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PROVO — The Nevada Wolf Pack travels to Provo this week to take on BYU, and Nevada head coach Brian Polian is excited about the chance to have another shot at the Cougars after last year’s lost on their home turf, 28-23. Heading into BYU, Nevada is 3-3 with its most notable win coming from Washington State.
At age 39, Polian is one of the youngest head coaches in college football and this weekend will be a new experience for himself and his program.
“(We are) excited about the challenge, excited personally. I’ve never been to Provo and have never had the chance to see LaVell Edwards Stadium and I think it’s going to be an exciting weekend, as a college football fan my whole life I know coach Edwards and the history of the program and it will be a pretty cool thing to experience that.”
Nevada’s loss against BYU last year is one the Wolf Pack hasn’t forgotten. In 2013, BYU trailed at halftime but Jamaal Williams’ 219 rushing yards and Taysom Hill running for 158 yards helped the Cougars come back for the win.
I think (BYU is) significantly different, not that they are still not very good. We would be kidding ourselves if we said the offense was the same without Taysom in there. Clearly when guys like (Alani) Fua and (Craig) Bills and people like that are not at full strength on defense, I am sure you feel the loss.
–Brian Polian
It seems as if this year BYU and Nevada switched circumstances. Last year Nevada had multiple players with injuries while BYU was mostly healthy, but this year things have flipped for the two teams.
Polian said, “Obviously this is a year most of the BYU faithful would feel like they been snake-bitten and I am sympathetic to it. We went through it last year. The team that played BYU in the last game of the year last year was a shell of what we had started with. So I know exactly what they are going through.
“I think (BYU is) significantly different, not that they are still not very good. We would be kidding ourselves if we said the offense was the same without Taysom in there. Clearly when guys like (Alani) Fua and (Craig) Bills and people like that are not at full strength on defense, I am sure you feel the loss.”
Nevada’s dual-threat quarterback Cody Fajardo is healthy this year and Polian sees the improvements he has made since last season. “I think his play-making ability with his feet (has improved), and he is a much improved thrower and more polished thrower than people give him credit for," he said. "Watching him develop in the time we have been together has been enjoyable. There are times I wish frankly we could do better around him, but he has done a really nice job this year of just being himself and not trying to do too much.”
Polian realizes that both teams are coming off losing weeks and that it will be a battle. “Obviously we have had two disappointing losses in a row, as has BYU so it will be a challenge I am sure for both teams to go out and compete and try to get back on the winning track,” he said.
Nevada and BYU kick off at LaVell Edwards Stadium at 8:15 Saturday on ESPN 2.
