In the past two weeks we have taken a close look at the Nevada Wolf Pack football team’s 12 memorable seasons in the Western Athletic Conference.
We have gone back and relived the Top 20 most meaningful games and the Top 20 most impressive efforts by individual players over the past 12 years.
In the third and final installment of our Look Back at the Pack in the WAC we examine the Top 35 individual careers in the Pack’s dozen seasons in the conference . . .
35. MATT HINES, defensive line
Matt Hines waited his turn for two seasons as a reserve (30 tackles combined in 2004 and 2005) and when he got his chance he made the most of it. Hines, a starter in 2006 and 2007, finished his Pack career with 111 tackles and 13 tackles for a loss. Hines also had 4.5 sacks and blocked two kicks in his career and was rewarded for his hard work by being named to the All-WAC Second Team in both 2006 and 2007.
34. ISAIAH FREY, defensive back
Isaiah Frey was always a stabilizing influence in a roller coaster Wolf Pack secondary. Frey had seven interceptions in his four years (2008-11), including five in 2011. He had 141 tackles and also 48 passes defensed in his career to go along with 5 tackles for a loss. Frey was named to the All-WAC First Team in 2011 and Second Team in 2010.
33. ZACK THREADGILL, quarterback
Zack Threadgill came out of nowhere to have one of the top seasons for a Wolf Pack quarterback in school history in 2002. Threadgill was brilliant in 2002, completing 275-of-451 passes for 3,418 yards and 26 touchdowns but did not make an All-WAC team that season. All four of those numbers (completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns) rank in the Top Six in Wolf Pack history. Threadgill played with the Pack from 1999-02 and completed 365-of-622 passes for 4,219 yards and 28 touchdowns.
32. CODY JOHNSON, offensive lineman
Cody Johnson played four seasons for the Pack (2000-03) and helped the Wolf Pack make the transition to the WAC. Johnson was also a key member of the offensive line that helped freshman Chance Kretschmer lead the nation in rushing in 2001. The center was a Second Team All-WAC pick in 2002.
31. ROOSEVELT COOKS, linebacker
Roosevelt Cooks had two very productive seasons for the Wolf Pack in 2004 and 2005. Cooks had 135 tackles in his two seasons, including a team-high 98 in 2005. He also had 17.5 tackles for a loss in his two seasons and 6.,5 sacks and forced two fumbles. Cook was an All-WAC Second Team selection in 2005.
30. JOSH MAUGA, linebacker
Josh Mauga never made an All-WAC Team but he still was one of the most valuable Wolf Pack defensive players during his four seasons (2005-08). Mauga had 224 career tackles with 20 tackles for a loss and four interceptions. Mauga also had six sacks and forced five fumbles.
29. J.J. MILAN, defensive line
All J.J. Milan did in his four-year Pack career (2002-04, 06) was make plays. Milan had 135.5 tackles in his career with 30.5 of those tackles coming for a loss. He had 16.5 career sacks. Milan missed all of the 2005 season with a foot injury and returned in 2006 to have his best year with 13.5 tackles for a loss and nine sacks and was named to the All-WAC First Team.
27 (tie). VIRGIL GREEN, ANTHONY PUDEWELL, tight ends
Virgil Green is yet another Pack player in the WAC era who simply got better and better with each passing season. A special teams player in 2007, Green ended up catching 72 passes in his last three seasons for 939 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best year was his senior year in 2010 when he hauled in 35 passes for 515 yards and five touchdowns. He was named to the All-WAC team in both 2009 (Second Team) and 2010 (First Team). Anthony Pudewell was a solid contributor at tight end from 2003-06 for two coaches and two different offenses, helping with the transition to the pistol in 2005. Pudewell was named to the All-WAC Second Team in both 2005 and 2006 and finished his career with 73 catches for 820 yards and six touchdowns. His best year was in 2005 working with quarterback Jeff Rowe and catching 27 passes for 308 yards and two scores.
26. DARYL TOWNS, linebacker
Daryl Towns was one of the more consistent and active linebackers for the Pack in the WAC. Towns’ 322 career tackles are the third most in school history since 1980. He also had 13 tackles for a loss and three sacks in his career. Towns was named to the All-WAC First Team in 2003, the first Pack linebacker to earn All-WAC status.
