Nevada Wolf Pack Football

Right now, you are probably thinking that Boise St. is going to steamroll the whole WAC conference and cruise to a WAC and a national championship. However, Boise St. has one major hurdle before they can be considered to play for a title.

Obviously, this hurdle is the Nevada Wolfpack and their crazy pistol offense.

Chris Ault built this offense in 2004, not realizing that it was absolutely perfect for the personnel he has for the 2010 team. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has rushed for about 3,500 yards in his four-year career as the leader of the offense. Also, running back Vai Taua has rushed for 2,800 yards in a little over three years as the lead back. Kaepernick and Taua, along with Luke Lippincott, became the first three teammates to all rush for 1,000 yards in the same season—obviously a result of the multi-dimensional ground attack.

Rushing is not the only source of yards for the No. 2-rated offense in the NCAA (Oregon is first). Passing is critical to the balance of the offense and with an incredibly efficient QB in Colin Kaepernick (69-19 career TD-INT and 158.25 rating this season), Ault can run his offense at full strength knowing that he has a trusty senior quarterback.

The Wolfpack defense is not great, but they are allowing only 18.8 points a game, similar to Boise State's 14.8 mark. However, both teams have played weak schedules and have allowed 20+ points in all of their games against decent teams. 

Now, I'm going to go out on a limb and say both teams will be 10-0 going into the November 26th showdown at Reno's Mackay Stadium.

Here is a preview of the aforementioned game: First, Nevada will be playing in front a hometown crowd and that is an obvious advantage. The best match up in the game is obviously Nevada's No. 2-rated offense and the Broncos No. 2-rated defense. Kellen Moore is likely to tear through the Wolfpack secondary that has a mediocre eight interceptions this season.

The Wolfpack has come a long way in a short period of time and increased national attention is sure to come with success. However, the question remains: Will the offense be able to live up to national expectations and deliver an undefeated season on the backs of senior skill players?

There is a confrontation coming on November 26 that will pit two very good teams against each other. 

It looks increasingly likely that an undefeated Boise State, ranked in the top three in the nation, will face an undefeated Nevada ranked in the top 20. At stake will be the WAC title and Boise’s long sought after BCS Championship opportunity. To say there is a lot riding on this game would be an epic understatement.

Boise State has been making the argument that they deserve a title shot, since they defeated Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in 2007. With back-to-back undefeated seasons and the nation’s longest winning streak, the Broncos have managed to convince doubting BCS elite that they do indeed deserve a crack at the title. Standing in their way is the Nevada Wolf Pack, a team that has not been ranked in 62 years and has never been ranked as high as they are right now.

If BSU wins convincingly and remains one of two undefeated teams, it will be very difficult for the BCS to deny them. If on the other hand the Broncos lose on November 26, their quest dies. If Nevada wins their remaining games, this battle of unbeatens would be one of the most anticipated and watched games of the year. Even folks who have not previously paid much attention to the WAC will be watching this game on Thanksgiving weekend.

There is some history here for the WAC novice. These teams have faced each other for decades and generally played evenly. But in recent years, the games have been very interesting. During that time, BSU has been essentially unbeatable. BSU has embarrassed a number of premiere programs including Oregon—twice.

Nevada, led by their astonishing QB, Colin Kaepernick, has given the Broncos all they can handle. In fact, no one else has scored as many points against BSU as Nevada has over the past three years—135 to be exact.  Their 2007 game was a jaw dropper. A skinny freshman then, Kaepernick made his debut on the blue in Boise and almost pulled off a miracle. Outscoring BSU in the second half, Nevada tied the game with two minutes left and went on to four overtimes before it was over, losing by only two points, 69-67 in what many feel was one of the most exciting games in college football history. 

In 2008 in Reno, the Wolf Pack had a dismal first half but once again, outscored BSU mightily in the second half, 35-17 only to fall short, 42-35 in a furious comeback. A dropped pass in the end zone was all that prevented Nevada from sending that game into overtime.

