Dec. 16, 2014
By Brady Johnson
Assistant Director, Athletic Communications
NEW ORLEANS - A jazz band introduced the Nevada football team to its team hotel with music and Mardi Gras beads, providing the Wolf Pack with its first impression of The Big Easy.
After a three hour flight, which most players used as time to catch on sleep following finals, the University of Nevada football team arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday in preparation for the 14th annual R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
A jazz band, onlookers and media awaited Nevada's arrival at around 7 p.m. local time. Head coach Brian Polian said it was okay for his team to soak in the moment.
"I think they're enjoying the moment right now and I have no problem with that," said Polian. "The bowl folks, R+L Carriers and the hotel did an unbelievable job welcoming us and giving us a cool way to come off the bus. That's fun and part of the bowl experience."
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl - Countdown: 4 days
Making its ninth bowl appearance in the past 10 years, the first thing Nevada wants to accomplish for the 2014 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl is acclimatization. With a 10 a.m. local time (8 a.m. PT) kickoff awaiting the Wolf Pack on Saturday, Dec. 20, adjusting to the central time zone will be a modest yet critical task.
Nevada's first practice in New Orleans will be on Wednesday at 10 a.m. - the same time as kickoff for the bowl game. Polian also mentioned adjusting to the scenery of playing in a dome for the first time this season.
As for the actual game plan and strategizing for Louisiana, the Pack coaches and staff laid a bulk of the work down in Reno in the prior week. Nevada's three practices in The Big Easy will be focused on polishing what's already in place and fine-tuning every minute detail.
"We had a championship-level practice the past seven days and really got after it," said senior Richy Turner, who became the 15th player in Nevada history to reach 2,000 receiving yards. "We grew as a team last week that way we can relax a little bit - not too much - and focus on the game."
While Tuesday will be the team's lightest day in New Orleans, senior Cody Fajardo remained as stoic as ever upon arrival. The four-year starter, and one of the best players in program history, told media at the team hotel that Nevada was on a business trip and that he was personally motivated to win his first game.
Fajardo also mentioned the inherit difficulty of bowl games - attempting to keep momentum after a long break. It's been 17 days since Nevada's rivalry victory over UNLV and the team is anxious to return to competition.
"The time off hurts," said Fajardo. "I hate bye weeks and this was two weeks, so it's been awhile since we've strapped it up and gone against someone else. We're anxious to do that."
Wolf Pack in the Big Easy
After arriving to the hotel, the players and staff meet for a team meal and meeting in the conference room from to go over additional planning and preview the week's schedule.
From there, the Wolf Pack has a rare opportunity to explore the city. Rather than waiting until later in the week - when bowl preparation will be most important - the Nevada coaches will allow players to explore The Big Easy tonight.
Polian, who earned a history major from John Carroll University, mentioned his desire to see New Orleans' famous World War II museum.
Additional Coverage
Richy Turner video interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBNHR2ysBgA&feature=youtu.be
RGJ story on Ron Hudson and John Decoster: (http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2014/12/15/wolf-pack-football-say-hello-hospitality-mon/20461441/)
