Nevada Wolf Pack Football

Colin Kaepernick's rise to elite NFL status has been well documented. Overlooked for most of his career at Nevada, Kaepernick's talent is astonishing and very rare.

Or is it? Is it possible there is another tremendous dual-threat QB quietly racking up offense at Nevada? It certainly appears so. Sophomore Cody Fajardo is producing at a level that rivals Kaepernick's.

Consider these stats. In two seasons, Fajardo has rushed for 2,056 yards and 23 TDs while passing for 4,493 yards and 26 TDs. 

If he stays healthy and his production continues at this rate, he will finish with some 9,000 yards rushing and 4,000 yards passing. That will put him among the most productive dual threats in NCAA history, just behind Kaepernick. 

The 6' 2" 205-pound QB was one of only three sophomores invited to the Manning passing camp.

In 2011, he earned Freshman of the Year honors from the Western Athletic Conference and was twice named WAC Offensive Player of the Week. This is especially impressive considering that Nevada now has a tougher schedule in the Mountain West Conference. 

Fajardo is a very exciting player who had a tooth knocked out during his first campaign. I watched as he picked it up, brought it to the sideline and returned to play. This is one tough kid! 

As unlikely as it may seem, it appears that the University of Nevada Wolf Pack may produce two of the best dual threats in NCAA history, one right after the other. Keep your eyes on Fajardo. He may be the next Kaepernick.

Brian Polian will reportedly become the new head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack football program.

Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports said Polian, Texas A&M’s special teams coordinator, has been offered the job and is expected to accept (via Twitter):

Texas A&M stc Brian Polian has been offered and is expected to become the next Nevada head coach,a source tells CBS.

— Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) January 6, 2013

Polian will replace former head coach Chris Ault, who retired from football on Dec. 28, 2012, after 28 seasons as a head coach.

Ault was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He posted a 233-109-1 record for his career, which included three stints at Nevada (1976-92, 1994-95, 2004-12).

The former coach was innovative in the truest sense of the word. His Pistol offense has spread throughout college football and even made its way to the NFL.

Those are some huge shoes to fill for Polian, the incoming first-time head coach.

Polian has coached at several prominent programs around the country, though, prior to his landing at Texas A&M. He had stints as the special team’s coordinator at both Stanford and Notre Dame.

His coaching career began at Michigan State in 1997 and had stops in Buffalo, Baylor and Central Florida along the way.

Recruiting was also a job description for Polian while serving as an assistant coach and special team’s coordinator over the years. That experience will be essential as he tries to build a new program to fit whatever system he brings with him to Nevada.

Bill Polian, Brian’s father, is a longtime NFL executive who worked with the Indianapolis Colts over the past decade.

While Ault was massively successful and innovative, his choice to step away from the game makes sense after a disappointing 7-6 season.

Let’s see what Polian can do to usher in a new era in Wolf Pack football.

Since joining Division I-A in 1992, the Nevada Wolf Pack have appeared in 11 bowl games, with this year's loss in the New Mexico Bowl representing the team's eighth consecutive bowl berth. Yet despite Nevada's recent run of success, the program has been relatively unsuccessful in producing professional prospects. With his announcement on Sunday that he will skip his senior season to declare for the NFL Draft, junior running back Stefphon Jefferson hopes to join the likes of Frank Hawkins, Charles Mann and Brock Marion in establishing a successful NFL career after a college career in Reno.

Jefferson is coming off of an outstanding junior season in which he ranked second in the nation in both rushing yards per game and points per game, setting single-season school records in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and carries in the process. He helped lead the Wolf Pack to a 7-5 regular season, a repeat of the team's 2011 record.

2013 will be a transitional year for the Wolf Pack, as the team works to replace recently retired head coach Chris Ault. Ault has been the undisputed leader of the Wolf Pack over the past quarter century, and his absence on the sidelines will be a major change for the university. The loss of Jefferson may not be as significant, but it will represent a major challenge for whoever is named the next head coach of the Wolf Pack.

