RENO, Nev. - Carter Jones threw a pair of touchdown passes, Dominic Kelley scored two touchdowns, including a 72-yard touchdown run, and Nevada beat Western Kentucky 49-14 on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.
Kelley set the tone on the second play from scrimmage, taking a handoff and breaking through the right side for 72-yard score. It was the longest run from scrimmage for the Wolf Pack since a 77-yard run from James Butler in 2025.
Nevada students set a record by claiming 5,049 tickets for the contest, and the overall home crowd of 19,404 had plenty to cheer as six different Wolf Pack players found the end zone.
Jones completed 9 of 15 passes for 163 yards. Kelley finished with 152 yards rushing on 11 carries. Herschel Turner, Donnie Cheers and Carter Jackson also had touchdown runs for Nevada.
Rodney Tisdale Jr. was 24-of-40 passing for 203 yards for Western Kentucky. Ajay Allen added 102 yards rushing on 21 carries with two touchdowns.
Turner's 8-yard touchdown run ended an 11-play, 88-yard drive late in the first quarter to put the Wolf Pack ahead 14-0. Allen's short-yardage score pulled the Hilltoppers to 14-7, and Cheers scored on a 20-yard run to give the Wolf Pack a 21-7 halftime lead.
Nevada pulled away in the third quarter as Jones hit Cheers with a 32-yard touchdown pass and DJ Asiasi from 14 yards to make it 35-7 before Allen's 10-yard TD run capped the scoring with 1:18 left to play.
Nevada's defense was led by linebacker EJ Smith, who made a career-high 14 tackles including a tackle-for-loss. EDGE Dylan LaBarbera had a sack and 1.5 TFLs among his six tackles, while linebacker Jeremy Naborne-Owens has six tackles and a sack in his Wolf Pack debut.
The Pack defense forced two turnovers as defensive backs Zion Jones and Tajean Stallworth each forced and subsequently recovered a fumble.