24. (tie) BRANDON MARSHALL, JAMES-MICHAEL JOHNSON, linebackers
It is fitting that Marshall and Johnson are lumped together here since they will always be a dynamic duo in Pack history in their four (2008-11) seasons. Johnson had 294 tackles and 37.5 tackles for a loss to go along with 7.5 sacks, 14 passes defensed, 3 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles. Marshall had 259 tackles, 33.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks, 14 passes defensed, seven fumble recoveries and one interception. Johnson was Second Team All-WAC in 2008 and 2009. Marshall never made an All-WAC team despite leading the Pack with 102 tackles in 2011.
23. CALEB SPENCER, wide receiver
Caleb Spencer was the most consistent of the Wolf Pack wide receivers in the early years (2004-06) of the pistol offense. He caught 67 passes in both 2004 and 2005 and 55 in 2006 for a total of 189 catches (seventh all-time in school history) for 2,214 yards (11th all-time). Spencer averaged 63 catches for 738 yards in his career and scored 13 touchdowns. Spencer led the Pack in receiving in both 2005 and 2006 and was named to the All-WAC team in both 2005 (First Team) and 2006 (Second Team).
22. MARKO MITCHELL, wide receiver
Marko Mitchell played three seasons with the Pack (2006-08), catching 153 passes for 2,763 yards and 22 touchdowns. His 2,763 yards are eighth in school history and his 22 TDs are tied for sixth. Mitchell improved every season at Nevada (from 39 to 53 to 61 catches) and led the team in receiving in both 2007 and 2008 as Colin Kaepernick’s first go-to receiver. He also had a knack of getting into the end zone, scoring a touchdown once every 6.9 catches. Mitchell was named to the All-WAC First Team in 2008.
21. B.J. MITCHELL, running back
B.J. Mitchell’s patience paid off in a big way. A backup his first three seasons, Mitchell finally became the No 1 back in 2005 and had a break out season. He gained 1,399 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in 2005 and was named the WAC’s Offensive Player of the Year. For his career (2002-05), Mitchell had 481 carries for 2,395 yards (10th in school history) and 25 touchdowns (8th in school history).
19 (tie). BRETT ROY, DEREK KENNARD, defensive tackles
Brett Roy just kept working hard and improved his game every season. A backup in both 2008 and 2009, Roy jumped into the starting lineup in 2010. He finished his four-year career with his best season in 2011, with 66 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks and a fumble recovery. He was named to the All-WAC First Team. In four seasons, Roy had 149 tackles, 35 tackles for a loss and 18 sacks. Derek Kennard played four seasons (2000-03) and finished with almost identical numbers as Roy with 18 sacks, 38.5 tackles for a loss, 152 tackles, two interceptions. His 17 tackles for a loss in 2003 were a school record. Kennard was named to the All-WAC Second Team in 2003.
18. NICHIREN FLOWERS, wide receiver
Nichiren Flowers’ 214 career receptions are sixth in Pack history and his 2,648 yards are ninth. Flowers, who played four seasons, had to split his career between two head coaches (Chris Tormey in 2002 and 2003 and Chris Ault in 2004 and 2005). He also seemingly had to learn a new offense every year with the biggest change coming in 2005 with Ault’s pistol. Flowers had nearly half his receptions (91), yards (1,126) and touchdowns (six of 14) in 2004. Flowers led the Pack in receiving in 2003 and 2004 and was named to the All-WAC team2004 (First Team).
17. HARVEY DAHL, offensive tackle
Harvey Dahl became the Wolf Pack’s first two-time All-WAC offensive lineman when he made the First Team in both 2003 and 2004. The physical, aggressive tackle started 27 games over two-plus seasons. Wolf Pack running backs combined for 14 individual 100-yard games in Dahl’s 27 starts. Chance Kretschmer had 10 of them. Dahl was the best Pack offensive lineman in the team’s pre-pistol days in the WAC.
16. JONATHAN AMAYA, defensive back
Jonathan Amaya was one of the most productive defensive backs for the Pack in the WAC era. In his four seasons (2006-09) Amaya had 239 tackles and 9.5 tackles for a loss. He also had seven interceptions and 10 passes defensed in both 2008 and 2009. Amaya was named to the All-WAC Second Team in 2009.
15. JOE GARCIA, defensive back
Joe Garcia made the most of his two (2005, 2006) seasons in a Wolf Pack uniform. Garcia was named to the All-WAC First Team both years, the only Pack defensive back to make the WAC First Team in more than one season. Garcia was as productive as any Pack defensive back in recent memory with 123 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 10 interceptions and 21 passes broken up in his two seasons. Garcia also blocked a kick, forced two fumbles and recovered three fumbles.
