Nevada vs. Portland State Fearless Prediction, Game Preview

By: Pete Fiutak | August 7, 2018 12:49 pm

Nevada vs. Portland State fearless prediction and game preview.

Broadcast

Date: Friday, August 31
Game Time: 9:00 ET
Venue: Mackay Stadium, Reno, NV
Network: Stadium

– 2018 CFN Preview | Nevada Preview

Nevada (0-0) vs. Portland State (0-0) Game Preview

This is the time for Nevada to tune everything up and get the Air Raid offense off to a hot start. With three road trips in the next four games, and the likely underdogs in at least the next six outings, the Wolf Pack need this to be easy.

Portland State is coming off a strange 0-11 season, losing all 11 games, but battled with BYU in a 20-6 loss and pushed Oregon State in a 35-32 defeat.

One Reason Why Portland State Will Win

The Viking defense might have been a disaster last season, but it’s experience now with seven starters back led by a potentially solid defensive front. It isn’t going to be a brick wall of a D right away, but the production against the run is expected to be a bit better from the start under new defensive coordinator Payam Saadat.

Offensively, PSU will throw it around, with the make-up and the style to potentially keep up the pace with the Nevada passing game. There’s a good group of backs to use in a rotation, too. But …

One Reason Why Nevada Will Win

The Nevada offense should hit the ground running … or throwing.

The Pack Attack had its moments as last season went on, and now QB Ty Gangi knows what he’s doing. The receiving corps is loaded, and the overall experience should get the timing down better from the start – at least compared to last year.

There will be a decent ground game at times, but against the Vikings, the fast-paced offense will spread the ball around in a hurry and keep the pressure on all game long. For a PSU D that didn’t generate a lick of pass rush last season, it has to come up with something different in a hurry, or it’ll be a long day.

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What’s Going To Happen

It’ll take about a quarter, and then the Nevada offense will kick it all in.

The mediocre Wolf Pack defense will struggle against the Portland State passing game that will bomb away to try keeping up, but Gangi and the passing game will look great out of the gate.