In 2009, the rivalry returned to Boise in some of the most miserable conditions to play football imaginable.  Nevada once again dug itself into a very deep hole early in the game. Three blown defensive plays put the Wolf Pack down 20 - 0 in the first quarter. Once again, Kaepernick led a furious comeback. Nevada outscored BSU 33-24 from the second quarter on and went on to lose 44-33.

In three games, Nevada had scored 135 points against the mighty Broncos and lost all three games by a narrow combined margin of only 20 points.  Obviously, Nevada has an offense that is capable of scoring a ton of points on BSU. What was missing was any resemblance of a defense. Well, that has changed now. The new defensive coordinator, Andy Buh, has remade the defense and that is a major reason why Nevada is 6-0 and ranked in the top 20. The stage is now set. A much improved Nevada Wolf Pack with new found defensive prowess may be the toughest challenge BSU has faced in a long time.

What must Nevada do to win this game? Let’s begin with what BSU has done to beat them. The Bronco’s strategy was simple, stop Kaepernick and you stop Nevada. They put one linebacker on him at all times. Every move he makes is greeted by a big blue defender and quickly followed by more. Then, they attack Nevada’s historically weak secondary with precision bombs from their deadly accurate QB, Kellen Moore, to sure handed receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis. They capitalize on any mistakes and force turnovers.

So what does the Wolf Pack need to do to win? First of all, don’t be so predictable.  Running Kaepernick on the option 30 times is what BSU expects. They don’t think he can throw. They don’t respect his arm and think he is all rush, rush, rush. So, fool them. Fake the keeper and throw the ball more. Once they get burned a few times it will open up some rushing opportunities for Kaepernick later in the game.

The Broncos also expect Coach Ault will run Vai Taua up the middle time after time. Don’t! Mix it up. Catch them off guard. The Wolf Pack will need to have different plays that BSU hasn’t seen before.  The Broncos are a spreadsheet driven team. They know what plays every opponent runs. To beat them, you have to defeat Microsoft Excel and confound them with plays they haven’t seen before. That’s how Nevada almost pulled off the victory in 2007. They had never seen Kaepernick before and were caught off guard by his running. They need that element of surprise again.

Boise State is a master of getting up for a game and getting off to a fast start. Nevada can’t afford to get behind early. They have to be fired up and ready to play from the opening kickoff.  They must keep it close. They have historically had a lot of success against BSU in the second half. If they can stay within striking distance and do whatever they have done in the second half over the past three years to consistently outscore BSU, they may have a chance.

On defense, they have to be much better than in past years. BSU will attack the line with their powerful running back Doug Martin. Nevada has to limit him to as few yards as possible. The Broncos will also challenge the Wolf Pack secondary. It is essential that they stay with the receivers. If they allow Young and Pettis to get open, rest assured, Moore will find them.  They have to prevent the big play.

Moore is not used to getting pressure. Nevada needs to blitz early and often. They must force him out of the pocket and make him throw on the run if they have any hope of picking him off which they did twice in '08. He gets rid of the ball very fast, so the speed of defensive end Dontay Moch will be needed. Nevada’s defense must play their best game of the season. Boise will be caught off guard if they do because the Broncos have come to expect Nevada to be porous on defense. The Wolf Pack must display the same smothering defense they had against Cal earlier this season.

Ball control is crucial. BSU attacks the ball and forces fumbles. Kaepernick has a bad habit of not protecting the ball when he runs. Trust me, BSU knows that and will go after his right arm.

Nevada must control the clock and keep BSU’s offense off the field. They cannot afford sloppy play, stupid mistakes, penalties and turnovers. BSU knows how to capitalize on mistakes. To beat them, you have to play smart.  BSU can be sloppy at times. Nevada needs to steal the momentum and force BSU into unforced errors.

