Nevada’s Ault finds faults in victory

RENO, NEV. » Jeremiah Green stepped in front of Shane Austin’s pass and picked it off with ease. The junior linebacker for Nevada then took the ball up the Hawaii sideline for an 11-yard return. The crowd at Mackay Stadium on a chilly night in Reno let out a roar, two-thirds celebration and one-third relief.

The Wolf Pack maintained their march to what they hope will be another Western Athletic Conference championship on Saturday with a 42-28 win over the Warriors. Nevada delivered the knockout punch to a bruised and battered Hawaii team and now awaits the arrival of Louisiana Tech next Saturday in a game that should determine the WAC title.

However, there was plenty of stuff that went wrong against the Warriors, leading to Wolf Pack coach Chris Ault saving most of his praise for his offense.

"I think offensively we played well for most of the game with the exception of the first half of the first quarter," Ault said. "I think after that we became pretty good."

Yeah, you could say that. Nevada piled up 528 yards of offense, and every time Hawaii cut the lead to a touchdown in the second half, the Wolf Pack responded.

As for the defense, well, there were the four forced turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble recovery). And the yardage total (307) wasn’t that bad. But considering that Nevada knocked starting quarterback Bryant Moniz out of the game in the first quarter with a broken leg, the fact that the Warriors put together a pair of second-half touchdown drives with backup quarterback Shane Austin, and that Justin Clapp, tied for third on the team in receptions with 38 coming into the game, was already out with an injury … well, Ault was none too pleased.

"Defensively speaking, fourth quarter, we forced turnovers when we had to do it," Ault said. "But up until that point, I was not pleased with what they did passing-wise, in particular with the slant routes and dig routes over the middle. We gave up way too much yardage in the end of the third quarter, top of the fourth quarter."

Special teams you ask? Well, the special teams provided the play of the night when Ault called for a fake field goal in the fourth quarter. Leading 35-28, Nevada lined up for what would have been a 32-yard field goal. Instead, holder Mason Magleby got up and found Kolby Arendse for a sweet 15-yard touchdown and the game’s final points.

"I’ve been telling teammates and coaches all week that it would work," Magleby said.

Otherwise, Ault didn’t like what he saw. Hawaii blocked one punt for a touchdown, with John Hardy-Tuliau doing both honors. The Warriors came close on two other punts. And Ault cited the 173 yards on six kickoff returns Hawaii ran up.

"That blocked punt was atrocious," Ault said. "That could have cost us the game."

But it didn’t. Now, Nevada (6-3, 4-0 WAC) prepares to host Louisiana Tech (6-4, 4-1) with the championship on the line.

"We’re 4-0, chasing another WAC championship," receiver Rishard Matthews said. "Hopefully, we’ll put another ring on the finger."