fossum. Freshman Romeo Doubs would conclude Nevada’s scoring with an 80-yard punt return in the 4th quarter.
Davis Alexander would finish with 224 yards on 13-of-32 passing as the Vikings were unable to snap a 13-game losing streak. Both teams will be on the road next weekend as Nevada travels to Vanderbilt Sept 8 to face the Commodores and Portland State faces #24 Oregon.