BSU is also an extremely aggressive and physical team. They have taken “smash mouth” to new level. Nevada knows them well and must match the Broncos on the physicality scale.

BSU is also notorious for trick plays. Flea flickers, double reverses, fake field goals, the statue of liberty, you name it, they will do it. Typically BSU will run a trick play when they are up against it. Just ask Oklahoma about that. At other times, they will throw one in when they have a lead to demoralize the opponent and beak their spirit. In either case, Nevada must be ready for BSU’s favorite trickery.

Another thing to consider, Nevada plays Boise on only 6 days rest. They have New Mexico State in Reno on Saturday November 20 and the Broncos only 6 days later. It is going to be important for Coach Ault to get the starters out as soon as the game with New Mexico State is locked down. The Wolf Pack needs rested and ready starters. 

Finally, the 12th man matters. BSU will bring 4,000 or more rabid fans in orange and blue. Wolf Pack fans have to be just as up for this game as the players.  This game was sold out long ago. There will be five times as many Nevada fans there. They need to be heard.

The hard truth is Boise State is a really good team.  Having watched them for three years, I personally am convinced that they are not over-rated. I did not always think that. But the Broncos have made a believer of me. But Nevada can beat them. They have come very close to doing so the past three years. A single play here or there would have made the difference.  If Nevada plays their best, avoids mistakes and capitalizes on the element of surprise, they can do it.

Nevada can probably score 30 – 35 points on BSU. If they can hold the Broncos to 30 or less, the Nevada Wolf Pack can win.

Here’s my prediction, 35 – 28 Nevada.

Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick is two rushing touchdowns closer to rewriting the record books.

With 50 career rushing touchdowns, he only needs 10 more to break the all-time NCAA record. With seven remaining regular season games and a bowl game almost certain, it is increasingly likely that Colin Kaepernick will be the greatest rushing quarterback in college football history.

Nevada defeated San Jose State with 640 yards of total offense. Kaepernick was 20-for-28 in the air for 273 yards. He added 91 yards and two TD's on the ground. Vai Taua ran for 196 yards and three TD's. Nevada converted on 10-of-13 first downs.

After giving up a score to San Jose in their first possession, the Wolf Pack defense smothered the Spartans allowing only three points from the second quarter on. Defensive end, Dontay Moch had five tackles for loss, as he became the WAC's all-time leader with 52.

But the Wolf Pack had some awkward moments. With eight penalties for 89 yards, Nevada had some big problems. In one bizarre series, the Wolf Pack had three TD's recalled over offensive holding calls. One would have been Kaepernick's 51st rushing TD. Another was a picture perfect pass. The Pack had to settle for a missed field goal.

Visibly frustrated, Kaepernick stormed on the sidelines while Coach Ault screamed at the officials. Later in the game, the officials called Nevada for roughing the passer and several late hits. 

Although Nevada's offense was productive, it was really the defense that stood out in this game. The "smoke from Moch" was what burned San Jose.

Undefeated Nevada (6-0) is now fourth in the nation in total points, third in total yards, and fifth in rushing. Kaepernick is 12th in rushing yards and second in rushing touchdowns while remaining in the Top 20 QB's in the nation with a rating of 108.

Very few teams have been more impressive than Nevada in the early season. They are 4-0 and have blown out everyone they have faced, including a very good California team and Brigham Young.

This week, the Wolf Pack cracked the Top 25 for the first time since 1948. But they are still the most under-ranked team in the country.

Their program is affecting more than just their opponents. It was the Nevada offense that UCLA installed that enabled them to score the huge upset over Texas this past week.

The primary reason that Nevada will continue to climb in the polls is senior quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has been one of the country’s biggest secrets for the last few years.

With the sudden appearance of a Nevada defense, that secret will soon be known by all.

Here are 10 reasons why Kaepernick has a legitimate chance to win the Heisman Trophy.

