Wolf Pack coaching staff focusing on recruiting, developmental periods during bye week

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - One final break this season for Nevada Football - if you can even call it that.

There is no game this weekend but the Wolf Pack is back at practice following its latest loss: 35-28 to San Jose State.

“Two byes...I haven’t had many of those in my career,” said Wolf Pack Head Coach Ken Wilson. “It’s really good to see the developmental guys. It’s even better to keep you on track academically. That’s something that’s been important in our program since we’ve been here.”

Players will be allowed to make trips home for the first time since before fall camp. They’ll have time to rest, too. Coaches will be on the recruiting trail looking at players who are already committed or close to it. When practices resume the staff will take a long look at players who can contribute in the team’s last three games while still redshirting.

There will also be an emphasis on finishing - something Wilson said didn’t happen against the Spartans.

“You can’t be scared to make plays in those situations,” Wilson said of the finish to Saturday’s game. “First you have to practice it and be in it and we try to do it. With a young team you have to learn from experience in some of those things. Plays we were making in the first half of that game where we had emotion we were then hesitant to make because guys were worried about making mistakes. You can’t play that way.”

When Nevada takes the field for its next game - November 12 against Boise State - Wilson expects kicker Brandon Talton to be back. He’s been out more than a month after suffering an injury at a practice. Talton should provide a boost having made six of his seven field goal attempts on the season.

“He’s been kicking for a couple of weeks. We just had to get the injury to heal up,” said Wilson. “He’s been back out at practice. If everything goes well we’re just trying to hold him back right now. He wants to kick 100 balls a day. He’s looked good. We’re excited to have him back.”

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