COACH AND PROGRAM
Nevada has won a grand total of eight games during its first three seasons in the Western Athletic Conference. If the Wolf Pack is to significantly reverse its fortunes, it must rectify a defense that finished No. 114 nationally in total defense and No. 110 in scoring defense last season.
Perhaps that happened during the Wolf Pack’s spring drills.
In the Silver and Blue game at Mackay Stadium, the first-team defense shined as the Silver squad defeated the Blue team, 14-0.
"It was a defensive struggle, no question about that,’’ Nevada coach Chris Tormey said. "When you come out of spring ball, you get to see who can execute their assignments and who can’t. The offense obviously did a better job than the offense today.
"There is no question the defense is a lot better than it was a year ago. We still have a long way to go before we open up against Washington State. I have the worst seat in the house, but it looked like the whole defensive front played well today. They put pressure on the quarterback and did a good job of stopping the run.’’
Tormey will be entering his third season at Nevada with 19 returning starters -- seven on an offense that ranked No. 9 nationally last season in total offense at 453.9 points per game. Two conference losses last year came on the last play of the game and in overtime, respectively, helping Nevada improve its point differential by 13 points in 2001 from Tormey’s first year in Reno. If those 10 starters come through on defense, Tormey may have the Wolf Pack on the verge of a winning season.
"We’ve gotten better every year we’ve been here with our recruiting process,’’ Tormey said. "We’re not that far away. We feel like we’re getting closer and closer the longer we’re here.’’
Before coming to Nevada, Tormey was head coach at his alma mater -- Idaho -- for five years. He guided the Vandals to their first bowl game in school history. Before his stay in Moscow, Tormey was part of three straight Rose Bowl squads with the University of Washington, including the 1991 national championship team. During his 11-year tenure as a position coach and then defensive coordinator (1993-94) for the Huskies, he was part of 10 bowl game squads.
During the off-season, Tormey hired three new coaches -- Barry Sacks, Denny Schuler and Dave Stromswold. Sacks will coach the tight ends and be the special teams coordinator. Schuler will coach the safeties, rovers and whip linebackers, while Stromswold will coach the offensive line.
QUARTERBACKS
The most notable loss for the Wolf Pack comes at quarterback, where four-year starter and school record holder David Neill will be succeeded by senior Zack Threadgill (6-2, 205).
Neill completed 138-of-265 passes last year for 1,918 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was intercepted five times.
Threadgill will get his first chance as the No. 1 quarterback, although the Glendale, Ariz., native started two games last year when Neill was out. He completed 80-of-138 passes for 801 yards with five interceptions and two touchdowns.
"It starts with replacing David, obviously,’’ Tormey said. "Zack has demonstrated real leadership ability. We believe he can be very productive in our offense.’’
Threadgill will be backed up by sophomore Andy Heiser (6-1, 175) and junior transfer Will Hewlett (6-5, 200).
RUNNING BACKS
The offense set eight school records last year and featured the nation’s No. 1 rusher in sophomore tailback Chance Kretschmer (6-2, 220), who ran for 1,732 yards. He averaged 157.5 yards per game and 5.7 per carry. He also set school record for yards in a game (327), carries (45), touchdowns (6) and touchdowns rushing (6) in a game. Kretschmer also set the NCAA freshman mark for most carries in a season (302).
Kretschmer was held to 20 yards on eight carries in the spring game, while junior Marquis Starks (5-10, 200) rushed for 113 yards on 22 carries. Freshman Matt Milton (6-0, 205) led the Blue team with 24 yards on eight carries.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Honors candidate Nick Burleson (6-2, 181), a senior, heads a position with considerable depth for the Pack. He caught 53 passes for 737 yards and two touchdowns in ranking No. 29 in the NCAA in receptions and No. 33 in receiving yards.
Senior Jermaine Brown (5-11, 186), who started some last year, missed spring drills with major knee reconstruction.
Expected to see considerable playing time are junior Tim Fleming (6-1, 185) and seniors Aaron Carter (6-2, 185) and Dan Bythwood (6-4, 200). Fleming caught 30 passes for 398 yards and a touchdown last year, while Carter had 13 receptions for 225 yards and a team-leading three touchdowns. Bythwood added 21 catches for 244 yards.
Red-shirt freshman Nichiren Flowers (6-3, 195) is expected to compete for playing time, while mid-year junior college transfer Maurice Mann (6-1, 170) was impressive in winter conditioning. Red-shirt freshman Kellen Bowens (6-1, 180) also has potential.
In the spring game, Justyn Midanik (5-10, 170), a transfer from Southern Oregon, took an end-around 10 yards for a touchdown. He finished the game with four rushes for 24 yards and caught one pass for 19 yards.
