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Tigers drop home football opener to K.C. Center
Nevada Daily Mail
The Nevada Tigers tumbled in their home football opener, falling 31-7 to the Kansas City Center Yellowjackets Friday night at Logan Field.
The Tigers are 0-2 overall and 0-1 in West Central Conference play.
"We knew they were going to come out and make plays, they're athletic," Nevada head coach Erik Yoakam said during his postgame radio interview.
After beginning their second drive of the game with excellent field position, Center quarterback Amaun Ryan, connected with receiver Christian Cox for a 32-yard touchdown strike down the left sideline. The extra point put Center on top 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
The Yellowjackets quickly regained possession after recovering a fumble at the Nevada 21-yard line. Four plays later, junior running back Norvell Trent bulldozed into the end zone from 1 yard out. The point after gave Center a 14-0 cushion with 4:35 to play in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, facing a fourth-and-7 and operating out of the shotgun, Ryan dropped back and pumped faked ---- airing the ball out and hitting Cox in stride for a 46-yard touchdown. The successful extra point staked Center to a 21-0 lead.
On Nevada's first offensive play after the Cox touchdown, Yellowjackets defensive back Langdon Douglas scooped up a Chaden Brandt fumble and sprinted 25 yards to the end zone for pay dirt. Jay Stephenson's fourth extra point of the night put the Yellowjackets up 28-0 with 8:40 to go before halftime.
After a Tigers three-and-out, and starting their drive near midfield, Trent took a handoff and rushed for a 51-yard touchdown. However, the play was negated due to a personal foul. Center later settled for a 24-yard Stephenson field goal, for a 31-point advantage.
Nevada was able to move into Center territory late in the second half, after junior running back Cameron Diaz picked up 16-yards on a run play. However, the Tigers came up empty after quarterback Jacob Hammontree was picked off by Corey Hatcher on the final play of the half.
The Yellowjackets led 31-0 at halftime.
"We had two mistakes at the defensive back position and a fumble for a touchdown ---- if you take those away in the first half you're looking more at a 10 point ball-game instead of a 31-point game," Yoakam said.
The Tigers defense gave up several third-and-long plays as well as the touchdown on fourth-and-7, which Yoakam said needs to be addressed through "consistency."
"We've been preaching to the kids 'consistency' in all phases of the game," he said. "Defensively, we're doing a good job holding our front ---- and then we let a big play happen. Some of that's with youth and we're going to work through those problems."
Nevada opened the second half with trickery, recovering an onside kick at the Center 40-yard line. On second-and-10, Hatcher plucked a Hammontree pass out of the air for his second interception of the game.
Late in the third quarter, a Brandt 35 yard gain put the ball at the Center 26-yard line. However, the drive stalled out.
"Offensively, we've got to be consistent with our drives," Yoakam said. "We have to be able to go out and get two first downs every series, just to get that field position back."
Yoakam said he was impressed with Diaz's performance, as he rushed for 22 yards on 11 carries.
"I thought Cameron trusted his blockers and did a good job of hitting the hole," Yoakam said. "And being a little guy that's not always easy, when you see a bunch of guys barreling in on you."
The Tigers hit for another big play, midway through the fourth quarter when quarterback Braeden Hinton found sophomore wide receiver Shelby Trotter streaking down the right sideline.
Trotter, with a Yellowjacket defensive back draped all over him, was able to haul in the pass as he tumbled to the ground.
The play netted 40 yards and moved the Tiger offense to the Yellowjackets 45-yard line.
"He did a great job of going and getting the ball," Yoakam said of Trotter.
Nevada again faltered, with the drive ending without points.
The Tigers were finally able to get on the scoreboard with 2:02 remaining in the fourth quarter, when sophomore Zach Gardner took a punt return to the house, as the 45-yard dash and ensuing Hammontree extra point made the score 31-7.
"We needed that," Yoakam said. He's an athlete, and in space he's going to do some damage."
Next up
Nevada heads north to Kansas City for a matchup with the St. Pius X Warriors (0-2). Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m., Friday.
"They've had a tough schedule, just like we've had a one-two punch right off the bat," Yoakam said of the Warriors winless start to the 2015 season. "So we'll be in the the same boat, and we will see what happens."