10. Monster numbers

He puts up the kind of video game numbers that Heisman voters love. They will have a hard time ignoring these numbers by the end of the year. After four games, Kaepernick has notched 15 touchdowns, seven through the air and eight on the ground. In the process, he has thrown for 924 yards and rushed for 451 yards, often looking like a man among boys.

Those numbers will climb faster than our national debt throughout the remainder of the football season. It is almost scary to consider what those numbers may look like by year's end based on his past work and the fact that his passing game has improved. 

9. Team success

The Heisman often goes to the best player on the best team. While Nevada is still relatively unknown, they have a real shot at going undefeated. They have a number of tough games on the schedule, but they will be favored in all but one of those games, when they host No. 3 Boise State on November 26.

But lest anybody forget, Nevada has put up plenty of points on Boise over the last three seasons with Kaepernick, including the 4OT 69-67 thriller a few years back. With an improved defense and playing at home, they will give the Broncos all they can handle. An undefeated Nevada will climb into the Top 10 and will probably finish the regular season in the Top Five with the win over Boise State.

Some of the other Heisman candidates will fall victim to team failure, including front runner Denard Robinson. With the Wolverines’ defense struggling, they may start dropping games by the truckload.

8. The underdog factor

Boise State used to be the team of overachieving upstarts that everyone loved to root for as they played the Goliaths. But they are now one of the Goliaths, meaning that they are quickly becoming the team that people love to hate, especially those wedded to the AQ conferences.

Nevada is still largely unknown, and plenty of people will be pulling for them, especially if they knock off Boise State. Kaepernick will be the beneficiary of being the new David on the college football landscape.

7. Lack of a distinguished front-runner

It was comical watching the television talking heads trying to make the argument that the leading Heisman candidates had a great Saturday. Most of them, with the exception of Terrelle Pryor, underperformed.

Ryan Mallett is effectively out of the race barring a miracle. Mark Ingram will have trouble overcoming his early season injury and voters’ general reluctance to give repeat awards. Denard Robinson looked great before his injury against an inferior opponent but has not yet been tested against good competition. Even Pryor’s numbers have not been awe-inspiring and are being overblown.

Kaepernick has been more impressive than all of the front runners. It is as simple as that, even if few people have noticed just yet. Lest anybody bring up the level of competition canard, Nevada's early season schedule compares favorably with the front runners. Of course, he has not had the opportunity to play against national power Massachusetts.

6. A marquee matchup

Heisman voters love to see candidates come up huge in big games. Mallett was well on his way to announcing himself as a real threat by leading Arkansas in potentially upsetting the No. 1 team in the country and then threw two late interceptions that doomed his candidacy in one bad quarter of play. 

Kaepernick will get a shot at upsetting the No. 3 team in the country, who may actually be rated even higher by that point if Alabama or Ohio State stumbles.

That will be a showcase game that everyone is watching. Based on his history against Boise State, Kaepernick will put up huge numbers in that game. Of course, Nevada has to pull off the upset to make it count, but they certainly have the team to do it. By doing it, they would also likely damage the candidacy of Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore.

5. Career numbers

Despite his relative obscurity, Kaepernick is not new on the scene. He has been a dominant offensive player for three years. When he finishes his career at Nevada, his numbers will be staggering. He has a real chance to finish with over 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards. His touchdown total may approach 150.

Again, in years where the competition is close, the Heisman sometimes goes to the senior with the most distinguished college career. That would be Kaepernick.

4. Durability

Despite his thin appearance and the number of hits he takes running the football, this kid just does not get hurt, which has enabled him to amass the numbers he has put up.

Injuries will play a part in the Heisman race, as they always do. They have already derailed Ingram, and Robinson is also likely to fall victim after going down this past Saturday.  Anybody really think that will be an isolated incident? But Kaepernick appears to be made of iron. He will still be standing at the end of the season.

3. Highest value to team

Without Pryor, Ohio State would still be loaded and near the top of the polls. But without Kaepernick, Nevada would not be anywhere close to as lethal.

