Kansas Vs Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
Nevada looks to avoid a 13-game losing streak as they host Kansas on Saturday
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Nevada Hosts Kansas As The Wolf Pack Look To Bounce Back After Ugly Idaho Loss
WEEK 3: Nevada Wolf Pack (0-2) vs Kansas Jayhawks (2-0)
WHEN: Saturday, September 16th-7:30PM PT/8:30PM MT
TV: CBS Sports Network
RADIO: Nevada is on 105.7 KOZZ in Reno and Kansas is on 810 WHB in Kansas City, Kansas.
SERIES RECORD: This is the first ever meeting between Nevada and Kansas.
WEBSITES: NevadaWolfPack.com, the official Nevada athletics website | KUAthletics.com, the official Kansas athletics website
ODDS: Kansas (-28)
SP + PROJECTION: Kansas by 26.3
FEI PROJECTION: Kansas by 12.5
The Nevada Wolf Pack will take on the Kansas Jayhawks in Reno on Saturday night. Nevada is looking to perform a whole lot better than they did the last time they took the field.
For those who might have missed it, the Wolf Pack embarrassed themselves against FCS opponent Idaho. The Vandals had very little issues as they defeated Nevada 33-6 in Reno last Saturday. It was one of the more shocking and embarrassing performances in Wolf Pack football history because the entire team and coaching staff looked unprepared to play against Idaho.
This week, we will see if the entire Nevada football team can bounce back and perform better than they did last week. If not, expect that hot seat that is already hotter than the sun to get even more hot under Ken Wilson.
Nevada is facing a Kansas Jayhawk team that is playing great this early in the season. The Jayhawks are coming off an impressive 34-23 win over Illinois last week and are looking to push their record to 3-0.
Their offense is one of the best in the nation and is led by QB Jaylon Daniels. Daniels can do damage with his arm and his legs and will look to go into Reno and come away with a victory.
Can the Wolf Pack get themselves together and be competitive this week against Kansas?
Here are my three keys and a prediction
Find a way to slow down Jalon Daniels.
Once again, the Nevada defense must face a dynamic quarterback. First it was Caleb Williams, last week it was Gevani McCoy and now it is Daniels.
Daniels is coming off an impressive performance last week against Illinois. Daniels completed 21 of 29 pass attempts for 277 yards two touchdowns and one interception. Daniels also carried the ball 11 times for 24 yards.
Daniels is the conductor of a Kansas offense that is averaging 530 total offensive yards per game and averaging 7.63 yards per play. It is early in the season but the Kansas offense is clearly one of the best offenses in the nation.
The Wolf Pack have been terrible in stopping opposing offenses this season. For Nevada to have any chance on Saturday night, they must find a way to slow down Daniels and the Kansas offense.
Continue to get the running game going
When a team like Nevada gets hammered by double digit points, there usually isn’t a whole lot of positive things to talk about.
However, Nevada did one thing well in their loss to Idaho: Run the ball.
The Wolf Pack ran for 118 yards at 4.7 yards a carry last week against the Vandals. RB Sean Dollars was Nevada’s leading rusher with 48 yards on nine carries. While the Wolf Pack passing game was struggling, the running game was at least decent.
In the first two games of this season, the Wolf Pack offense is nothing spectacular. The offense did run the ball decently last week and against a high powered offense like Kansas, that is needed .If Nevada has plans on winning on Saturday and snapping this long losing streak, the run game needs to get positive yards.
Better QB play
The quarterback performances of Brendon Lewis and AJ Bianco have been below average. That was especially the case last week against Idaho where the combined stats of Lewis and Bianco was not good. Lewis and Bianco combined to go 20 for 38 passing for 148 yards (at 3.9 yards per attempt) zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Now it may not look like it but the QB play for Nevada on paper looks slightly better than last season’s QBs. But after two games, the QB play has been a continuation of what happened last season and that was some horrible QB play. For Nevada to win, the QB play has to get much better no matter if Lewis or Bianco is under center.
Nevada has not had good QB play since Carson Strong back in 2021 and even though he is back in Reno as an assistant, he isn’t suiting up at QB. The Wolf Pack need Lewis and/or Bianco to play well to snap this losing streak.
Prediction
Kansas 42 Nevada 21
Nevada was embarrassed last week against Idaho at home and there is no way to sugar coat that fact. What was worse is that the Wolf Pack looked outmatched on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The way Nevada lost to Idaho was just shocking on all fronts.
This week will offer no reprieve for the Wolf Pack. Kansas, like Idaho and USC, has an explosive offense and can score in bunches. Nevada has been unable to even slow down an opposing offense through two games this season.
I think Nevada will put up a better effort than they did last week but in the end, Kansas has too much offense for the Wolf Pack to try to stop. The losing streak for Nevada will get extended for another week.
