Aztecs Look to Rebound Against Turnover-Prone Wolf Pack in Reno
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Nevada’s struggles wiht ball security and a quarterback competition loom large as San Diego State (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West) travels to Mackay Stadium on Saturday night to face the Wolf Pack (1-4, 0-1 MW). The Aztecs, favored by 7 points, aim to avoid a repeat of the disastrous 6-0 loss to Nevada two years ago – a game that ultimately contributed to the departure of former SDSU coach Brady hoke.
A History of Close Contests
The series between San Diego state and Nevada, dating back 80 years, has largely been a competitive one. While the two programs have met 16 times, consistent matchups didn’t begin until 2012 when Nevada joined the Mountain West Conference. Over the past ten games, since 2014, the series has been remarkably even, with each team claiming five victories. Notably, five of the last six encounters have been decided by less than a touchdown, suggesting Saturday’s game could go down to the wire.
Nevada’s Tumultuous Season
The quarterback situation is particularly fluid for nevada. Starting quarterback Chubba Purdy, brother of San Francisco 49ers star Brock Purdy, has struggled with turnovers (40-for-77 for 494 yards, 1 touchdown, and 8 interceptions) and was benched during the Fresno state game after throwing two interceptions. True freshman Carter Jones stepped in and provided a spark, completing 11 of 16 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Nevada’s coach has remained tight-lipped about the starting quarterback for Saturday’s game. “Making a change at quarterback in the second half gave us a fresh start, provided some energy on both sides of the ball,” he said. “We’ve had those discussions about how we’re going to approach the quarterback position. I don’t know that it helps us to tell you who is playing quarterback. I think that helps (San Diego State), and so I’ll kind of leave it at that. We certainly know that multiple guys are going to play, and Carter is going to be one of them.”
san Diego State coach Sean Lewis anticipates Jones will start, but expects the Wolf Pack to utilize multiple quarterbacks. “you could tell he has some playmaking ability. He’s talented… He gave them a spark,” Lewis noted.
Offensive and Defensive Breakdown
Beyond the quarterback question, Nevada’s offense features wide receivers Marcus Bellon (15 receptions, 193 yards, 1 touchdown) and Jordan Brown (13 receptions, 164 yards) and tight end Jett Carpenter (13 receptions, 113 yards). Chubba Purdy also leads the team in rushing with 60 carries for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns, followed by running backs Caleb Ramseur (48 carries, 236 yards) and Herschel Turner (47 carries, 215 yards).
Defensively, Nevada ranks 82nd nationally in points allowed (25.6 per game) and 74th in total yards allowed (372.8 per game). The team has generated 13 sacks, led by defensive lineman Dylan Labarbera and edge rusher Jonathan Maldonado, both with 3 sacks. Labarbera also leads the team in tackles (42) and tackles for loss (10), while defensive back Edward Rhambo has six pass breakups.
SDSU Looks to Capitalize
San Diego State will be looking to exploit Nevada’s defensive vulnerabilities and capitalize on the Wolf Pack’s turnover issues.The Aztecs, coming off a Mountain West Conference win, will need a strong performance from their offense to secure a victory in Reno. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mackay Stadium and will be televised on CBSSN, with radio coverage available on 760-AM.