Jefferson's 1,883 rushing yards represented over half of the team's rushing yards in 2012, with only quarterback Cody Fajardo's 1,121 yards rivaling Jefferson's output. Besides Jefferson and Fajardo, just senior running back Nick Hale and backup quarterback Devin Combs earned over 100 rushing yards. The team saw a few rushing yards from its wide receivers, but the next running back in line to post any yards was freshman Anthony Knight, who picked up 10 yards and a touchdown in four rushing attempts.

There is not much help on the way for the Wolf Pack's thin running back core. Of the 24 commits in the 2012 recruiting class, the only running back is fullback Xavier Stephens. The 2013 class has not been much more successful. Nevada made offers to five running backs, with only junior college running back Don Jackson, the lowest rated of the quintet, committing to the university. Jackson is a talented running back as he was also recruited by schools such as Florida International and Iowa State, but he does not appear to be anywhere near the level of Jefferson.

Stefphon Jefferson should have brighter days ahead of him in the NFL, and he leaves behind a legacy as one of the greats in Wolf Pack history. Chris Ault's replacement at head coach will have no more immediate task than replacing Jefferson and rebuilding the Wolf Pack's running back corps.   

Bear Bryant, Darrell Royal, Barry Switzer, Ara Parseghian, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Lavell Edwards...all well-known coaches who are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

The name Chris Ault probably doesn't elicit the same reaction as those of Bryant, Parseghian, etc.  However, it should.  Ault was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002 and has 233 wins as a head coach.

However, Ault has still been coaching even after his Hall of Fame inductment, returning to the profession in 2004. His lengthy and distinguished career finally came to an end this week, as he announced his retirement on Friday.

The reason you've probably never heard of Ault is because he spent his entire career at the University of Nevada.  In three different stints as the Nevada head coach, Ault took the Wolf Pack from Division II all the way into the Top 15 of the top level of college football, finishing No. 11 in the final AP Poll of the 2010 season.

While Ault may not be as well-known or respected nationally as his accomplishments merit, the fruit of his labors is easily recognizable. Current San Fransisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick received only one college football scholarship offer, from Ault at Nevada.  Under Ault's tutelage, Kaepernick went from a lightly-recruited player to one of the country's most exciting players and a first-day draft pick who is now a starter.

The other major contribution Ault made to college football came shortly after he started his third stint as Nevada's coach.  Seeking a way to utilize the potent rushers he had at his disposal, Ault invented the Pistol offense. The system has caught on around the country, finding use even in the NFL. Nobody ran it better than Ault though, as in 2009 the Wolf Pack became the first team to have three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.

Perhaps the biggest thing that set Ault apart was what also prevented him from receiving the accolades and recognition he deserved: his loyalty.  Ever since his time as a QB for the Wolf Pack in the 60's, Ault has been staunchly loyal to Nevada.  They gave him his first head coaching job in 1976, and he has coached for nobody else since. 

Even after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ault came back to coach the Wolf Pack again after the program languished under Chris Tormey.  It was never about the money for Ault. Even this season, he was in the bottom half of coaches salary-wise in the Mountain West Conference.  He never jilted his alma matter for a bigger name or a larger paycheck.  He gave and gave to Nevada even after he had done more for the program than anyone could have ever asked of him.

Chris Ault may not be one of the most renowned names in college football, but his contributions and accomplishments as the head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack rank him right up there with the other greats of college football coaching.

The first day of September means the first day of college football—and even though this opener might not feature a much-anticipated Pac-12 matchup, getting a win in the first game of the season will be crucial for the California Bears.

Last season, Cal finished in fourth place in the Pac-12 North at 4-5 in conference play, 7-6 overall. With Oregon and an Andrew Luck-less Stanford both gunning to make a run at the top of the division once again, every game is crucial for Cal. 

A win over Nevada on Saturday will set the tone—but it might not be easy.

In 2011, the Wolf Pack tied for second in the WAC, and it managed to forge the nation's eighth-best rushing attack. But last year, when it opened up its season against a Pac-12 superpower, Nevada was in for a rude reality check, suffering an embarrassing 69-20 loss to Oregon.

Here's where and when to catch Saturday's action.

Where: Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. 

