Bruce Thursday Aug. 28
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"Nepotism" as defined by the
Merriam-Webster Dictionary is "...favoritism (as in appointment to
a job) based on kinship." While there was no official family
connection between longtime NFL exec Bill Polian and the football program at Nevada (2013 SUR 4-8, PSR 6-6), the nepotism word was clearly muttered a
lot around the Mountain last season in regard to Wolf Pack HC Brian Polian, who
not only happens to be Bill's son but also presided over a pretty rough baptism
as the head coach in Reno. It did not help that Brian had never been as much as
a unit coordinator in past assistant jobs, always a position coach, unless
considering his stint as a special teams coordinator at previous stop Texas
A&M as akin to running an offense or defense.
Along the way last season, Polian's Wolf Pack set a couple of dubious marks, as
not only the first Nevada team in nine years to miss a bowl, but also lose the
heated Fremont Cannon battle vs. hated state rival UNLV to the south. Which
also prompted many regional gridiron insiders to reiterate what they had been
saying for the past decade...that the Wolf Pack program had been previously
held together almost solely due to the presence of HOF coach Chris Ault, who
retired in December of 2012 after resurrecting Nevada football once more in his
third term on the sidelines. The Pack, as many observers liked to
remind, had fallen off drastically after Ault's previous retirements
(especially his second retirement, when Jeff Trisdel and Chris Torney failed to
win enough while Ault assumed AD duties at the school). With funding and
facility concerns in Reno, the sage Ault was camouflaging all of the
shortcomings in the program, or so went the theory. After the regression under
Polian last season, however, it was hard to find anyone in the region willing
to dispute those many oldtimers who warned of the Pack's demise as soon as Ault
retired again.
As for Polian, he did little to change the minds of his many naysayers,
especially with some curious in-game strategic maneuvers, including keeping
multiples of timeouts in his pocket while BYU ran out the clock in a narrow
28-23 loss to the Cougs that closed the regular season. But we're willing to
give Polian a mulligan for a couple of reasons, one of which being a brutal schedule
last fall that included UCLA and Florida State on the road before
mid-September, and road games at all of the MWC heavyweights, including Boise
State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and San Diego State. A slew of injuries
also thinned the ranks and contributed to six losses in the last seven games
down the stretch. Given those hurdles, we're not sure Ault would have
reached the .500 level, either.
Secondly, we found Polian to be a rather refreshing change of pace from the
normal run-of-the-mill "coachspeak" at last summer's Mountain West
media days in Las Vegas. Though a bit brash, even bordering on cocky, Polian
was well-versed and impressed many of the assembled media members by putting
the whole football coaching exercise into perspective. "If any of
my coaches has a family, I want them to have breakfast with their kids and take
them to school, and be home with them at night," said Polian,
shooting holes in the normal workaholic coaching b.s. spewed by many across the
country.
Some misguided sorts might believe that to be a confirmation of Polian's
shortcomings. To that, we wholeheartedly disagree...although we admit to
needing much more evidence before we are convinced Polian to be a worthy
successor to Ault.
This fall ought to provide more answers, especially with a schedule that
appears a bit more forgiving than a year ago. On the non-conference side, UCLA
and Florida State have been replaced in the early going by Washington State and
Arizona, tough challenges but games in which this version of the Wolf Pack
figures to have at least a puncher's chance, unlike last year vs. the
powerhouse Bruins and Seminoles. BYU remains on the slate, but the majority of
Mountain West heavies, including Boise, Fresno, San Diego State, and Colorado
State, all must trek to Mackay Stadium.
There is plenty of experience on hand for Polian, with eight starters back
along both the offensive and defensive units. On the attack end, senior
triggerman Cody Fajardo, the successor to Colin Kaepernick and now entering his
fourth year running the familiar Pistol formation first introduced by Ault in
2005, is back for an encore. NFL scouts have taken notice of Fajardo's
dual-threat capabilities (he rushed for 621 yards and passed for 2668 yards
a year ago despite battling nagging leg injuries for much of the season), though
keeping Fajardo healthy for a full slate has been a difficult chore the past
few years, as the Pistol takes a toll on QBs. Backup Devin Combs was also hurt
in 2013 but stepped into the breach to lead a couple of wins when Fajardo went
down in 2012, so Polian and o.c Nick Rolovich at least have depth at the
all-important QB spot.
