Life In The DPC!

The University of Nevada held of New Mexico State, 40-38, in Las Cruces. The Pack held on to victory after the Aggies shanked the game winning field goal attempt.

The Pack are now 5-4, 3-2 in the WAC and have slim bowl hopes. They now have a week off to prepare for the Hawaii Warriors. The Warriors are 14th in the BCS and even though the Colt Brennen Heisman campaign has died off but the Warriors offense should be feared, regardless of the weather in No Town.
Reno Gazette Journal- Wolf Pack Guest Column

osted: 9/30/2007
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One of Cleveland’s best matured in Nevada

I have written to the Reno Gazette-Journal before in appreciation for articles on Marion Motley. I am aware of his Nevada tenure only through these articles. I am a native Clevelander and my knowledge of Mr. Motley comes from his playing with the Cleveland Browns.

As a black person growing up in the middle 1940s and early 50s, I learned about people who were heroes to us, like Motley and Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians — the first black baseball player in the American League.

African-Americans from all over the state would come up to the old stadium to see them play. Teams played in the rain, cold, mud, sleet and snow in those days. Fans knew how to dress to go see them, too — no domes back then! I digress, but you’ve figured out that yes, I believe the Pack should honor Motley in some significant way.

Janet West, Reno

Motley is the greatest Nevada athlete

I grew up in Ohio as a Cleveland Browns fan. As a youngster nothing was more exciting than the greats from that era: Lou Groza, Otto Graham, Marion Motley, just to mention a few of the Browns.

Regarding your Wolf Pack guest column “University should honor one of its greatest (Sept. 24),” not only is he one of the greatest but probably the greatest football player to ever come out of the University of Nevada. A statue of this great man would not only honor his skills in professional football, but his life as a great individual. It would show that the University of Nevada is capable of honoring such a great person.

James Shearer, Hawthorne

Motley deserves more than a banner at Nevada

Your article was right on. I saw Marion Motley play for the Cleveland Browns and he was a great running back. The people at the University of Nevada should put something other than a banner up for this great running back.

Nick Condos, Yerington

We want your opinion. Send a letter to the editor to lgustus@rgj.com to let us know if you agree or disagree with this column, and you could get published.

DAVID PATRICK CASTRO
DPC@DAVIDPATRICKCASTRO.COM
Posted: 9/24/2007

The University of Nevada has had many players reach the National Football League — Brock Marion, Nate Burleson, Charles Mann and Frank Hawkins are all prime examples that Nevada can produce NFL talent. But too often their work is relegated to the archives and occasional banter of bar-room chatter.

Nevada has two members of the College Hall of Fame — Chris Ault and Hawkins — yet their greatest son and only member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame, Marion Motley, is relegated to relative obscurity by his own school.

Motley’s legacy on the field is undeniable. The running back/fullback is a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL’s 1940s All-Decade Team. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. But beyond the accolades and rushing stats, his greatest accomplishment is helping to integrate professional football.

Motley made his debut with the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference in 1946, one year before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s race barrier.

The administration at the University of Nevada has taken the ceremonious gesture of retiring Motley’s number, one of two players they have so honored (with Hawkins being the other.) However, Motley’s attendance at Nevada is mostly unknown to casual members of the Wolf Pack community.

A glance around Mackay Stadium shows no mention, no marker and no acknowledgment of Motley and one must venture into the background of Legacy Hall to find his recognition by the athletic department. Motley deserves better. To this fan and alumnus, there has been minimal acknowledgement of his glory days with the Wolf Pack football team.

In a bygone era of sanctioned racism and separate-but-equal ideology, the University of Nevada showed that it was forward-thinking and progressive in its actions.

The university was willing to embrace an African-American athlete during a time when they were widely shunned in the sporting world. However, the university now seems to be reluctant to laud what Motley meant to both his school and his society, thus denying the casual Wolf Pack fan from hearing a great, but untold, tale.

Even if you aren’t a sports fan, Motley’s accomplishments as a social pioneer transcend the playing lines, and his legacy needs to be praised so that future generations realize that a social pioneer graced the campus.

Perhaps this can be done with a statue or an oversized poster at Mackay. However the school decides to honor Motley, it is certainly overdue and would be a nice touch to add to the campus on the hill.

Send a letter to the editor if you agree or disagree with this column to lgustus@rgj.com and you could get published.