When: Saturday, September 1 at 3 p.m. ET

Watch: Pac-12 Networks

Live Stream: ESPN3

Listen: KGO 810 AM in Northern California, ESPN Radio 94.5 FM in Nevada

Betting Line (via RGJ.com): Cal favored by 10.5 points

Nevada Injury Report (via USA Today) 

- Running back Anthony Knight is questionable for Saturday's game against Cal because of a sore right shoulder.

California Injury Report (via USA Today)

- Defensive lineman Mustafa Jalil is out indefinitely after sustaining a knee injury.

- Linebacker Khairi Fortt is out indefinitely as he continues to recover from right knee surgery.

- Linebacker Jason Gibson is out until mid-November after breaking his right foot.

- Offensive lineman Mark Brazinski is out indefinitely after tearing his ACL last April, and a timetable for his return has not yet been set.

- Offensive lineman Dominic Galas is out indefinitely after tearing a pectoral muscle while lifting weights in the offseason.

- Defensive back Stefan McClure is out indefinitely as he continues to recover from ACL, MCL and meniscus surgery, stemming from an injury in last  year's regular-season finale. 

AP/ USA Today Top-25 Poll Implications

There aren't many for either of these teams—except for the fact that if Cal wins, and it continues to win over the course of the next few weeks, it will be able to work itself into the polls. An opening-game loss to Nevada, however, would be a tough blow to recover from.

Meanwhile, Nevada is looking to improve upon a decent 2011 season, and if it kicks off its campaign with a victory over a Pac-12 opponent—especially if it's a decisive victory—it could turn some voters' heads.

What They're Saying

The biggest story with regards to Cal has nothing to do with the players on the field and everything to do with the fact that the Bears are getting their home back.

After undergoing $321 million worth of renovations, according to Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News, Memorial Stadium will welcome the Bears back for the first time in 21 months. And with a new and improved home comes a sense of urgency to start doing it proud and winning some games.

As wide receiver Keenan Allen told Faraudo:

We kind of got the picture that there's a catch with the stadium being built—we have to win games. No more excuses. We have everything in place for us. That's definitely OK.

Competing this year will be a challenge for Cal: The Bears haven't won more than seven games in each of the last two seasons.

In fact, the only person more excited about Memorial Stadium reopening than the Cal players is Nevada's Lenny Jones, a Wolf Pack redshirt freshman from just south of Berkeley, according to RGJ.com's Chris Murray.

Per Murray's report, Jones is expecting no fewer than "a couple hundred fans" for the game, which will be his first since 2010—and head coach Chris Ault expects his future defensive star to deal with the transition to college ball very seamlessly. Ault told Murray:

There’s no question he’s an improved football player. He’s obviously gotten better, but he has four days to get even better in a hurry. You have a kid going into his first ball game and seeing him in a venue like this, at Cal, you’re going to learn a lot about the kid.

Hopefully, it will be mostly positives.

Cal Player to Watch

Freshman wide receiver Bryce Treggs was named a starter by head coach Jeff Tedford in anticipation of the season opener against Nevada, and now that the excitement has worn off, it will be all about showing that he deserves it. 

Tedford told the Mercury News:

We knew going in a few of the freshmen [receivers] were going to have to contribute. [Treggs has] just gotten more comfortable day in and day out.

According to the Mercury News, Treggs—the son of former Cal star Brian Treggs—won the starting job over four other freshman wideouts, though two others will play at least some role this season.

Nevada Player to Watch

Since Nevada's revamped offense will be without last year's top two rushers and top two receivers, according to the Idaho Press' Dave Southorn, it will be up to quarterback Cody Fajardo to help this offense pick up right where it left off in 2011. And given all of the personnel changes, it won't be easy.

Last season, Fajardo threw for 1,707 yards and six touchdowns—but he also threw six picks and was sacked 12 times. If he can keep the turnovers down, and if his offensive line can hold up, he has the potential to lead this team to glory.

Key Storyline

For each of these teams, momentum will be key in the early going, just like it was last year—for better or worse. Last season, both Cal and Nevada were victimized by losing streaks: Cal's came midway through the season, just as Pac-12 play was starting up, and Nevada's came at the worst possible time: at the tail end of the season, when it dropped three of four.

