Sept. 26, 2015
FINAL: Nevada (2-2) 24, Buffalo (2-2) 21
QUICK FACTS
Nevada improves to 2-0 all-time against Buffalo, having previously posted a 38-13 victory against the Bulls in 2004 at Mackay Stadium … The Wolf Pack improves to 5-6 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference … Today's victory marked the program's 530th win all-time, as Nevada improves to 530-462-33.
BABER SHINES IN FIRST CAREER GAME
Playing in his first collegiate game, true freshman DB Dameon Baber recorded two interceptions for the Wolf Pack … The Palmdale, Calif. native intercepted a pass late in the third quarter which lead to a Nevada touchdown drive in the fourth quarter … Buffalo pulled within one score and drove into Nevada territory with less than two minutes on the clock before Baber tallied his second interception, allowing the Pack to knee out the clock and seal the victory … Baber is Nevada's first player with multiple interceptions in a single game since Markus Smith vs. Hawai'i on Sept. 21, 2013 … Baber also finished with 10 tackles - the second-most on the team.
1-2 PUNCH OF BUTLER AND JACKSON LEADS NEVADA
Sophomore RB James Butler rushed for a career-high 177 yards and senior RB Don Jackson ran for 113 yards against Buffalo … The last time Nevada has two players each rush for over 100 yards in one game came last year against UNLV on Nov. 29, 2014 when Cody Fajardo (132), Jackson (137) and Butler (116) each rushed for over 100 yards … Butler rushed 16 times for 177 yards and one score while averaging 11.1 yards per carry and eclipsing his previous career-high of 116 … This was Butler's fourth career 100+ rushing effort … Jackson rushed 17 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns, marking his seventh career 100+ rushing game … Jackson scored on rushes off 55 and 10 yards to tally his fourth career multi-touchdown rushing game.
BUTLER GOES FOR 91
On the first play of Nevada's drive starting at its own four-yard line, sophomore James Butler broke free for a 91-yard rush … Butler scored from five yards out on the next play, tying the game at 7-7 with 3:07 left in the first quarter … Butler's 91-yard rush tied for the third-longest in program history and was Nevada's longest rush since Johnny Gordon's 94-yard run in 1984 … Butler's big run was also Nevada's longest non-scoring run in program history.
LYONS SETS CAREER-HIGH
Senior LB Matthew Lyons set a career-high with 16 tackles … Lyon previously set a career-high with 14 tackles against Boise State in 2014 … Lyons also tallied one tackle for loss in today's victory. GROUND GAME Nevada rushed for a season-high 289 yards … This was the third-highest rushing output in the Polian era and the most since rushing for 408 yards against UNLV last season … The Wolf Pack improves to 11-2 when out-rushing its opponent under Polian and 10-3 when rushing for at least 200 yards under Polian.
ZUZO STAYS PERFECT
Junior PK Brent Zuzo split the uprights with a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter … Zuzo improves to 6-of-6 on the season … Entering today's game, Zuzo was one nine kickers in FBS with a perfect field goal percentage and at least five attempts.
PARTICIPATION
The Wolf Pack offense opened the game in a three-wide, one tight end formation with its starting personnel matching the pre-game depth chart … The Nevada defense had multiple changes to its depth chart; junior LB Alex Bertrando started in place of an injured Jordan Bobrich, freshman DB Dameon Baber made his first career start at free safety and sophomore DB Kendall Johnson moved from free safety to cornerback.