His impact was immediate from the moment he entered his first game in 2007 when the starting quarterback went down late in the second quarter. He led the Wolf Pack back into the game, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for 60 yards.

In his second game, he led the 26-point underdogs in what may have been the best football game of all time, the 69-67 loss to Boise State, accounting for five touchdowns. Nobody has a bigger impact on his team with the possible exception of Denard Robinson.

2. Non-AQ factor

If Nevada busts the BCS, the powers that be will not want to believe that they are truly a national power. This will actually benefit Kaepernick. They will need an excuse, and that excuse will be the star quarterback.

The argument will go something like, “Surely Nevada is not that great of a team. It is all about their star quarterback who is carrying them on his shoulders. Let’s see how they do next year.”

While this argument is unfair, it will benefit Kaepernick’s candidacy.

1. Leadership and passion

Kaepernick exudes these qualities that Heisman voters love by the gallon. He is always exhorting his teammates throughout the games, and he does the little things that turn a team into a champion. He also obviously loves the game. After taking a huge hit while fighting for an extra yard, he gets back up, smiles, and goes right back to scorching the defense.

While all of these factors will help his candidacy, the reason he will have earned the Heisman trophy by season's end is quite simple: He is the best player in college football.

The University of Nevada Wolf Pack broke in to the the top 25 today in an outcome few would have predicted just two weeks ago. After thumping Cal last week 52-31, Nevada soundly defeated BYU on the road yesterday 24-13.

The last time Nevada was ranked in the top 25 was in 1948, shortly after their star player of that era, Marion Motley, helped break the NFL color barrier. Motley went on to a stellar pro career and is enshrined in the NFL Hall of fame.

Fast-forward 62 years or so and Nevada is being led by another star in the making. Colin Kaepernick seems to have come out of nowhere. But for those who have been watching closely his talent has been evident since his first game in 2007.

With starter Nick Graziano injured, then-freshman Colin Kaepernick almost pulled off the impossible, leading Nevada to a 69-67 four-OT loss on the blue in Boise. It is the closest the Broncos have come to losing at home in a very long time.

Since then, Kaepernick has led Nevada to three consecutive winning seasons as the WAC's second best team; three close games against Boise State and three disappointing bowl games. Nevada's potent offense was never quite able to overcome their porous defense against big time opponents.

That is, until this season. With a new defensive coordinator, the Wolf Pack looks like a much different team than in recent years. Suddenly now, they have a defense and when paired with their powerful offense, the result is they are now ranked.

But buried under all the exposure Nevada is getting, there are some stats that stand out. Kaepernick for those who don't know him, is a true dual threat. Equally good at running the ball as he is at passing, this young man is poised to do something no one has ever done before, pass for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. 

With 47 rushing touchdowns in his career, Colin Kaepernick needs only 13 more to set the the all time NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. That record is 59 and was set by Nebraska's Eric Crouch.

With nine games to go, Kaepernick needs to average 1.5 rushing touchdowns per game to do it. With the heart of their conference schedule ahead of them and comfortable wins over powerful non-conference opponents behind, the odds are good he will do it.  Keep an eye on his rushing touchdowns. Thirteen touchdowns and nine games to do it.

BYU rarely loses at home.

With fewer than half a dozen losses in Provo since 2005, getting steamrolled by the Nevada Wolf Pack, 27-13, on Saturday was a bitter pill to swallow.

After starting the season with a solid win over Washington, BYU has now lost three in a row. But there were bright spots for BYU. Freshman QB Jake Heaps completed 24 of 45 passes for 229 yards in his first college start.

Nevada was simply too powerful for BYU. With one of the highest rated QBs in the country, fresh off a stunning thrashing of PAC-10 power Cal last week, Colin Kaepernick continued to produce, throwing for 196 yards and a TD while rushing for 82 yards and another TD inching closer to breaking the NCAA rushing TD mark.