"He has some speed and he makes plays,’’ Tormey told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "The Silver coaches designed the play for him, so that tells you that the coaching staff thinks a lot of him. He did a good job when he got his hands on the ball today. He is an exciting young player.’’
At tight end, senior Erick Steelman (6-5, 240) missed spring drills while playing on the Pack baseball team. He caught nine passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns last year.
With Steelman missing, junior Bill Lynch (6-4, 257) took over as the No. 1 tight end. He caught only two passes last year.
"Lynch saw quite a bit of action there last year,’’ Tormey said. "This position will be very competitive.’’
Red-shirt freshman Tony Moll (6-5, 250) and sophomore Mike Luca (6-4, 257) will compete for playing time at a position that requires depth because the Pack features a dual tight end set at times. Also in the picture are freshman Anthony Pudewell (6-4, 220), junior R.J. Marsh (6-2, 235) and sophomore Shane Gillaspie (6-5, 226).
OFFENSIVE LINE
Honors candidate Cody Johnson (6-4, 294), a senior, headlines the offensive line at center. He missed most of fall camp last year with a knee injury but bounced back to start every game. He will once again be counted on to open holes for Kretschmer and protect Threadgill.
"As an offense, we’ve got a long way to go and we understand that,’’ Threadgill told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "We’ve got the tools. We’ve got the guys up front. With all this talent, let’s just get it done.’’
Other players with good experience are sophomore Harvey Dahl (6-5, 280), junior John Tennert (6-3, 303), junior Isaiah Ross (6-3, 305) and junior Alan Parker (6-6, 310). Junior college transfer David Ah Sue (6-6, 300) will compete for playing time with Parker and Dahl at tackle and red-shirt freshman Adam Kiefer (6-5, 280) will challenge Tennert, sophomore Nick Schneider (6-2, 309) and red-shirt freshman Kyle Gosselin (6-2, 250) at guard.
Dahl and Parker shared the right tackle starting assignment last year and Tennert started all but two games, giving up that role to Ross twice in midseason.
Johnson can play either center or guard. His backups at center will be junior college transfer Steve Church (6-1, 271) and Gosselin.
KICKERS
Sophomore Damon Fine (5-9, 150) broke two school records last year as the Pack’s place-kicker. He made a 58-yard field goal against UNLV and connected on six field goals at Rice.
"He needs to be more consistent, but he did some good things for us,’’ Tormey said.
Backing up Fine will be junior Derek Jones (6-3, 213), the No. 1 punter, and freshman Ken Schaefer (6-1, 180).
DEFENSIVE LINE
Sophomore Chris Barry (6-3, 284) and junior Derek Kennard, Jr. (6-1, 267) should be difference-makers after being moved from end to tackle for the Pack. Barry started eight games at end last year and made 27 tackles while Kennard started eight with 35 tackles, including eight for losses.
Sophomore tackle Chris Hines (6-2, 280) was impressive last season with 21 tackles, including six for a loss. Senior Sean Folweiler (6-3, 277), who red-shirted last year, red-shirt freshman P.J. Hoeper (6-3, 278) and red-shirt freshman Tim Sylvester (6-2, 265) will also compete for playing time.
The leading candidates for starting positions at end are junior Jorge Cordova (6-2, 240), who moves over from middle linebacker, and junior J.D. Morscheck (6-1, 220). Cordova was an honors candidate last year before getting injured and missing the last three games. He was third for the Pack in tackles with 59, including six tackles for loss and four sacks. Morscheck was the team leader in tackles for loss (12-38) and sacks (6-31). He had four tackles, three for a loss, and two sacks in the spring game.
Junior college transfer Keenan Curtis (6-1, 250) will also push for playing time after being impressive in winter workouts. He was the team MVP at El Camino (Calif.) College and one of the top junior college players in the nation last fall.
Also at end, Ben Kirish (6-5, 230), a sophomore transfer from the U.S. Military Academy, has been moved from tight end to defensive end.
LINEBACKERS
Returning as the starter at outside linebacker will be junior Carl LaGrone, Jr. (6-5, 212), who was fifth on the team in tackles last year with 49. Red-shirt freshmen Logan Carter (6-3, 200) and Craig Bailey (6-4, 230) will also push for playing time. Bailey was moved over from defensive end.
Holding down the middle will be junior Daryl Towns (6-0, 226), who has been shifted from inside linebacker. He returns as the Pack’s leading tackler with 103. Towns had 59 solo stops. An honors candidate, Towns was voted to the second team All-WAC last year.
Playing behind Towns will be Matt White (6-2, 220), who played impressively at times last year as a freshman. He had 18 tackles in four games before missing the last two-thirds of the season with an injury.
The top returner at inside linebacker is junior Jesse Adarme (6-0, 230), who started only one game last year but had 31 tackles. Backing up Adarme will be White, sophomore Jordan Edwards (6-2, 225) and red-shirt freshman Jamaal Jackson (5-11, 205).
