Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo returns to lead the Wolfpack offense. Credit: Michael C. Johnson / US-Presswire.
The Orlando Sentinel has ranked all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. We?ll take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 120 to our projected No. 1 team. We will not be including the four teams the NCAA lists as still reclassifying to the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
Today at No. 79: Nevada
Coach: Chris Ault (226-103-1, 28th year)
2011 record: 7-6 (5-2 in Western Athletic Conference, second in WAC)
Look back: Nevada got off to rough start in 2011 thanks, in part, to a tough schedule. The Wolf Pack lost 69-20 to then-No. 13 Oregon. The team bounced back to earn a 17-14 win at San Jose State, then lost a tough game 35-34 at Texas Tech and 30-10 at then-No. 4 Boise State. With the Broncos regularly blowing out opponents, the relatively close contest was a sign Nevada could turn things around as the season continued.
The team won five consecutive games, defeating New Mexico 49-7, Fresno State 45-38, New Mexico State on the road 48-34 and Hawai?i 42-28. Nevada then dropped a pair of close games, falling 24-20 to Louisiana Tech and 21-17 at Utah State. The Wolf Pack bounced back with a 56-3 win against Idaho to close out the regular season.
The Wolf Pack earned 6an invitation to the Hawai?i Bowl and lost 24-17 to Southern Miss. It was Nevada?s sixth bowl appearance in the past seven years. However, the team won just one of those bowl games ? 20-13 against Boston College in the January 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
Nevada?s offense thrived during the 2011 season, efficiently running coach Chris Ault?s pistol attack. The team ranked No. 6 nationally in total offense (506.69 yards per game), No. 8 nationally in rushing offense (247.54 yards per game) and No. 32 in passing offense (247.54 yards per game).
Offensive starters lost/returning: 5/6
Defensive starters lost/returning: 6/5
Key losses: WR Rishard Matthews, DL Brett Roy, DB Isaiah Frey, OL Jeff Meads, RB Mike Ball, LB James Michael-Johnson.
Top returnees: QB Cody Fajardo, OL Chris Barker, DB Duke Williams, OL Jeff Nady, DB Chad Boyd, RB Stefphon Jefferson.
Strengths: Quarterback Cody Fajardo, who won WAC freshman of the year honors, returns to lead the Nevada offense. Fajardo proved to be a dynamic quarterback capable of running the pistol attack well. He is the team?s top returning passer and rusher.
While there were some changes to the coaching staff, Ault remains a fixture at Nevada. He has helped the program grow and put the Wolf Pack in a position to escape the crumbling WAC for the more stable Mountain West Conference. The team will begin Mountain West play during the 2012 season.
Weaknesses: Fajardo lost some playmakers who worked well around him. The list includes talented rusher Mike Ball, who was dismissed from the program near the end of the 2011 season due to undisclosed violations of team rules.
Nevada?s defense wasn?t nearly as strong as its offense and struggled to slow down opposing teams in crunch time, leading some of the Wolf Pack?s close losses. The team was especially weak putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, ranking No. 101 out of 120 teams nationally in tackles for a loss (4.62 points per game).
Ault made some significant changes to his staff, including the hire of new offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich. Rolovich previously worked on the Hawai?i staff and helped lead the program?s high octane passing attack. Despite strong experience, it?s unclear whether the coaching changes will be an obstacle for the team.
Outlook: Ault has proven he can help Nevada win consistently and earn bowl trips, but the move to the Mountain West Conference a few difficult nonconference games will make it challenging to post another winning season.
2012 Schedule
Sept. 1 At Cal
Sept. 8 South Florida
Sept. 15 Northwestern State
Sept. 22 At Hawai?i
Sept. 29 At Texas State
Oct. 6 Wyoming
Oct. 13 At UNLV
Oct. 20 San Diego State
Oct. 27 At Air Force
Nov. 10 Fresno State
Nov. 17 At New Mexico
Nov. 24 Boise State
Rest of the countdown:
No. 80 Eastern Michigan
No. 81 Hawai?i
No. 82 East Carolina
No. 83 Texas Tech
No. 84 Washington State
No. 85 San Diego State
No. 86 Ball State
No. 87 Navy
No. 88 Tennessee
No. 89 Kent State
No. 90 Louisiana-Monroe
No. 91 Bowling Green
No. 92 Syracuse
No. 93 Minnesota
No. 94 Boston College
No. 95 Kansas
No. 96 Oregon State
No. 97 Rice
No. 98 Ole Miss
No. 99 Colorado
No. 100 New Mexico State
No. 101 Duke
No. 102 Idaho
No. 103 Army
No. 104 Maryland
No. 105 Colorado State
No. 106 Miami (Ohio)
No. 107 UTEP
No. 108 Troy
No. 109 Fresno State
No. 110 Central Michigan
No. 111 Indiana
No. 112 Memphis
No. 113 Middle Tennessee
No. 114 UAB
No. 115 Buffalo
No. 116 Tulane
No. 117: FAU
No. 118: UNLV
No. 119: Akron
No. 120: New Mexico
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