Vai Taua was his usual productive self rushing for 133 yards an a TD. The Nevada defense continued to show dramatic improvement over last season holding BYU to 13 points.

Nevada did display some rough edges, coughing up the ball twice and throwing one interception. But solid defense mostly prevented BYU from capitalizing on turnovers.

BYU coach Mendenhall echoed Cal coach Tedford in their assessment of Nevada and Kaepernick. Tedford endorsed Nevada as a top 25 team stating they would be competitive in the PAC-10 while Mendenhall indicated that Kaepernick compared favorably to Washington's Jake Locker who has gotten much more national attention.

Nevada is off to its first 4-0 start in nearly 20 years and may well be ranked for the first time ever come Monday morning. With BSU's solid win over Oregon State, it looks increasingly likely the Wolf Pack and Boise State may face off on Nov. 26 in a battle of ranked, unbeaten teams with the WAC title and BSU's BCS hopes on the line.

With two WAC teams now soundly defeating teams from BCS conferences, it is becoming increasingly difficult to write off BSU and Nevada. Folks are taking notice, just ask Cal and Oregon State.

Every year, a team is grossly underranked at the beginning of the college football season.  Those mistakes take weeks to correct as voters slowly adjust their preconceived notions on how the football landscape should look.

This year, that team is the Nevada Wolf Pack.  In three games this year, their offense has put up 152 points.  In the process, they hammered both Colorado State and California.  Those would be the same Cal Bears who outscored their two previous opponents 104-10, to include a 52-7 drubbing of the once proud Colorado Buffaloes.  Until they ran into the Nevada shredder, the Bears looked like a likely contender to challenge Oregon for the PAC-10 title.

Plenty of people were quick to dismiss Boise State after Virgina Tech's loss to James Madison.  But few have noted that Nevada's win over Cal may prove to be a huge boost for the Broncos.  What if Cal proves to still be one of the Pac-10's best teams?  I think that is very likely based on how they have looked in comparison to most of the teams in their conference.

Based upon their play to date, Nevada should be ranked somewhere around 15 instead of just outside the Top 25.

This week, Nevada goes on the road for the first time to take on a struggling Brigham Young team that will be playing desperate after back to back losses against Air Force and Florida State.  The Wolf Pack are four point favorites in that game.  If I was a betting man, I'd take Nevada to easily cover the spread.

Nevada also has a chance here to make a major statement before moving into the Mountain West conference.  They are moving in while BYU is moving out with both happening as early as next year.   

In addition to the BYU game, Nevada also has tough road tests against Fresno State and Hawaii, always a tough place to play due to the jet lag and distractions.  They have one sleeper game against an improved Utah State at home. 

Still, I like Chris Ault's team in all of those games assuming they can play even remotely as well on the road as they have looked at home.

The line on Nevada for the last few years is that they have an excellent offense that can score points by the barrel, but have a defense that could not stop a local high school team.  The offense has been almost obscenely effective at times, moving and scoring at will against anybody and everybody.  Unfortunately for Nevada, the defense has been the offense's polar opposite.

That has changed this year, with the defense playing soundly in the early season.  That spells danger for their opponents the rest of the way.

In addition to being the most underrated team, they also feature the most underrated player.  Quarterback Colin Kaepernick may be the most exciting and dynamic player in the country, a legitimate threat with both his arms and legs.  Too bad almost nobody gets to see him play.  

Against Cal, he tallied five touchdowns, two through the air and three on the ground while racking up 181 yards passing and 148 yards rushing.  Look for him to rise in the Heisman race as Nevada moves into prominence later in the season. 

Nevada is the new Boise State now that Boise is comfortably sitting among college football elites, the unknown team that nobody wants to play because nothing good can come of it.  Get embarrassed and take a major hit to your reputation and season.  Survive and everybody shrugs.  That was the conundrum Cal faced last week and plenty of teams before them faced with Boise back when they were still largely unknown.

