Reports: Nevada Falls Short As Kickoff Out Of Bounds Set The Eagles’ Offense Up At Their 35-yard Line

The Nevada football team missed an opportunity to secure its first home victory, falling 20-17 to the Georgia Southern Eagles on September 7 due to penalties and mistakes. This defeat left the Wolf Pack with a 1-2 record.

Nevada began strongly with running back Patrick Garwo III rushing for seven yards. An offsides penalty on Georgia Southern helped advance Nevada, and Garwo III followed up with a four-yard carry for a crucial third-and-one. Quarterback Brendon Lewis then kept the drive alive with a 12-yard scramble to midfield, followed by a 13-yard run from Savion Red.

Despite facing a holding penalty, Lewis connected with Cortez Braham Jr. for a five-yard gain. Braham Jr. then completed a 16-yard pass to Jaden Smith on third-and-14, securing a vital first down. Lewis continued to excel, rushing for 12 yards to the 15-yard line, and on the next play, found Braham Jr. open in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown, putting Nevada ahead 7-0 at 9:33.

A kickoff out of bounds set Georgia Southern up at their 35-yard line, and quarterback JC French quickly connected with LV Bunkley-Shelton for a 10-yard gain. A defensive pass interference on Chad Brown moved the Eagles to Nevada’s 35-yard line, where French threw a deep pass to Joshua Thompson, who caught a 35-yard touchdown at 7:30 to tie the game at 7-7.

After a couple of short gains, Nevada faced a third-and-seven at their 28-yard line. Lewis found Marcus Bellon for an 11-yard gain and rushed for another 10 yards to midfield. Garwo III added a seven-yard carry, and on third-and-three, Lewis connected with Braham Jr. for 10 yards. Garwo III then made a four-yard run, and Red had a powerful 25-yard rush. A pass interference penalty on Eagles cornerback Tracy Hill Jr. placed the ball at the two-yard line, where Lewis rushed in for another touchdown at 1:08, extending Nevada’s lead to 14-7.

By the end of the first quarter, the Pack had accumulated 101 rushing yards.

In response, French threw a 16-yard pass to Derwin Burgess Jr., then a four-yard pass to Josh Dallas. At the 44-yard line, French hit Burgess Jr. again for a nine-yard gain, followed by a 16-yard pass to Dalen Cobb, bringing the ball to the Pack’s 28-yard line. After two incompletions, the Eagles faced a third-and-five. Although they were initially stopped, a pass interference call against Charles Brown moved the ball to the Pack’s 19-yard line.

Nevada defensive end Henry Ikahihifo sacked French for a two-yard loss. An incomplete pass left the Eagles facing third-and-12, and a nine-yard pass to Marcus Sanders Jr. came up short. The Eagles settled for a field goal, reducing Nevada’s lead to 14-10 with 12:15 left in the second quarter.

The teams then exchanged punts until Nevada regained possession at their 16-yard line with 6:22 remaining in the half. Lewis connected with Bellon for a 13-yard gain, followed by a 15-yard face mask penalty on Elhadj Fall. However, a holding penalty on Garwo III pushed them back, resulting in a third-and-15. An incomplete pass led to a punt, allowing the Eagles to take over at their 20-yard line with 1:51 left in the first half.

As the second quarter ended, the Eagles moved quickly downfield. French completed a 17-yard screen pass to OJ Arnold, and Nevada faced unsportsmanlike conduct and personal foul penalties, giving the Eagles another 30 yards, placing them at the Nevada 24-yard line. French then connected with Cobb for a 24-yard touchdown, putting Georgia Southern ahead 17-14 at halftime.

Both teams struggled to gain momentum in the third quarter. Nevada shanked a punt, giving Georgia Southern possession at their 45-yard line. French capitalized with a 15-yard pass to Cobb and an eight-yard screen pass to Arnold. However, they had to settle for a 48-yard field goal, extending their lead to 20-14 with 9:07 left in the third.

After more punts, Nevada took over at their 36-yard line. Lewis passed to Braham Jr. for 19 and 32 yards, pushing the offense downfield. After a three-yard run from Red, two incompletions led to a 27-yard field goal by Matthew Killam, bringing the score to 20-17 with 2:30 remaining in the third.

Another defensive stop forced Georgia Southern to punt, giving Nevada the ball at their seven-yard line. Red gained ten yards, and Lewis connected with Bellon for a five-yard completion before scrambling for 15 yards to the 37-yard line. A personal foul on Cam Williams moved the Pack to the Eagles’ 43-yard line, where Braham Jr. made catches for 13 and four yards, advancing to the Eagles’ 36-yard line. Red then broke a 25-yard run but fumbled while trying to gain more yards, and the Eagles recovered the ball.

The Eagles forced another punt, allowing the Pack to start their drive with 6:16 left in the game. Lewis rushed for 15 yards and found Braham Jr. for an 11-yard gain. After a four-yard loss and an incomplete pass made it third-and-14, Lewis connected with Garwo III for a screen pass that gained 13 yards. On fourth-and-one, Garwo III was stopped at the line, turning the ball over to the Eagles with 2:38 remaining.

The Eagles ran down the clock before pinning the Pack at their four-yard line with 0:59 left. Lewis managed a 17-yard completion to Smith, then rushed for seven yards before hitting Smith again for an 18-yard gain. With just one second left, Lewis launched a deep pass that Smith caught for 62 yards but was tackled five yards short of the end zone, sealing a 20-17 loss for Nevada.

Head coach Jeff Choate noted that while the team played well in several aspects, penalties and turnovers were costly. “It hurts because we’re not a team that has a huge margin, and those are plays that we cannot make,” he said. “Erasing productive plays and putting us behind the sticks made it difficult for our offense to get in rhythm. It’s a disappointing loss because it’s a game that we should win.”

Next, the Wolf Pack (1-2) will visit Minneapolis, Minnesota, to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on September 14 at 12:30 p.m.