DAVID PATRICK CASTRO
DPC@DAVIDPATRICKCASTRO.COM
Posted: 9/17/2007
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The Nevada football team outscored the Nicholls State Colonels 52-7 in the final three quarters Saturday, and in the process earned its first victory of the season.

The Colonels entered Mackay Stadium ranked No. 18 in the Sports Network FCS (Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA) Top 25 poll, but their triple-option offense stalled after taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The game was over by the end of the first half, after Nevada had scored 31 unanswered points.

It was an impressive showing for Nevada, and the 15,233 fans that showed up were given the opportunity to cheer on a team that had given them no reason to embrace a 2007 campaign that was marketed under the hazy guise of “The Future Is Now.” Maybe Yogi Berra was thinking of the Wolf Pack when he said “the future ain’t what it used to be,” because Nevada is in the same spot it was last season: dominant over lesser opponents and a non-factor against the nation’s best programs.

Any negative thoughts out there will likely subside for the next two weeks, however, as coach Chris Ault prepares his team for the annual showdown with UNLV.

The community should enjoy the win, because it did show Nevada can play at a fairly high level against certain opponents. Unfortunately, on Saturday that opponent was in the Football Championship Subdivision and the Wolf Pack has no more lower-echelon opponents on the schedule this season.

I recently received an e-mail from a Nevada fan who thought the program would be better-suited returning to its Div. I-AA roots. I agree, because as the e-mailer pointed out, the move to Div. I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) was predicated on the notion of incremental improvement each season. There have been signs of growth, but in my opinion, Nevada has shown on too many occasions it is not on the same competitive level as many of its opponents.

In two weeks, Nevada hosts UNLV and a year’s worth of bragging rights are on the line. At this point in the season, both programs are 1-2. But are they equal? Nevada was beaten by No. 20 Nebraska, and last week Northwestern made a substantial halftime deficit disappear. UNLV lost to then-No. 24 Hawaii (in the Western Athletic Conference with the Wolf Pack) on Saturday and had an opportunity to knock off then-No. 5 Wisconsin, but the Rebels’ hopes faded away in the final moments on Sept. 8.

The Rebels’ only win this season was to another WAC program, Utah State on Aug. 30.

Since Nevada and UNLV both have only victories against lesser competition, Nicholls State and Utah State, respectively, who has had a better season so far?

We want your opinion. Send a letter to the editor to lgustus@rgj.com to let us know if you agree or disagree with this column, and you could get published.

DAVID PATRICK CASTRO
DPC@DAVIDPATRICKCASTRO.COM
Posted: 9/17/2007

The Nevada football team outscored the Nicholls State Colonels 52-7 in the final three quarters Saturday, and in the process earned its first victory of the season.

The Colonels entered Mackay Stadium ranked No. 18 in the Sports Network FCS (Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA) Top 25 poll, but their triple-option offense stalled after taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The game was over by the end of the first half, after Nevada had scored 31 unanswered points.

It was an impressive showing for Nevada, and the 15,233 fans that showed up were given the opportunity to cheer on a team that had given them no reason to embrace a 2007 campaign that was marketed under the hazy guise of “The Future Is Now.” Maybe Yogi Berra was thinking of the Wolf Pack when he said “the future ain’t what it used to be,” because Nevada is in the same spot it was last season: dominant over lesser opponents and a non-factor against the nation’s best programs.

Any negative thoughts out there will likely subside for the next two weeks, however, as coach Chris Ault prepares his team for the annual showdown with UNLV.

The community should enjoy the win, because it did show Nevada can play at a fairly high level against certain opponents. Unfortunately, on Saturday that opponent was in the Football Championship Subdivision and the Wolf Pack has no more lower-echelon opponents on the schedule this season.

I recently received an e-mail from a Nevada fan who thought the program would be better-suited returning to its Div. I-AA roots. I agree, because as the e-mailer pointed out, the move to Div. I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) was predicated on the notion of incremental improvement each season. There have been signs of growth, but in my opinion, Nevada has shown on too many occasions it is not on the same competitive level as many of its opponents.

In two weeks, Nevada hosts UNLV and a year’s worth of bragging rights are on the line. At this point in the season, both programs are 1-2. But are they equal? Nevada was beaten by No. 20 Nebraska, and last week Northwestern made a substantial halftime deficit disappear. UNLV lost to then-No. 24 Hawaii (in the Western Athletic Conference with the Wolf Pack) on Saturday and had an opportunity to knock off then-No. 5 Wisconsin, but the Rebels’ hopes faded away in the final moments on Sept. 8.

