Postgame Notes
With the loss...
- Nevada fell to 0-3 on the season, 102-92 as an FBS school and 482-432-33 in its history (103rd year).
- Coach Chris Ault fell to 198-94-1 in his 25-year career.
STREAKS: Senior tackle Alonzo Durham started his 30th consecutive game. The co-captain has not missed a start since making his first career start at the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl. Also, junior tackle Mike Gallett made his 23rd straight start while senior safety Jonathon Amaya made his 20th straight start.
EARLY OFFENSE: Nevada scored on its first drive of the game - a two-yard plunge by Courtney Randall that capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive for the Pack. Kaepernick was perfect passing on the scoring drive, which was the first first-half scoring drive of the season for Nevada. The Pack was shut out in the first half against both Notre Dame and Colorado State.
BALL RETURNS: WAC-leading kick returner Mike Ball picked up where he left off last week, with returns of 33 and 52 yards. Ball had returns of 48 and 50 yards last week against Colorado State.
LIPPINCOTT AT RB: For the first time since the Texas Tech game last year, Luke Lippincott started at running back. He missed the rest of the 2008 season with an injury and started the Notre Dame game this year at WR. He carried the ball 23 times for 114 yards tonight, the 11th time in his career that he has topped the century mark and the first time since Dec. 1, 2007 against La. Tech.
WEEKLY LUNCHEONS: The University of Nevada Quarterback Club Luncheons will continue this Monday at the Peppermill Hotel-Casino in Reno. Coach Ault will review the Missouri game with a film review and will preview the UNLV game. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the cost is $16 per person. The luncheons are open to the public.
ET CETERA: Missouri won the toss and elected to receive ... Nevada's starters were as listed on the depth chart except for the change at RB ... Lampford Mark got his first rushing attempts of the season, as did Courtney Randall ... Chris Wellington extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 16 straight.
Postgame Quotes
Nevada Quotes
Head Coach Chris Ault
On the game:
"Our kids played hard, especially on the defensive side."
"The difference in the game was that Missouri ate the clock up. It put our offense in a difficult situation."
"Today was our best of all three games."
"Missouri is a good football team. We don't expect to fumble, but we did. We can't afford to do that."
On Vai Taua:
"Taua's injury didn't affect us much due to Lippincott. We still moved the ball well."
On the play of Colin Kaepernick:
"Kap was poised and outstanding against the blitz. He threw the ball well. We saw his running ability. It was good to see."
"Kap's touchdown was a scramble after the roll out."
On his team's pass protection:
"Our pass protection was not very good the first half."
"Our offense was good. They felt in their comfort zone. We want to build on that."
Looking ahead to next week:
"We made improvements. The bottom line is to win. It doesn't matter who you play."
Junior quarterback Colin Kaepernick
"It was close. You know, we always talk about how we need to get the game to the fourth quarter, and we were right there"
On the fumbles:
"We just have to try to focus on it more and try to correct it as much as we can, keep working hard"
On Lippincott's fumble:
"You can't really describe it, it's just frustrating."
"The score doesn't really matter. A loss is a loss"
"Our seniors haven't lost to UNLV since they've been here, and we don't want to change that"
Sophomore linebacker Brandon Marshall
"We fought, we didn't give up."
"I don't plan on losing to UNLV while I'm here."
Senior running back Luke Lippincott
On making mistakes early rather than later:
"We can make a big turnaround right now, and we can come out of this season with high hopes"
Missouri Quotes
Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel
"Nevada is a good football team, you take away their eight turnovers and it's an entirely different outcome"
"That's our team, the young guys have learned a lot from the guys ahead of them"
"Fourth year in a row we have been undefeated non conference, that's huge"
"Any time you get a turnover like that it's huge, from an emotional standpoint a turnover like that is tough for any team"
Lineback Will Ebner
"They were getting us with Lippincott, he had some nice runs but we didn't change many assignments, we just played focused and together"
"That was huge, we needed a stop on the goal line there and we got it"
"Reno isn't an easy place to play, but we needed to get a win and we did"
"The only problem was keeping him contained, when he (Kaepernick) gets on the outside he's a tough player to stop."
Linebacker Andrew Gatchkar
"When he (Kaepernick) is running free, that hurts, but in the end we got it done"
"That was the biggest play I've ever been in on. A stop you have to have on the three yard line and we forced a fumble"
"That's what are defense is about we've got heart, and when you've got heart, it takes over"
