Meet the Nevada Wolf Pack.
Arkansas State University's opponent in the Arizona Bowl on Dec. 29 has a similar resume to the Red Wolves. Statistically, ASU (8-4) edges the Wolf Pack (7-5) in most head-to-head categories, but not by much.
Nevada will enter the Arizona Bowl 4-1 in its past five games, with the lone loss coming in a 34-29 season-finale road loss at UNLV on Nov. 24. ASU defeated UNLV 27-20 on Sept. 22 in Jonesboro.
Nevada (32.3 points) averaged 0.5 more points per game than the Red Wolves (31.8). Both offenses posted more than 440 total yards per game and were paced by their passing offenses.
The Arizona Bowl will be the Wolf Pack's first postseason apperance since 2015, when Nevada played in the first-ever Arizona Bowl and defeated Colorado State 28-23.
Offense
The Wolf Pack can throw it and score. More than half of Nevada's 855 plays were passes (53.7 percent).
Nevada's offense averaged 6.2 yards per play, but had a fairly balanced scoring year (24 passing touchdowns, 23 rushing). In 12 games, Nevada finished 34th nationally in total offense with 442.9 yards per game. Arkansas State is No. 20 at 463.5 yards per game.
The Wolf Pack's offense is supported mainly through the air. Senior quarterback Ty Gangi led Nevada to 285.33 passing yards per game, the nation's No. 20 passing offense.
Gangi ranked No. 11 nationally in total offense at 298.2 yards per game.
Gangi's most productive target, wide receiver McLane Mannix, will not be a problem for the Red Wolves. Mannix, whose 875 receiving yards and seven touchdowns led all Nevada wideouts, announced he will transfer from Nevada earlier this month.
Freshman running back Toa Taua, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, led all Wolf Pack tailbacks in rushing with 816 yards on 156 carries. Taua averaged 68 rushing yards per game and put together three games of 100 rushing yards or more.
Defense
The Wolf Pack defense features junior linebacker Gabriel Sewell, senior linebacker Malik Reed (All-Mountain West first team) and senior defensive lineman Korey Rush (All-Mountain West first team). The trio earned 33.5 of Nevada's 93 tackles for loss in 2018.
Nevada is allowing 378.3 yards per game and 5.2 yards per play to opposing offenses, which is ranked 54th among 129 FBS teams.
Sophomore defensive back Nephi Sewell, one of the Wolf Pack's primary defensive backs and two-year starter, announced he is also transferring from Nevada and will not play in the Arizona Bowl. He had 53 tackles and 1 interception in 11 games this season.
The Wolf Pack's defense yields 243.1 passing yards per game compared with 135.2 rushing yards. Nevada allows 28.1 points per game, the 77th-ranked scoring defense in the country.
Special teams
Senior kicker Ramiz Ahmed made 14 of 19 field goals in 2018, and is 13 of 15 inside of 50 yards.
Junior punter Quinton Conaway averaged 43.0 yards on 54 punts.
Freshman receiver Romeo Doubs returned six punts for 107 yards (17.8 yards per return) and one touchdown. Arkansas State has given up -15 punt return yards this season, which are the fewest in NCAA history.
The coach
Jay Norvell is in his second season with the Wolf Pack and led Nevada to 7-5 -- the school's best regular-season record since 2014 -- after a 3-9 season in 2017.
Norvell was the University of Oklahoma's wide receivers coach from 2008-2014. He and ASU senior quarterback Justice Hansen crossed paths in Norman, Okla., before Hansen transferred to a junior college after one season at Oklahoma in 2014.
Sports on 12/18/2018