A win in the first week is going to go a long way for whichever team manages to rise above. For Nevada, it would signify a statement win over a major-conference opponent; for the Bears, it would signify that they are ready to engineer a new course of history in their new stadium.

Prediction: Cal Wins

Nevada's offensive inexperience is really going to hurt, especially as Fajardo attempts to find his way with a new core of stars. Meanwhile, Cal senior quarterback Zach Maynard has experience that will translate into consistency—and a strong early showing—for the Bears.

James-Michael Johnson is a big, athletic middle linebacker out of the University of Nevada.  At the combine in February, he measured in at 6’ 1-1/8” and 241 pounds.  Johnson is a versatile, athletic player who can be counted on to make tackles and deliver some punch behind those tackles.

I first saw him live at the Senior Bowl, and he really stood out.  There was something about the way he attacked the ball and how he seemed to always be around the ball.  He was one of the players that I was very impressed with.  I asked him about his Senior Bowl experience.

“It was cool, you know, I was glad to be there and I tried to enjoy it.  It was a little stressful but it wasn't [anything] too unmanageable.  I had a lot of fun and I feel like I got better in one week.”

I asked him what the NFL coaching was like, mainly getting coached by Mike Singletary.  He told me that he liked the old-school approach Singletary took to coaching and that he respected everything that he had been doing.

We talked about what his favorite moment from playing college football was, and he told me that it was beating Boise State during his junior season.

I asked how they played him at Nevada since he switched to inside linebacker as a junior.  We then talked about where he projects to play in the NFL.

“From what teams have been telling me I feel that’s how they see me, as a Mike linebacker.  I feel like I thrive at the Mike position and that’s where I see myself playing in the NFL.”

We talked about meeting with teams and the information that he has been receiving from them.

“The feedback from them has been pretty good.  Some teams are telling me that I am going anywhere from the second round to the fourth round.  Two teams have told me that so far on my visits.”

I asked him about the combine and what that was like.

“It was cool, you know?  It was a job interview, that’s exactly what it was.  Some parts of it were fun but mostly it was all business, it was pretty hard time wise.  I just fought through it and tried to make the most fun out of it.”

We talked about the future and what the NFL might have in store for him.  We talked about his size and whether he thinks it gives him an advantage.  He said that he thought it did, but he had always been a bigger linebacker and just tried to do the best he could with what he had.

I asked him what he felt he could offer to the team that ends up drafting him.

“I am a guy that is going to compete to play and compete for a starting job.   I see myself coming in and playing in the NFL.”

He talked about the strengths of his game.

“I'd say the strengths of mine are my instincts, my leadership, my ability to compete and my love of the game.”

We talked about players that he enjoys watching.  I asked if he modeled his game after any specific player.

“I wouldn’t say resembles.  I mean, I try to play like a lot of guys in the league that I see playing.  Ray Lewis is obviously one of the best linebackers in the NFL.”

He told me that there were a lot of different guys that he watched.  London Fletcher, Jonathan Beason, Patrick Willis and Jonathan Vilma are among the players that he pays particular attention to when he watches football.

I asked him what he would want to tell the fans of the team that drafts him.

“They are getting a guy that is going to compete every day to be the best linebacker in the league.  That's my goal, just to better myself every day until I’m the best.  That's how I approach it.”

James-Michael Johnson is going to be a very good football player in the NFL.  He is the perfect blend of size and athleticism for today’s middle linebacker.  He can make things happen when he is on the field, from tackling to coverage to pressuring the quarterback.

During the draft, if the team that you are a fan of calls his name, you should be very happy. You are getting a special football player.

Scott Bischoff is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials.

Honolulu—It is bowl week in Hawaii and the atmosphere couldn't be more festive.

There are luaus, beach parties, trips to Pearl Harbor and everything else that a first-time visitor to the 50th State could desire during a week's stay in paradise.

The University of Southern Miss—favored by six points in the 10th Annual Sheraton Hawaii Bowl—seems to be taking full advantage. At Tuesday's press conference, the contingent of Golden Eagles scheduled to appear was more than 30 minutes late.