14. JEFF ROWE, quarterback
Jeff Rowe was one of the most important players in Wolf Pack history. Rowe was the quarterback that was the guinea pig when head coach Chris Ault implemented the pistoil offense for the first time in 2005. If Rowe had failed, the pistol might have failed with him. Rowe didn’t fail and the rest is Pack history. Rowe played parts of five seasons (2002-06) for the Pack, including the last three as a starter under Ault. He completed 682-of-1,122 passes for 7,862 yards and 54 touchdowns. He is in the Top 10 in Wolf Pack history in all of those career categories. Rowe started the Pack’ current seven-ear run of going to a bowl game by leading them to the postseason in both 2005 and 2006 He was named to the All-WAC Second Team in 2005. When he passed for a career-high 2,925 yards and 21 touchdowns.
13. KEVIN BASPED, defensive line
Kevin Basped dominated the WAC in his three (2007-09) seasons. The talented defensive lineman had 132 tackles in his three seasons with 42.5 tackles for a loss (third in school history). Basped also had 23.5 sacks (third in history) and forced five fumbles. He was named to the All-WAC team in 2008 (First Team) and 2009 (Second Team).
12. ALONZO DURHAM, offensive tackle
Alonzo Durham was instrumental in the success of quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s career as well as the explosion of the pistol offense starting in 2007. A three-year full-time starter beginning in 2007, Durham started 39 games in his career (2006-09) and was a big reason why the Wolf Pack’s running attack became one of the best in the nation from 2007-09. Durham was named to the All-WAC team in both 2008 (Second Team) and 2009 (First Team).
11. CHRIS BARKER, offensive lineman
Chris Barker will go down in history as one of the Wolf Pack’s greatest offensive linemen in school history. Barker, who will take his talents to the Mountain West Conference in 2012, stepped into the starting lineup at guard the first game of his freshman year in 2009 at Notre Dame and has never left. Since Barker became a starter (40 games), the Wolf Pack has become one of the top running offenses in the nation. With Barker, the Pack has had 52 individual 100-yard rushing games by seven different runners (Cody Fajardo, Stefphon Jefferson, Mike Ball, Lampford Mark, Colin Kaepernick, Vai Taua, Luke Lippincott). Barker was named to the All-WAC First Team in 2011 and the Second Team in 2010.
10. RISHARD MATTHEWS, wide receiver
Rishard Matthews definitely made his mark at Nevada despite playing just two seasons in a Wolf Pack uniform. Matthews led the Wolf Pack in receiving in both his seasons, grabbing a combined 147 passes for 2,243 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 91 catches in 2011 are tied for eighth place on the Pack’s all-time list and his 1,364 yards are sixth. Matthews also returned two punts for touchdowns and scored on two end around runs in his career, giving him 17 total touchdowns in two seasons. He was named to the All-WAC team in both 2010 (Second Team) and 2011 (First Team).
9. LUKE LIPPINCOTT, running back
Lippincott battled through various injuries to become one of the top running backs in team history. The tough, physical back played from 2005-09 in a Pack uniform and rushed for 3,014 yards, good for seventh in school history. His 1,420 yards in 2007 are also the seventh best in school history for a single season. Lippincott also scored 39 touchdowns (sixth most in school history) in his career. Lippincott compiled his impressive numbers despite only getting 20 or more carries in a game just nine times in his career. He rushed for over 100 yards in all nine of those games and scored a combined 16 touchdowns. The one year he was the unquestioned No. 1 back (in 2007) he was named to the All-WAC First Team.
8. EZRA BUTLER, linebacker
Butler had an outstanding career at Nevada from 2004-07. He basically, though, only played three full seasons (2005-07) and made the most of it with 239 tackles. His 50.5 tackles for a loss are second in team history behind Dontay Moch’s 63. It was Butler, though, who broke Jorge Cordova’s school record of 42. Butler’s 17.5 tackles for a loss in 2006 were also a school record when he did it though it has been eclipsed three times since (twice by Moch and once by Kevin Basped). Butler also had four interceptions and 16.5 sacks in his career in 47 games. He was named to the All-WAC team in 2006 (First Team) and 2007 (Second Team).