And the new Boise has a fantastic opportunity to knock off the old Boise late in the season. 

Nevada catches Boise at home on Nov. 26, with an excellent chance of bringing an 11-0 record into that game.  Based on what we've seen to date, I expect Nevada to finally end up on the right side of that shoot-out with their revamped defense being the difference.

Nevada is one of the few teams in the country to give Boise a run for their money over the past few years, putting up a ton of points on the Broncos on the way to three losses.  With just a little bit of defense, they would have won a couple of those games.   

Look at the scores from their last three head to head games; 44-33, 41-34, and a ludicrous 69-67. 

And then circle that game on the calendar.  It will be one of the most interesting of the college football season. 

Those who are bashing the Broncos for their schedule have not been paying attention to Nevada, or   Fresno State for that matter.  That will change over the next few weeks.  And we may all be talking about Nevada by the beginning of December.

Colin Kaepernick, a Heisman candidate? Am I nuts? How could anyone from the WAC be considered for such an award. Isn't Boise's Kellen Moore the best quarterback in the WAC and the only legitimate Heisman candidate from the doormat conference? I think not. Here's why.

Kaepernick's total body of work over his first three years is among the best ever. We all know he is in a class by himself, as he's passed for over 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards in a single season. He has done this not once, but twice.

Let's set aside his 135 points against Boise State in the last three games and just focus on where he is right now in the 2010 season. Three weeks into the fall, Kaepernick is the 13th-best quarterback in the country with a rating of 166.2, having gone 57 for 81, 728 yards, and five touchdowns. He has yet to throw a pick.

He is also the 13th best running back in the country, with with 39 carries for 369 yards and seven touchdowns. The QB is averaging a staggering 9.5 yards per carry!

As a quarterback, Kaepernick is ahead of Kevin Riley, Andy Dalton, Matt Barkley, Case Keenum, Denard Robinson, and way ahead of the best quarterback in the WAC, Kellen Moore. As a running back, he leads LaMichael James. I could produce a very long list of premiere running backs who trail this QB.

Kellen Moore gets plenty of mention as a Heisman candidate and I feel it is very well-deserved. But let's be frank: The Heisman is supposed to recognize the best all-around football player in the country. Moore is a statue compared to Kaepernick, static in his pocket cocoon, passing accurately but landlocked. Kaepernick is also a devastating passer with a rocket arm and a dynamic runner with blazing speed.

But to truly appreciate how special he is, you have to watch him on the sidelines, not on TV. He is a leader, always exhorting his teammates.

We have a long way to go this season. But right now, there is little doubt who is the best overall football player in the country, the only one that is among the top 13 as both a quarterback and a running back. Sooner or later, the pundits will notice these stats. They speak for themselves. Yes, Colin Kaepernick for the Heisman!

It was an epic night in Reno. Unbeaten and ranked, Cal came into Reno favored to win and left town battered and stunned as the Nevada Wolf Pack thrashed the Golden Bears 52-31.

Nevada led from the start under the balanced attack of senior QB Colin Kaepernick, who went 10-of-15 in the air for 181 yards while rushing for 148. With nearly 500 yards of total offense, Nevada continued to demonstrate that they truly are one of the premiere offenses in the country.

But the real story is not their prodigious offense. Anyone who has watched Nevada over the past three years has seen that. The Wolf Pack led the nation last year in rushing.

What has emerged this year is Nevada's defense, a smothering, stifling defense. I saw it last week against Colorado State, but most wrote it off since it was against a very weak team.

But Cal is no pushover. They destroyed Colorado last week 52-7 and pundits were calling them the potential class of the PAC-10.

When Nevada dominated on defense against a powerful PAC-10 team, I think it is safe to say, the Wolf Pack now has was it needed, defense.

If readers are surprised by this result, you shouldn't be. After all, Nevada has scored 135 points against Boise State in the last three games and managed to lose all three by a combined margin of only 20 points.