Southern Miss' tardiness was due to traffic while returning from practice. But one could have assumed they'd been playing in the waves off Waikiki Beach and simply lost track of time the way head coach Larry Fedora, quarterback Austin Davis and linebacker Ronnie Thornton bounded into the room full of life and excitement.

The University of Nevada, on the other hand, was more business-like. After all, it's the Wolf Pack's fourth visit to the island in the last four years. In 2008 and 2010 Nevada played Western Athletic Conference foe Hawaii and in 2009 it played Southern Methodist in the Hawaii Bowl, a 45-10 loss.

"The mindset is," said Nevada junior offensive lineman Chris Barker, "we can leave all the fun to the young guys who might not play a lot.

"But (the older guys) we've been here before, we know what it's like going to Pearl Harbor and doing all that. So our mindset is just focus up, this is a business trip and come get the victory."

It will be tough against the No. 21 Conference USA champions, Southern Miss (11-2), but longtime Nevada head coach Chris Ault sees it as an opportunity for redemption after a season that didn't go as expected.

"We've been an interesting team this year," Ault said. "We had a chance to do some nice things and found a way at the end not to get it done. So to have an opportunity to play a team of this caliber that's ranked in the country, and a chance to play and represent the WAC conference, we're looking forward to it.

"We're familiar to what (Southern Miss does) from the standpoint that they spread the ball, they're in a one-back (offense) like a lot of our teams in the conference. I just think they got better athletes...They're as good a football team as we've seen all year long."

Coming off its most impressive win of the season, beating the undefeated and No. 6 ranked Houston Cougars to win the C-USA title, Southern Miss is certainly riding a big wave into Saturday's game at Aloha Stadium (5:00 p.m. PT, ESPN).

Led by senior quarterback Austin Davis, Southern Miss averages nearly 38 points per game. Against Houston Davis threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns.

"We got to play sound football," Nevada senior defensive lineman Brett Roy said when asked about stopping Davis and the Golden Eagles. "Play in our gaps, not try to do too much. We call it doing our one-eleventh and if everybody controls what they can control in the scheme, and the realm, of the defense no team should, on paper, be able to beat us.

"So that's our goal. And playing Nevada football is playing our one-eleventh."

Nevada itself is no slouch offensively. The Wolf Pack (7-5) average nearly 252 rushing yards per game, good for eighth best in the nation, scoring 32.9 points per game.

"We just can't think about how good they are," Barker said.

"We got to think about how good we need to be. We know what we're capable of, the season didn't turn out as well as it could have been, but we know what we could have done. So we just got to stay focused throughout the game.

"We got to protect (quarterback Cody Fajardo), give him as much time as he needs. He needs to focus, receivers need to step up, running back and defense. It should be a good game."

Kevin Riley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Although the 2011 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl won't feature the Hawaii Warriors, it should still have a festive atmosphere and an exciting football game as the Nevada Wolf Pack take on the No. 21 Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

Nevada had a very solid season even though quarterback Colin Kaepernick advanced to the NFL. The Wolf Pack finished 7-5 overall with a 5-2 record in the WAC, and they had a very explosive and diverse offense as usual. The running back tandem of Lampford Mark and Mike Ball gave Nevada the No. 8 running game in the nation, and the passing game, which implemented a dual-quarterback system, was excellent as well.

Southern Miss had a magical regular season that culminated in a victory over then-undefeated Houston to win the Conference USA Championship and knock the Cougars out of BCS contention. Like Nevada, Southern Miss has a very well-balanced offense led by quarterback Austin Davis and a host of effective rushers, including Jamal Woodyard.

While pride and prize money for the respective schools is mostly what is on the line, it would be great for either of these non-BCS teams to score a win in a fairly well-known bowl. Most are expecting the Golden Eagles to win, but these are two similar and evenly matched teams, so it should be a good one.

Where: Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii

When: Saturday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Listen: ESPN Radio 94.5 FM (Nevada) and WJDX 620 AM (Southern Miss)

Betting Line: Southern Miss (-6.5)

Key Storyline: Can Larry Fedora Leave Southern Miss on Top?

