Wolf Pack fans, are you ready for some football? Because Nevada Head Coach Brian Polian is. Wolf Pack football began fall camp Wednesday, and you couldn’t help but hear the excitement in Coach Polian’s voice.
“The start of a new season is always exciting for me I feel like a kid on Christmas day,” stated Polian at the opening presser on Wednesday.
For Wolf Pack fans there’s plenty to be excited about. The idea of having 14 returning starters from both the offensive and defensive end from a team that was bowl eligible a year ago is an exciting thought. Or even the thought of having all 10 coaches back for the first time since the 2008-2009 season.
When you look at the start of the up incoming season there are plenty of things to be excited about. But there are also some things that may get your blood pressure boiling a bit.
The biggest question going forward will be Nevada’s quarterback situation. Who will be Nevada’s starting Quarterback? That’s a question we’d all like to know.
Not even Coach Polian has the answer to that question yet. It’s a situation that will take him a couple of weeks to sort out. The main factors as in who will take over the reins may have a lot to do with who creates the least amount of turnovers: “Whoever takes care of the ball gives us the best chance to win after that, I’m not worried about a fashion show its who makes us the best offense by there presents.”
Coach Polian will start the competition by playing all three contenders for the quarterbacking job in practice giving them all equal reps. Who ever does the best by coaches standards will get the job. The early favorite is quarterback Junior Tyler Stewart. He’s the veteran of the group, and coaches tend to rely on experience.
However, the quarterback competition isn’t the only issue Nevada will have going forward, as the Wolf Pack lost much depth and talent to graduation and the NFL, and replacing so many guys who had a big impact is never easy.
The team will have to think of ways to replace all-conference players such as C Matt Galas, DE Brock Hekking as well fixtures in the program guys like WR Richy Turner, DT Jordan Hanson, OT Kyle Roberts, LB Jonathan McNeal, CB Charles Garrett and CB Evan Favors. These are some questions the Wolf Pack will be faced with in the next few weeks.
In the meantime there are plenty of other things that Wolf Pack fans have to look forward too — like, the Nevada athletics department finalizing plans for the upcoming $11.5 million renovation of Mackay Stadium. Mackay will be looking too add a new two-story, 2,800-square foot restroom facility that is expected to be done in time for the Sept. 3 season opener against UC Davis. The bulk of the stadium renovation will begin after this season and will be completed prior to the 2016 season.
The renovation will feature the construction of an 8,000-square-foot stadium club on the west side and the installation of loge boxes, club seats and chair back seating on the east and west sides of the stadium. The plan is to make Mackay stadium a more attractive environment for the fans.
Another positive going into the New Year is five of the six Nevada home games this year will be day games, with the only night game falling on a Thursday September 3rd, which just happens to be the home opener. So for the Wolf Pack fans that don’t like the nightly kickoffs, you have plenty too look forward to this season.
All in all, this is shaping up to be a really interesting year for Wolf Pack football. Fans and players alike have a lot to look forward too.
So Nevada it’s time to buckle your chinstraps and lace your cleats because we are going in, Wolf Pack style.