The Rebels’ only win this season was to another WAC program, Utah State on Aug. 30.

Since Nevada and UNLV both have only victories against lesser competition, Nicholls State and Utah State, respectively, who has had a better season so far?

We want your opinion. Send a letter to the editor to lgustus@rgj.com to let us know if you agree or disagree with this column, and you could get published.

DAVID PATRICK CASTRO
DPC@DAVIDPATRICKCASTRO.COM
Posted: 10/15/2007

The Wolf Pack showed flashes of brilliance in its 69-67 four-overtime loss at Boise State, but ultimately came up short. In what has become the Achilles’ heel of 2007 season, the defense cost Nevada a monumental upset victory.

But give the Pack credit. The 26.5-point underdog wasn’t intimidated by the poster boys of the WAC, Boise State.

So what do we know after four overtimes, 639 yards of offense, 67 points scored and 627 total yards and 69 points surrendered? First off, Nevada is in good hands with its young quarterback, who was largely unfazed by the intimidating environment. His performance should go down as one of the top games for a freshman quarterback, regardless of conference. There is a tendency toward hyperbole after any great game, but Colin Kaepernick kept his team alive every step of the way, and nearly pulled off what would have been a history-making victory (Boise State hasn’t lost to a WAC opponent on its blue turf).

The defense, on the other hand, will cost the Pack some victories. The run defense is last in the country and it has a nasty habit of giving up long plays for big gains. You cannot expect the offense to win a shootout every week, and the Pack’s defensive coaching staff has a lot of midnight oil to burn in trying to figure out how to shut down any offense that has a pulse.

Nevada is now 2-4, and 0-2 in WAC play, and this team is only capable of beating the bottom feeders of the NCAA’s Bowl-Championship Series.

We are in year four of Chris Ault’s latest tour. Former head coach Chris Tormey, once Ault’s chosen successor whom Ault later fired, was 4-2 at the same interval in his fourth year.

It is a shame that the Pack had to lose to Boise State, in such a back-and-forth, exciting game. And, now, I can’t use the term rival in describing Boise State because after eight straight losses Nevada is nothing more than a sparring partner.

There is good news. Nevada makes a short trip to Logan, Utah to play the winless Utah State Aggies on Saturday. But the team will no doubt travel there with the sour taste of Sunday’s four-overtime loss in its mouth. This was a tough one to lose.

We want your opinion. Send a letter to the editor to lgustus@rgj.com to let us know if you agree or disagree with this column, and you could get published.

DAVID PATRICK CASTRO
DPC@DAVIDPATRICKCASTRO.COM
Posted: 10/8/2007

It seems the Wolf Pack football team was still hung over after celebrating its latest win over UNLV and came out listless against Western Athletic Conference rival Fresno State on Saturday.

Even though the finally score was 49-41, the game was over within the first 18 seconds of the third quarter, when the Wolf Pack gave up one of many long touchdowns on Ryan Mathews’ 67-yard run.

Efforts to look at the silver lining in this game would be wrong. Yes, Nevada scored 41 points. But 21 of them came with less than seven minutes left in the game, essentially in garbage time. Replacement quarterback Colin Kaepernick looked excellent, but he was on the field due to a season-ending injury to starter Nick Graziano, and his numbers were inflated by Fresno State’s prevent defense and sizable lead.

The Wolf Pack lost by eight points and gained 702 yards of offense, but it’s a moot point because the team was no more than a participant.

Nevada head coach Chris Ault has taken responsibility for this recent debacle and anything less would border on some type of duplicity. There are some who might question who is in charge of the special teams and defensive units. But, in certain instances, one must stop questioning the work of subordinates. Responsibility in trying times should run uphill and this loss falls squarely on Coach Ault. Even he won’t deny that.

“We will lead the team so they will have direction,” Ault said following the game. “You have to find a way to rebound. These are good kids, and I’m disappointed with how we have responded when faced with adversity. Our defense just did not respond, and I take full responsibility for that.”

Rivalries are the foundation of college sports, and a win over our neighbor to the south is always welcome. But it shouldn’t be the focus of a season that also includes 11 other games.

There is little doubt that I am not the only Wolf Pack fan that is displeased with the direction that Ault is leading our team, because by the start of the second half there were many empty seats at Mackay Stadium.

