RENO, Nev. - Three turnovers, including an interception in the end zone with nine seconds left in the first half, cost Nevada dearly in Saturday night's 20-7 loss to defending FCS champion Montana State.
Trailing 17-0 and starting from its own 20 with 1:35 until halftime, the Wolf Pack (1-1) drove all the way down to the Bobcat 11. But with the chance to put crucial points on the board before getting the ball back to start the second half, the Wolf Pack squandered the opportunity as quarterback
Luke Duncan's pass for
Gary Givens III was nabbed in the end zone by Tim Thomas II.
Duncan made his first start in a Wolf Pack uniform Saturday, finishing 7-for-16 for 51 yards with two interceptions.
AJ Bianco took over to start the second half, leading a touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter capped by a 28-yard pass to
Marshaun Brown to bring Nevada within 10 at 17-7. Bianco, who finished 12-for-20 for 116 yards and a touchdown and added 38 rushing yards, had Nveada driving again with around five minutes left. From the Bobcat 49, Bianco hit Brown at the 41 but the Pack receiver had the ball jarred loose by Colter Petre. JJ Dolan scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the Wolf Pack 37, and a Pack penalty on the return moved the ball to the 22. Montana State (3-0) capitalized on the field position with a 29-yard field goal from Myles Sansted to up its lead to 20-7.
Montana State jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the contest, taking the opening kickoff 75 yards in seven plays with Justin Lamson hitting Dane Steel for a 24-yard touchdown. Lamson passed for 179 yards and a touchdown in the game, hitting four different receivers at least three times led by Taco Dowler's four catches for 44 yards.
Nevada's defense recovered, though, limiting Montana State to just three points and 103 total yards in the second half.
EJ Smith led the Wolf Pack in tackles for the second game in a row, finishing with 10 including a sack and two tackles-for-loss.
Myles Williams and
Logologo Va'a added sacks while
Larry Turner-Gooden's two pass breakups paced the five from the Pack secondary.
Nevada makes its first road trip of the season next weekend, facing Middle Tennessee Saturday at 4 p.m. PT in Murfreesboro.
