FINAL: Nevada (2-2) 24, Buffalo (2-2) 21
QUICK FACTS
Nevada improved to 2-0 all-time against Buffalo, having previously posted a 38-13 victory against the Bulls in 2004 at Mackay Stadium. The Wolf Pack improved to 5-6 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference. Saturday’s victory marked the program’s 530th win all-time, as Nevada improved to 530-462-33.
BABER SHINES IN FIRST CAREER GAME
Playing in his first collegiate game, true freshman defensive back Dameon Baber recorded two interceptions for the Wolf Pack. The Palmdale, Calif. native intercepted a pass late in the third quarter which lead to a Nevada touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Buffalo pulled within one score and drove into Nevada territory with less than two minutes on the clock before Baber tallied his second interception, allowing the Pack to take a knee and melt the clock to triple zeroes. Baber is Nevada’s first player with multiple interceptions in a single game since Markus Smith vs. Hawai’i on Sept. 21, 2013. Baber also finished with 10 tackles – the second-most on the team.
1-2 PUNCH OF BUTLER AND JACKSON LEADS NEVADA
Sophomore running back James Butler rushed for a career-high 177 yards and senior running back Don Jackson ran for 113 yards in the win. The last time Nevada has two players each rush for over 100 yards in one game came last year against UNLV when Cody Fajardo (132), Jackson (137) and Butler (116) all eclipsed the 100-yard mark. Butler’s previous career-high was 116. Jackson rushed 17 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns, marking his seventh career 100-yard game. Jackson scored on rushes of 55 and 10 yards to tally his fourth career multi-touchdown rushing game.
BUTLER GOES FOR 91
On the first play of Nevada’s drive starting at its own 4-yard line, Butler broke free for a 91-yards and scored from five yards out on the next play, tying the game at 7-7 with 3:07 left in the first quarter. Butler’s 91-yard rush tied for the third-longest in program history and was Nevada’s longest rush since Johnny Gordon’s 94-yard run in 1984. The big run was also Nevada’s longest non-scoring run in program history.
LYONS SETS CAREER-HIGH
Senior linebacker Matthew Lyons set a career-high with 16 tackles. Lyons previously set a career-high with 14 tackles against Boise State in 2014. Lyons also tallied one tackle for loss in the win.
GROUND GAME
Nevada rushed for a season-high 289 yard—the third-highest rushing output in the Polian era and the most since rushing for 408 yards against UNLV last season. The Wolf Pack improved to 11-2 when out-rushing its opponent under Polian and 10-3 when rushing for at least 200 yards under Polian.
ZUZO STAYS PERFECT
Junior kicker Brent Zuzo split the uprights with a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter, improving to 6-of-6 on the season. Entering Saturday’s contest, Zuzo was one nine kickers in FBS with a perfect field goal percentage and at least five attempts.
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