Pundits, prognosticators and everyone in between — myself included — can say what they want about Ault and the Wolf Pack, but the ultimate measuring stick is the Boise State Broncos. Nevada and Boise State made the jump from Div. I-AA to Div. I-A in 1992 and 1996, respectively, but are on opposite ends of the football spectrum.

On Sunday, the Wolf Pack heads north to Boise State. The Wolf Pack has lost five of seven games including the 38-7 loss to the Broncos in November, while the Broncos upset the Oklahoma Sooners, 43-42 in overtime, in January’s Fiesta Bowl.

I’d like to say there is a gap between the two programs, but the word chasm might be more appropriate. I could be wrong in my assessment, but I haven’t heard the BCS knocking on Nevada’s door lately.

We want your opinion. Send a letter to the editor to lgustus@rgj.com to let us know if you agree or disagree with this column, and you could get published.

It’s time for the Wolf Pack to start making history on Division I level
DAVID PATRICK CASTRO
DPC@DAVIDPATRICKCASTRO.COM
Posted: 9/3/2007

Editor’s note: This week, the RGJ debuts its Wolf Pack guest columnist David Patrick Castro, a Nevada alum and avid Pack fan who answered our call for a column from a fan’s perspective.

52-10. That score shows the chasm between a top-25 Division I program and one that is trying to get there.

Was Nevada’s defense outplayed? I may be ill qualified to state, but I will say that the defense was likely exhausted after the pistol offense fired nothing but blanks, holding the ball for 19 minutes, 22 seconds. Actually, it is unfair to blame the offense, defense or special teams for this defeat because Nebraska is just a better team.

Earlier in the day Appalachian State rose above its Div. I-AA status and knocked off Michigan in an upset of biblical proportions. It’s moments like these that come to mind whenever your team is the underdog and has the chance to shock the world with a win over a more talented opponent.

Unfortunately, victories like Appalachian State’s — or Boise State’s in last season’s Fiesta Bowl — are the byproducts of two things. Either lightning in the bottle, like Appalachian State. Or good fortune throughout a game combined with superior coaching and strategy, such as the Broncos’ victory over the Oklahoma Sooners.

Even the greatest tactician would be hard-pressed to develop a scheme to knock off the Huskers. Of course, Nevada’s coach, Chris Ault, is a member of the NCAA Hall of Fame for his ability to produce successful teams.

Like many Nevada fans, I wasn’t around for the good ol’ days of Air Wolf, where Ault garnered a majority of his 177-74-1 record and ran roughshod over his I-AA brethren and made a trip to the postseason a common occurrence. But those memories fail to appease a fan base that will respect its history, but is rarely moved to attend Mackay Stadium on the memory of days gone by.

There was a time when Boise State and Nevada were both peers and marching towards the same goal, to be one of the big boys of Division I competition. While Boise State initially faltered, it has now become the toast of mid-major football. Obviously, Nevada is still trying to get there.

Sophomore quarterback Nick Graziano was thrown into a lion’s pit on Saturday, and at times seemed unfazed by his surroundings. Though his statistics are fairly pedestrian, 8-of-24 for 109 yards and an interception, he commanded his team when given the opportunity. But his calm leadership was undermined by an offensive theme that would not favor an undersized Nevada squad.

Though somewhat convoluted, Bill Callahan and his vertical schemes have the ability to keep opponents on their heels. Nevada had the opportunity to showcase its wares in front of a large audience and showed that there is a lot of work to be done before it becomes a primetime player.

There is no shame in losing to a Nebraska team that finds itself on an upward move of the NCAA pendulum and, quite frankly, the Pack are a positive representation of the school and didn’t bail out when defeat was a forgone conclusion.

One week separates this defeat from the opportunity of traveling to Evanston, Ill., and facing the Northwestern Wildcats. In light of the Wolf Pack’s recent showing, it seems to me Nevada will not taste victory until it hosts Nicholls State.

Nevada knocked off Northwestern last season, 31-21 at Mackay Stadium, but that matchup was played under a black cloud and with heavy hearts for the Wildcat family (due to the sudden death of Northwestern coach Randy Walker). This season, it appears as if the Pack has to leave home to take on the Wildcats before its first-game wounds have sufficiently healed. Even though Northwestern is not Nebraska, I predict that the Wildcats will have the upper hand against Nevada.

I hope the thrashing at Nebraska will be nothing more than a memory, as opposed to a recurring nightmare for the Wolf Pack faithful.

We want your opinion. Send a letter to the editor to lgustus@rgj.com to let us know if you agree or disagree with this column, and you could get published.