If Nevada had only possessed a modicum of defense over the past three years, no one would be talking about Boise State. Well, Nevada now has a defense that appears worthy of being paired with its offense.

Nevada takes on BYU next week. If they win that game, they could potentially roll through the rest of their schedule setting up a fantastic match up with Boise State on Thanksgiving weekend in Reno.

That assumes, of course, that Boise State runs the table as well.

The pundits had better start paying attention to Nevada and their phenomenal QB, Colin Kaepernick.

He has already eclipsed Tim Tebow's rushing TD total and will likely finish his career at Nevada with stats that place him among the greatest college QBs of all time.

College football takes center stage with two games this Friday night. The highlight of the schedule is the game between the California Golden Bears and the Nevada Wolfpack. The college football betting odds posted by Bet Mania have California as a three point favorite to win the game.

California Golden Bears: Cal is 2-0 on the season and in second place in the Pac-10 as they head into the game in Nevada. They have played a soft schedule up to this point and dominated each opponent. In the opener they throttled UC Davis 52 to 3, and last week the stomped Colorado by the score of 52 to 7. They get one more out of conference game against Nevada before starting Pac-10 play on the road against Arizona.

Cal’s best pass rusher on defense is linebacker Jarred Price who notched two sacks last week. Price will have his hands full trying to contain a very good Wolf Pack offense. The Bears will rush Price from the outside and utilize a variety of defensive personnel packages and formations to try and trip up the Wolf Pack offense. The coaches plan a steady rotation throughout the night on both sides of the ball to keep players fresh and let them catch their breath since they are playing in a high altitude stadium. This is just one of the edges that the home team have heading into this game.

Nevada Wolf Pack: Nevada, like California is 2-0 to start the season and they have done it by beating up on some easier teams on the schedule. They started the season by thumping Eastern Washington 49 to 24 and followed that up with a 51 to 6 rout of Colorado St. When the Golden bears come to town on Friday night this will be the first true test for the Wolfpack.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick leads the way on a very deadly Wolf Pack offense. He is deadly on the ground and through the air and will be tough to tame on defense. Kaepernick is protected by a huge offensive line known as the “The Union”.  The Union is a very tall and big offensive line that can match up with anyone in the country. When they are not pass blocking for Kaepernick, they will be making holes for 5-foot-10, 220-pound senior halfback Vai Taua. Taua is the big threat out of the backfield and is almost a cinch to get 1,000 yards every season. It will be interesting to see how this offense stacks up against the Bears defense.

Game Time Prediction: Both of these teams are gifted offensively. So far this year Nevada has looked unstoppable with Colin Kaepernick calling the plays and Vai Taua running the ball. California has looked equally impressive putting up points behind the strong arm of Kevin Riley and the running attack of Shane Vereen.

The home field advantage is critical in this game. California will attempt to adjust with the elevation with rotating out players, but this will work against the philosophy and in the end when the game matters most Nevada will be adjusted and California will be gasping for air. Jarred Price is a beast on defense but I like the size and the strength of “The Unit” in that match up. Vereen sat out a few practices because he was banged up in the last game. He will play but I am not sold that he is 100%. The Bears have stumbled laying points on the road as they are 12-27 against the spread (ATS) as road favorites. Nevada is 16-6 ATS after gaining 300 or more rushing yards last game and I look for a great performance by the home team. The Wolf Pack is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record and 26-12 ATS in their last 38 home games. Nevada has the extra motivation playing a nationally televised home game and I look for them to win this one outright and give Cal their first loss of the year. I am going to back the Wolf pack plus the three points in this Friday night clash.

Final: Nevada 38 Cal 31

Other College Football Previews:

Cincinnati at North Carolina State

Arkansas at Georgia

Iowa at Arizona

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews, and predictions. Feel Free to contact Matt at mregaw@gmail.com