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Senior rover Paul Jolley (5-11, 204) missed spring practice with an off-season shoulder surgery. The starter in the spring was sophomore Ekene Agwenue (6-2, 200). He’ll be backed up by red-shirt freshman Chris Smith .
The starter at free safety will be honors candidate Ronnie Hardiman (6-0, 170), a junior who was second on the team in tackles last year. He also had three interceptions, two in the end zone to stop opposing drives.
Playing behind Hardiman will be sophomore Keone Kauo (5-11, 180) and junior Tyrone Rackley (5-11, 192). Kauo started two games last year after being switched from cornerback to free safety.
Several players return at cornerback, but Tormey said there will be plenty of competition for the starting assignments.
Senior Dominic Cruz (5-9, 180) started six games last year and had 33 tackles, second among the cornerbacks. Sophomore Marlon McLaughlin (5-10, 173) led the corners with 47 tackles and made nine starts last year. Junior Leondre Lewis (5-10, 170) had 36 tackles in six starts and a 48-yard interception return, the longest of the season for the Pack.
Also in the mix at cornerback are senior Aaron Dean (5-10, 185), along with junior college transfers Kevin Ernst (5-11, 180) and Allen Russell (5-8, 170).
"The returnees and the junior college transfers will all be competing for the starting positions,’’ Tormey said.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Free safety Hardiman doubles as a return specialist. He was 35th in the NCAA in kickoff return average at 24.2.
The punt returner will be cornerback McLaughlin, who like Hardiman was ranked in the NCAA top 50 in 2001.
New coach Sacks will be the special teams coordinator. He most recently coached the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League as defensive coordinator. He has 16 years of college coaching experience, including three at San Jose State as defensive line coach, five years at Boise State as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator and seven at Portland State as defensive line coach.
RECRUITING CLASS
Tormey and his staff signed 28 players -- 21 high school standouts and seven junior college transfers, six of whom arrived in December as mid-year transfers.
Among the signees were three of the top players in the state of Nevada, an all-county lineman from Fairfield, an All-Orange County wide receiver, an all-conference and all-metro running back from Sacramento and a junior college All-America linebacker.
Elko all-state running back Kyle Eklund (5-8, 170), all-state quarterback Jeff Rowe (6-5, 195) of Reno’s McQueen High and three-sport standout J.J. Milan (6-5, 225) of Reno’s Wooster High are the northern Nevada standouts.
"Eklund has outstanding quickness and speed,’’ Tormey said on national signing day. "He was the best skilled athlete in northern Nevada this year. Rowe didn’t start until his senior year, but had a great year. He had opportunities to go to the Pac-10, but chose to stay home. He’s an outstanding basketball player as well, and has great size.
"Milan is an outstanding athlete who is also a very good basketball player and the state discus champion. He has a great frame and a lot of upside. He might be the best defensive lineman in the state this year.’’
The three northern Nevada standouts join star running back B.J. Mitchell (5-8, 190) from Loomis, Calif., offensive lineman Adam Garcia (6-5, 290) from Huntington Beach, Calif., and Shaun Tagatatuli (6-0, 230), a third-team All-America linebacker as the group highlighting the signing class.
Tagatutuli was chosen an All-American by JC Gridwire. He is out of Golden West (Calif.) College and was the only junior college player signed on national signing day.
In December, Tormey and his staff signed six junior college standouts who could make an impact this fall. The signees include J.C. Gridwire second-team All-American Joey Barnes (6-1, 225), an inside linebacker from Foothill Junior (Calif.) College. He made more than 130 tackles in his of his two seasons at Foothill.
"Joey is one of the best JC linebackers in California,’’ Tormey said. "He has good size and strength and will help us at both inside linebacking positions.’’
Also joining Nevada was two-time all-conference center Steve Church (6-1, 271) from Shasta College in Shasta, Calif. "Steve is a very active offensive lineman and fits well into what we do offensively,’’ Tormey said.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
Tormey has always been known as an outstanding recruiter. His signees include Napoleon Kaufman, an All-American and Washington’s all-time leading rusher; Rose Bowl MVP and Pro Bowl quarterback Mark Brunell; and All-Pac 10 running back Rashaan Shehee, among others.
In his third season at Nevada, Torney is bringing in his style of players and showing them the winning attitude and history of successful accomplishments from his past endeavors.
He also made a change in his coaching staff, bringing in the fresh faces of Sacks (tight ends/special teams), Schuler (safeties, rovers and whip linebackers), and Stromswold (offensive line). And in order to improve the defense, Tormey made several notable position changes.
Nevada, with Kretschmer leading the way at running back, will be very good again on offense. If the defense can improve on its horrific numbers from last season, Nevada could move over .500 for the first time 1998.
