College football: Nevada faces tough test in season

The Nevada Wolf Pack’s season opener on the road against the No. 6 USC Trojans is a textbook example of baptism by fire.

On one side of the ball, USC is in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and head coach Lincoln Riley are poised to lead one of the nation’s top offenses.

On the other side, Nevada is coming off one of the worst seasons in program history.

Head coach Ken Wilson enters his second year with a new starting quarterback, a revamped offensive line, new faces in the wide receiver and running back rooms, and a defense losing key starters on the defensive line and secondary.

Not exactly the ideal way to open a season.

It’s hard not to feel like Nevada’s entering this flaming christening doused in kerosene. The sportsbooks seem to feel the same way, with the line opening at USC -38.5, the largest underdog spread in Nevada history.

While things aren’t looking good for the Wolf Pack on paper, there are enough potential storylines and added wrinkles to keep Saturday’s matchup intriguing.

A key factor in Nevada’s disastrous 2022 season was the lack of production under center.

Enter Brendon Lewis, the Colorado transfer whom Wilson named his starting quarterback on Monday. Lewis is a fourth-year sophomore with 13 career starts for the Buffaloes. He saw a majority of his action as a full-time starter in 2021, passing for 1,540 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 58 percent of his passes. Wilson pointed to Lewis’ talent and experience as to why he will start Saturday.

"He can throw the ball, he's got a maturity about him, he's got a presence about him," Wilson said. "… He's really got a leadership quality. He can get you first downs with his feet when a pocket breaks down, and he's smart enough to get down or get out of bounds and save his hits, which is part of the learning process of young quarterbacks."

Transferring to Nevada this offseason, he quickly impressed during spring practice and has been atop the depth chart throughout fall camp.

“We just think at this moment in time Brendon gives us the best chance to win football games,” Wilson said. “A little bit different than last year when we didn't know what we had. We've seen these guys for a year now, so we feel really good about that decision.”

While USC’s offense is solidified, there are still question marks up and down the defensive side of the ball, and those were evident last week against Nevada’s Mountain West rival San Jose State.

The Spartans kept the game competitive well into the third quarter, trailing 35-21 with just under two minutes to play. It wasn’t until a 96-yard touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff finally broke the game open for the Trojans.

San Jose State lost, 56-28, and was able to make big plays in the air and on the ground. Spartan quarterback Chevan Cordeiro had 198 yards passing and three touchdowns and added 52 yards rushing, running back Quali Conley rushed for 108 yards on just six carries, and receiver Nick Nash hauled in six catches for 89 yards and three scores.

That said, there are still plenty of unknowns for Nevada’s offense. The offensive line is a work in progress, with just one returning starter, left tackle Isaiah World, with double-digit starts. The right side, in particular, is wildly inexperienced. Right tackle Frank Poso making his first career start and right guard Josh Grabowski has just two starts under his belt.

As for the skill positions, there are some new faces. Running backs Sean Dollars and Ashton Hayes are Pac-12 transfers from Oregon and Cal, respectively, and both are expected to vie for carries.

Receivers Dalevon Campbell, Jamaal Bell and Spencer Curtis return and are joined by USC transfer John Jackson III and Oregon transfer Isaah Crocker.

A dark horse contributor is 6-foot-7, 215-pound tight end Keleki Latu. The Cal transfer hauled in 18 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown in his sophomore season. A big, pass-catching tight end is a new quarterback’s best friend, so Latu will likely get plenty of opportunities to make an impact.

While USC’s defense isn’t at DEFCON 1, there are still issues to work out, and Nevada might be able to take advantage.

The defensive line has to replace defensive tackle Dom Peterson, the team’s best pass rusher for the better part of four years. While that’s never an easy task, the line is expected to be a position of strength, at least in terms of depth. The question will be if someone along the line can emerge as the Wolf Pack’s premier pass rusher.

Middle linebacker returns both starters from a season ago to pair with Oregon transfer Jackson LaDuke.

The cornerback position also brings back two 12-game starters and redshirt sophomore KK Meier, who had a great fall camp and is expected to start Saturday.

While going up against USC’s offensive isn’t a fair barometer to judge Nevada’s defense, any potential flaws will be compounded more so because of who’s lining up on the other side.

Kickoff is set for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Coverage will be on the Pac-12 Network.