7. DOMINIC GREEN, offensive lineman
Green was the most versatile and productive offensive lineman the Pack had in the WAC era. He started 44 games over four seasons (2005-08) at three different positions (guard, tackle, center). He was a guard in 2005, a tackle in 2006, a center in 2007 and in 2008 he started games at both center and guard. Green was also the only Pack offensive linemen to make the All-WAC team in three seasons (Second Team in 2006 and First Team in both 2007 and 2008). He helped pave the way for 35 individual 100-yard rushing games in his 44 starts for six different runners: B.J. Mitchell, Robert Hubbard, Brandon Fragger, Luke Lippincott, Colin Kaepernick, Vai Taua.
6. NATE BURLESON, wide receiver
It took Nate Burleson just three seasons to become one of the greatest wide receivers in school history. Burleson, who played with the Pack from 2000-02, had 248 receptions for 3,287 yards and 22 touchdowns to lead all Wolf Pack players in the WAC era. He also caught a school-record 138 passes in 2002. His 1,629 yards in 2002 are also a high for the Pack in the WAC. Burleson was named to the All-WAC First Team in 2002.
5. CHANCE KRETSCHMER, running back
Chance Kretschmer had one of the more remarkable careers in school history. The walk-on from Tonopah led the nation in rushing as a freshman in 2001 with a school-record 1,732 yards on 302 carries. He also returned from a 2002 knee injury to rush for 1,162 yards in 2003. Kretschmer finished his career with 3,782 yards, good for sixth place in school history and good for third place in the WAC era behind Vai Taua and Colin Kaepernick. Kretschmer also scored 35 career rushing touhdowns, including a school-record six in one game against UTEP in 2001. Kretschmer was named the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2001 and was a Second Team pick in 2003.
4. JORGE CORDOVA, defensive end
Cordova was the backbone of the Wolf Pack’s defense for four seasons (2000-03) in an era when the Pack was looking for an identity. Cordova gave them that identity. Cordova’s 31 career sacks are a school record and his 301 tackles are fifth in school history. He also owns the single-season record (with Dontay Moch) with 11.5 sacks (2003) and his 42 career tackles for a loss are fourth in school history. Cordova had one of the best defensive seasons in school history in 2003 with 97 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He was named to the ALL-WAC First Team in 2003.
3. DONTAY MOCH, defensive end
Moch became one of the most destructive forces on defense in Wolf Pack history. He owns the school record with 63 tackles for a loss (for 307 yards in losses) as well as 22 tackles for a loss in a season (2010) and 11.5 sacks in a season (2008). Moch’s 30 career sacks are also second in school history behind Jorge Cordova’s 31. The undersized defensive end also had 189 career tackles (playing basically just three seasons, 2008-10) and forced nine fumbles. He was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, was a Second Team pick in 2008 and was named to the First Team in 2010.
2. VAI TAUA, running back
Taua, playing his whole career in the shadow of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, finished his career as the Pack’s second all-time leading rusher with 4,588 yards behind Frank Hawkins’ 5,333. Taua started for just three seasons (2008-10) and turned in three of the top nine rushing seasons in school history. His 45 career rushing touchdowns and 53 total touchdowns are both third best in school history for a running back (behind Chris Lemon and Charvez Foger in both categories). His 132 points scored and 22 touchdowns in 2010 are both single-season school records. Taua scored 30 touchdowns and averaged 135 yards rushing in each of his 23 WAC games. Taua was a First Team All-WAC selection from 2008-10, the only player in school history to be named to the First Team three seasons in a row.
1. COLIN KAEPERNICK, quarterback
Arguably the greatest player in school history, Kaepernick rewrote the Wolf Pack and NCAA record book in his four (2007-10) seasons. Kaepernick rushed for 4,112 yards and 59 touchdowns and passed for 10,098 yards and 82 touchdowns, completing 740-of-1,271 passes. He ran or threw the ball 1,340 times for 14,210 yards (an average of 10,6 yards) and 141 touchdowns (an average of one TD every 9.5 passes or runs). No player in Pack history has rushed for more touchdowns or passed for more touchdowns than Kaepernick. Kaepernick also had a record of 32-16 (17-5 at home) as the starting quarterback. In his 48 starts, Kaepernick either passed or rushed for at least one touchdown in all but two games. He was also the only Pack player to be named to the All-WAC team in all four of his seasons. He was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2007, the Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2010 and was named to the Second Team in 2009.
