Behind the numbers: Pokes vs. Pack

RENO, Nev., -- At times, it wasn't pretty.

Other times, it was perfection.

In the end, it goes in the loss column.

Wyoming fell to Nevada 37-34 in overtime Saturday night inside Mackay Stadium. There wasn't much noise in the empty arena, but there were plenty of fireworks as the Cowboys and Wolf Pack opened up the 2020 season that almost never was.

Here are some stats to mull over as you let this one simmer and prepare for the Pokes' home opener next Friday night in Laramie.

3

That's how many snaps Sean Chambers took in the opener before leaving with a left-leg injury. Wyoming's starting quarterback has suffered season-ending injuries in both of the last two seasons. Tonight, that might be three straight.

14

Lost in the madness of a high scoring affair, junior linebacker Chad Muma racked up a team-leading 14 tackles for the Cowboys. In his first game replacing Logan Wilson, Muma also wrapped up a tackle for loss while helping hold the Wolf Pack to just 76 yards rushing.

420

Here's an ugly stat. That's the number of passing yards Wyoming gave up Saturday night in Reno. Carson Strong completed 39-of-52 passes and torched the Pokes for four touchdowns.

9

That's how many Nevada receivers pulled down a pass in the opener, led by Romeo Doubs, who finished with 12 catches. Tight end Cole Turner led the Wolf Pack in receiving yards, racking up 119 yards on seven catches. He also caught two touchdown passes.

0

That's the official attendance of tonight's game in northern Nevada. Yes, there were some folks in the crowd, including players' parents, the band and cheer squad, but there were no general ticket sales thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

4

That's the number of field goals that sailed right through the uprights for freshman kicker John Hoyland. The Broomfield, Colo., product replaced Luke Glassock, who suffered a groin strain. Hoyland's longest kick was a 42-yarder with just 23 seconds remaining. It sent the game to overtime, where Hoyland also nailed a 38-yard attempt.

3

The Cowboys were just 3-for-16 on third down against Nevada. Not exactly a recipe for success.

2

That's how many fumbles the Pokes' defense caused and recovered in Saturday's loss. Charles Hicks landed on one, and Jordan Bertagnole grabbed the other.

3

The Cowboys defense registered three sacks on the night. Those belong to Victor Jones, Mason Gallegos and Bertagnole.

55.4

That's the average yards per kick off the right foot of Nevada punter Julian Diaz. Late in regulation -- and with the aide of no UW returner touching the ball -- Diaz landed punts of 76 and 71 yards, respectively.

22

That's the number of carries for Wyoming running back Xazavian Valladay Saturday night. The junior racked up 87 yards on the ground and had a long of 14.

102

Isaiah Neyor caught just three passes against Nevada, but he amassed 102 yards in his first real collegiate football action. He caught a long of 45 to set the Cowboys up with their first field goal of the game.

101

Nevada didn't play the cleanest game in the world in the opener. The home team was flagged 12 times for 101 yards, including a pair of personal foul penalties late that led to points for the Cowboys.