The major difference between the Polian Pistol and the Ault Pistol,
however, was the inability of the Polian version to establish the same sort of
infantry diversion that was on display in the Ault years. After
consistently ranking in the top ten rushing stats over the past decade, Nevada
dipped to 51st a year ago (179 ypg), as injuries also thinned the RB corps.
When healthy, however, senior Kendall Brock (812 YR in 2013) and former juco
Don Jackson (332 YR a year ago) are capable slashers, and four starters are
back along the OL, although one that isn't is decorated tackle Joel Bitonio, a
second-round choice by the Browns in May's NFL Draft. Fajardo also has some
established receiving targets led by sure-handed Ricky Turner (61 catches in
2013) and a big, Plaxico Burress-sized weapon, 6'5 Hasaan Henderson (29 catches
LY).
The Pack can score all of the points it wants, but the fact is that unless a
defense that has consistently ranked in triple digits over the past few years
can't develop better traction, all of Fajardo's work might be for naught. Polian
also had to scramble for a new coordinator in the offseason after last year's d.c.,
Monte Kiffin disciple Scottie Hazelton, took a job on Gus Bradley's NFL Jaguars
staff. Tapping into the family connections, Polian reached across the country
and tabbed Scott Boone, the architect of highly-ranked William & Mary
defenses the past three years, and Bill Teerlinck, son of longtime NFL aide
John Teerlinck and a member of the NFL Colts staff (where, for a couple
of years he worked for Brian's dad Bill Polian), to succeed Hazelton
as co-coordinators, becoming the Pack's third (and fourth, we suppose) d.c.'s
in three years.
Teerlinck, whose responsibility was the DL with the Colts, will focus on the
same positions in Reno, with Boone concentrating mostly on the back seven. The
4-3 alignment preferred by Hazelton will be retained, though spring work was
mostly a crash course in familiarity for the new coaches and players. Boone, in
particular, was known for his blitz-happy defenses at W&M, and likely
follows the same course in Reno. The pair also spent spring teaching
tackling fundamentals, a glaring shortcoming for recent Pack stop units.
Like the offense, eight starters return on defense, and 13 with starting
experience altogether, which might or might not be a good thing, considering
the Pack's overall 117th national defensive ranking (and dead last
122nd vs. the rush) a year ago. There are some green shoots in the
landscape, however, especially an All-MWC DE, sr. Brock Hekking, who has 17
sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss in his career and has reminded some regional
observers of long-ago Utah State DE Rulon Jones, who enjoyed a lengthy NFL
career with the Broncos. Despite the woeful rush defense numbers of a year ago,
the DL is still considered a possible strength with returning players
(including Hekking) who have combined for 84 career starts. Boone also plans to
make better use of athletic OLB Brian Lane, Jr., who likely lines up on the
outside after splitting time between safety and LB a year ago. Spring work
suggested that Lane could emerge as the sort of blitzer Boone can utilize
effectively.
There are also concerns in the secondary that might have been spared more
damage a year ago because foes were running roughshod through the Pack defense
instead. There are starters back on the corners, where sr. Charles Garrett is
considered one of the MW's best, thought the undersized Elijah Mitchell was
picked on incessantly as a frosh in 2013. Juco Duran Workman is a big hitter
who will likely slide right into a starting slot at a strong safety position.
In conclusion, with 16 starters back, including exciting QB Fajardo, and a more
favorable schedule than a year ago, the Pack is set to rebound strongly, get
back to a bowl, and maybe even win the MWC West. But we're not going to
give Brian Polian another mulligan if he comes up short again this season.
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