Nevada Football: How the Wolf Pack Can Defeat Wyoming: How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
Nevada looks to close out another dismal season on a high note with a win against Wyoming
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Here is How Nevada Can Defeat Wyoming In The Season Finale
WEEK 13: Nevada Wolf Pack (2-9, 2-5 MW) vs Wyoming Cowboys (7-4, 4-3 MW)
WHEN: Saturday, November 25th – 6:00pm PT/7:00pm MT
WHERE: Mackay Stadium-Reno, Nevada
TV: CBS Sports-Click here to get a free subscription to FuboTV where they carry CBS Sports.
RADIO: Nevada is on 105.7 KOZZ in Reno and Wyoming is on 1290 KOWB 1290AM in Laramie.
SERIES RECORD: Wyoming leads the all time series 5-4. The last meeting was in 2020 in Reno when Nevada won 37-34.
WEBSITES: NevadaWolfPack.com, the official Nevada athletics website | GoWyo.com, the official Wyoming athletics website.
ODDS: Wyoming (-11)
SP+PROJECTION: Wyoming by 13.2
FEI PROJECTION: Wyoming by 12.5
The Nevada Wolf Pack will end their 2023 season in Reno as they face the Wyoming Cowboys.
Nevada will look to close out a dismal 2023 season with a win. The Wolf Pack are coming off a 30-20 loss to Colorado State last Saturday. The defeat by the hands of the Rams was another example of Nevada’s inconsistently poor offense failing to score points. And along with that struggling offense, the Wolf Pack defense was unable to contain Colorado State’s talented offense.
Nevada now sits at 2-9 and looking to not end this season with a four game losing streak.
The Wolf Pack are facing a Wyoming team that has already secured its sixth bowl trip in eight seasons under head coach Craig Bohl. The Cowboys are coming off a 42-9 thumping of Hawaii last week in Laramie.
Can Nevada close out the 2023 season with an upset over Wyoming?
Here are my three keys on how Nevada can defeat Wyoming
Contain Wyoming’s running attack
No big secret that Wyoming wants to run the ball and under HC Craig Bohl, the Cowboys are a run first team.
This season is no different as the Cowboys top running back is junior Harrison Waylee. Waylee is fourth in the Mountain West in rushing yards with 758 rushing yards. The Cowboys quarterback Andrew Peasley is second on the team with 307 rushing yards and has scored five rushing touchdowns.
Nevada’s defense will have to improve on its run defense from last week in order to win on Saturday. Against Colorado State, the Wolf Pack gave up 169 rushing yards at five yards a carry. Going up against a Wyoming team that is a run first, run second and run third team, Nevada’s defense will need to get better at stopping the run.
It is going to be a tall challenge (then again, everything is a tall challenge with Nevada football these days) but if Nevada wins, it is because they limited the Wyoming ground attack.
Win the turnover battle
Nevada has won very few games under the leadership of Ken Wilson.
But when Nevada has won, it is because they force turnovers on defense and protect the ball on offense.
Nevada under Wilson is 4-2 when they win the turnover battle and 0-17 when they lose or are tied on turnovers. When Nevada is forcing turnovers that can lead into points on offense. When Nevada defeated New Mexico on October 28th, the Wolf Pack turned three Lobo turnovers into points.
When Nevada does not win the turnover battle, well, see the losses they have suffered under Ken Wilson. The Wolf Pack are not a team capable of overcoming turning the ball over to the opposition. So in this contest against Wyoming, the Wolf Pack must do a better job of protecting the ball.
Nevada wins this Saturday’s contest against Wyoming by winning the turnover battle.
Brendon Lewis continues his solid play from last week
Looks like it will be Brendon Lewis getting the start at QB this week against Wyoming. AJ Bianco suffered a rib injury in last week’s game against Colorado State and Lewis stepped in at QB.
When Lewis took over for Bianco, Lewis ended up playing one of his better games of this season. Lewis completed 18 of 24 passes for 169 yards while rushing for 61 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.
The play of Lewis against Colorado State was a big reason why Nevada had a chance to win. Right before the inconsistent, poor play kicked in for the Wolf Pack and they proceeded to lose the game.
The numbers put up by Lewis this season are in a word, not good. Lewis has completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 1,305 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. Lewis is more accomplished as a rush as he leads the team in rushing yards (504) and has scored four touchdowns.
Brendon Lewis is a very inconsistent passer who is better at running than throwing the ball. But if Nevada is to pull off the upset against Wyoming on Saturday night, Lewis will need a good performance like he showed against the Rams a week ago.
Prediction
Wyoming 24 Nevada 13
Nevada has a lot of fight in them and won’t give up easily. But this team is limited by inconsistent offensive play, below average defense and below average coaching. Brendon Lewis will start at quarterback for AJ Bianco and Lewis did play well last week against the Rams.
Lewis does have the legs to move the ball on offense and at times score points for Nevada
But Lewis will have a tough time against a good Wyoming defense. I see this game being close but in the end Wyoming is just overall the better team. Wyoming comes away with the victory in Reno.
While Nevada ends the 2023 season with a loss and more questions about the direction of the football program heading into the offseason