After four winning seasons at Southern Mississippi, head coach Larry Fedora is moving on to become the head man at North Carolina. The opportunity is a well-deserved one for Fedora as he has helped establish the Golden Eagles as one of the better non-BCS teams in the country on a yearly basis.

Fedora will remain with Southern Miss to coach in the Hawaii Bowl, though, and he will surely want to leave a good, long-lasting impression. I can't imagine that Southern Miss fans fault him too much for jumping at a higher-profile job, and I think Fedora wants to leave them with one last win to cap off a fantastic season.

Who Might Not Play for Nevada: WR Shane Anderson

Nevada senior wide receiver Shane Anderson has missed the team's past two contests after suffering a concussion, and he is questionable for the Hawaii Bowl. Anderson wasn't very involved in the offense over his past few seasons, but he has developed into a reliable target this year.

In 10 games Anderson has reeled in 40 passes for 526 yards and two touchdowns, and he has developed into one of the team's more consistent options in the passing game. This particular contest figures to be fairly fast-paced, so the absence of Anderson could certainly adversely affect the Wolf Pack offense.

Who Might Not Play for Southern Miss: RB Kendrick Hardy

Southern Miss running back Kendrick Hardy has played in only five games this season because of a shoulder injury, and it appears as though he will once again be unavailable on Saturday as he is listed as doubtful. Hardy was a major part of the Golden Eagles offense last season with 903 yards and seven scores and would have been so again this year.

Hardy was on pace for a fantastic 2011 campaign as he rushed for 426 yards and two touchdowns in five games, but his season has been cut short. While the Golden Eagles would love to have him, they haven't missed a beat since he went down as they average more than 200 rushing yards per game as a team.

What They're Saying

After defeating Houston in the Conference USA Championship Game, Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora's name came up plenty in head coaching searches across the country. While Fedora will stay with Southern Miss through the Hawaii Bowl, he will take over as North Carolina's head coach next season, according to Al Jones of the Sun Herald.

"I will be named the next coach at the University of North Carolina," (Fedora) said. "I will coach this team through the bowl game and we will win our 12th game of the year.

"My time has been awesome at Southern Miss and it was an agonizing decision for me to make."

Nevada Player To Watch: WR Rishard Matthews

The Wolf Pack are more well-known for running the ball out of their famed pistol formation, but the passing game has also been quite effective this season. Perhaps the biggest reason for that is the play of senior wide receiver Rishard Matthews, who has made a major leap since last season to become one of the premier pass-catchers in the college game.

Matthews has hauled in 91 balls for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns on the season, making him a threat that opposing defenses must constantly account for. His mere presence not only makes Nevada's aerial attack dangerous, but it opens up lanes for the running backs as well. How successful Southern Miss is in containing Matthews could directly correlate to the game's result.

Southern Miss Player To Watch: QB Austin Davis

Like Nevada, Southern Miss is a team that can do damage on the ground and through the air. The biggest reason for that is senior quarterback Austin Davis. While Davis is probably slightly more adept as a passer with 3,331 yards and 28 touchdowns this season, he is a capable runner as well and a big part of the Golden Eagles' option attack.

The dual-threat nature of Davis makes him very difficult for opposing defenses to compensate for. Even if Davis looks as though he is rolling out for an option play, he could just as easily turn it loose on a pass down the field. Nevada will have to figure out something defensively in order to contain him in the pocket or else it could be a long day for the Wolf Pack.

Key Matchup: Nevada Front Seven vs. Southern Miss Option

Defensively, Nevada ranked in the middle of the pack this season in most categories, which may not seem that bad, but the Wolf Pack played a fairly easy WAC schedule. Mediocrity on defense may have been enough to make a bowl game, but it most certainly won't be good enough to slow down Southern Miss and its option running game.

The Golden Eagles have a host of running backs that can get the job done, and quarterback Austin Davis is a good runner also. Because of that, Nevada will have to be aggressive and decisive against the option. The Wolf Pack must still be wary, though, as Davis proved in the Conference USA Championship Game that he could put the team on his back as a passer as well.

