Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Lose To Hawaii 27-14
Turnovers and poor offensive play doomed Nevada on Saturday as Hawaii ends the Wolf Pack’s two game winning streak
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Nevada’s Winning Streak Ends At Two; Wolf Pack Fall to Hawaii 34-24
Well that winning streak was fun while it lasted, Nevada.
The Wolf Pack’s two game winning streak crashed in embarrassing fashion on Saturday. Nevada fell 27-14 to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The same Rainbow Warriors team that lost four straight in ugly fashion before defeating Nevada in Reno.
Nevada let a struggling Hawaii program go into their stadium and push them around. The Rainbow Warrior offense that struggled to run the ball, ran the ball well to the total of 139 yards. The Hawaii pass offense had its way with Nevada’s secondary, especially Pofele Ashlock who caught nine passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Schager had a good game as he completed 21 of 38 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, Schager did not throw an interception against Nevada.
The Wolf Pack offense well…the less said about that unit the better. They did play slightly better in the second half when AJ Bianco (5 for 14 passing 76 yards , one INT) was under center at QB but it was not enough. Then there were Nevada’s turnovers and poor offensive line play. Nevada did a great job in not turning the ball over in the last two games but against Hawaii, Nevada turned the ball over twice which severely hurt the Nevada offense and kept them from winning the game.
Also, Nevada’s offensive line (I refuse to call them The Union until they start being good again) failed to protect QBs Brendon Lewis and AJ Bianco. Hawaii’s defense sacked the Wolf Pack QBs a combined six times and the Hawaii defense had 10 tackles for loss. To say that Nevada’s offensive line once again looked poor and pathetic is not even scratching the surface.
And after a poor and dreadful effort against Hawaii, the Wolf Pack are 2-7 and got nothing much to play for in this 2023 season except to maybe save Ken Wilson’s job but…LOL.
After a scoreless first quarter, Things picked up in the second quarter when Nevada QB Brendon Lewis (1 for 8, 36 yards five carries 11 yards) fumbled the ball and Hawaii’s Elijah Palmer recovered the ball. Hawaii’s offense took six plays to get on the scoreboard when PK Matthew Shipley connected on a 50 yard field goal to make the score 3-0 Hawaii.
Towards the end of the first half, Hawaii went on an eight play, 57 yard scoring drive that ended when QB Dalen Morris scored on a one yard touchdown run. The PAT made it 10-0 Hawaii and Hawaii was not done scoring to end the first half. After another Nevada punt, Hawaii went on an 11 play, 65 yard scoring drive which concluded when Brayden Schager connected with Pofele Ashlock on a 26 yard touchdown pass to put Hawaii up 17-0 at the end of the half.
Before the end of the first half, Nevada switched QBs as AJ Bianco came in for Brendon Lewis. Bianco finished the remainder of the first half and started the entire second half. With Bianco, the Wolf Pack offense did have some life left in it. On their second offensive possession Nevada scored on a two yard Sean Dollars touchdown run to cut Hawaii’s lead to 17-7.
But then the mistakes on offense reared its ugly head for Nevada. On the Wolf Pack’s next possession Bianco’s pass was intercepted by Hawaii’s Peter Manima. Hawaii’s offense took advantage of that turnover as they took only two plays to score a touchdown. Schager connected with Ashlock for the second time on a five yard touchdown pass to extend Hawaii’s lead to 24-7.
But Nevada still had a little bit of fight left in them. The Wolf Pack punted the ball to Hawaii only for Hawaii’s Steven McBride to fumble the ball and Nevada’s Aedan Seiuli recovered the ball. Nevada did take advantage of that turnover when Sean Dollars scored on a seven yard touchdown run to cut the Hawaii lead to 24-14.
On Hawaii’s next possession on offense, the Rainbow Warriors moved the ball well and got the ball into Nevada territory. Hawaii’s offense did stall at the Nevada 33 yard line and they had to settle for a field goal. Matthew Shipley’s second 50 yard field goal attempt of the game was good and Hawaii extended the lead to 27-14.
Nevada’s offense in the fourth quarter had two chances to cut into the lead but they turned the ball over on downs both times. The first one was when Nevada drove the ball on a 12 play, 66 yard drive that took over five minutes of game clock. Despite that long drive, Bianco could not connect with Jamaal Bell on fourth down and Hawaii forced the turnover on downs.
Nevada’s last offense series of the game was another turnover on downs. The Wolf Pack offense got the ball in Hawaii territory but could not convert on a fourth down to extend the drive.
And that was the end of the game and Nevada’s two game winning streak.
Nevada had a chance to extend their winning streak against a Hawaii team that had been outscored 162-75 during their four game losing streak. But Nevada’s offense sputtered and turned the ball over and the defense could not stop Hawaii’s passing offense.
Now the Wolf Pack are 2-7 and facing a tough three game stretch to close out the season. More than likely, Nevada will be an underdog in all of their final three games and if they lose all three, what will be the future of Ken Wilson in Reno?
Can Coach Wilson and Nevada bounce back next week and finish the season strong? I have my doubts but we will see next week.