Prediction: Southern Miss 35, Nevada 24

Honolulu—For the seventh consecutive year, the University of Nevada football team is going bowling to finish its season, and for the third time, it will be in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve.

Bowl Executive Director David A. K. Matlin announced on Sunday that Nevada has accepted an invitation to the nationally televised ESPN bowl game and will face Conference USA champions Southern Mississippi.

“On behalf of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Executive Committee and Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, I am pleased to invite the University of Nevada Wolf Pack to the 10th annual Sheraton Hawaii Bowl,” Matlin said in a press release.

“Led by Hall of Fame coach Chris Ault, the Wolf Pack will spend their last season in the WAC with a postseason trip to Honolulu!”

Southern Miss (11-2) upset the No. 6 Houston Cougars on Saturday in the C-USA title game, 49-28. The Golden Eagles are ranked No. 21 and 22 in the Coaches and AP polls, respectively.

“The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl is a class bowl and playing a nationally ranked Southern Miss team presents us with a great opportunity,” Nevada head coach Chris Ault said.

Nevada finished the regular season 7-5 overall and 5-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, tied for second with Utah State.

The Wolf Pack are making their third appearance in the bowl only because the Hawaii Warriors were unable to defeat Brigham Young on the final day of the season to become bowl eligible and play in the Dec. 24 bowl.

“We are appreciative of the opportunity to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and we’re excited to be able to showcase our university and represent Nevada on national television on Christmas Eve,” said Nevada Athletics Director Cary Groth.

In its two other appearances in the bowl, Nevada defeated Central Florida 49-48 in 2005 and lost to Southern Methodist 45-10 in 2009.

Featuring the nation's fifth-most potent offense (522.8 yards per game) and eighth ranked rushing offense (251.8 yards per game), the Wolf Pack will be competing in their 12th all-time bowl.

“One of the most memorable games in our history featured the University of Nevada defeating UCF, 49-48 in overtime,” Matlin said. “With an exciting style of play, featuring the WAC's leading receiver Rishard Matthews, Nevada will represent the WAC well.”

Matthews is among the nation’s leaders in receiving (91 rec., 1,364 yds.) and has seven 100-yard receiving games.

Kickoff for the 2011 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl is Saturday, Dec.  24 at 8 p.m. EST/3 p.m. HST, on ESPN from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. Tickets are available by calling 808-548-BOWL or online at www.sheratonhawaiibowl.com.

He waited patiently for four years as the backup QB to Colin Kaepernick.

The 2011 season began with fifth-year senior Tyler Lantrip named as the starting QB for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. But after losing three of the first four games, Lantrip once again found himself on sidelines, this time behind another dual-threat QB, freshman Cody Fajardo.

Nevada would go on to win five games in a row with Fajardo at the helm and seemed to be cruising to another WAC championship.

Then, disaster struck. Nevada collapsed late and lost to Louisiana Tech in a game they dominated for three quarters. The following week, Nevada lost to to Utah State and, in the process, lost Fajardo to an injury.

With the WAC championship in the dust bin, Nevada faced Idaho in its season finale playing for bowl eligibility. In the final regular season game of his life, Lantrip had a career day. In one outstanding day, he earned his place in Nevada football history.

Lantrip stepped up and led Nevada to a rout over Idaho, 56-3. Lantrip was 24-for-31 through the air for 340 yards and four TDs. Nevada also had 226 yards rushing for 587 yards of total offense.

Freshman wide receiver Aaron Bradley had seven receptions for 136 yards and three TDs while Rishard Matthews caught 12 passes for 114 yards and one TD. Trey Session had five receptions for 61 yards and one TD.

Lampford Mark led all rushers with 24 carries for 104 yards and a TD.

With the win, Nevada (7-5) became bowl eligible.  More importantly, Lantrip finally had the day he has dreamed of his entire career. 

On his final day of regular season play, Lantrip earned a place in Nevada Wolf Pack athletic history. In a career that was otherwise lackluster, Lantrip's performance today will never be forgotten by Wolf Pack fans.

He will have one more opportunity to earn a spot in Legacy Hall. Let's hope Lantrip has one more career day in him.