Dominic Kelley scored from 72 yards on Nevada’s second offensive snap against Western Kentucky, then the Wolf Pack assembled four more sustained touchdown drives of at least 55 yards. Nevada won 49-14, rushing 42 times for 323 yards and five touchdowns. That combination raised the Week 2 standard. Nevada now needs to show it can pair explosive runs with sustained drives again.
Carter Jones completed 9 of 15 passes for 163 yards, threw two touchdowns and one interception, and added 50 yards on six carries. Brett Bartolone’s first game calling the offense nevertheless produced 42 rushes against only 16 pass attempts. Jones’ mobility, the scoring output and the variety in the backfield were encouraging, but Montana State can tell us more about the promised offensive reinvention if Nevada has to throw beyond obvious passing situations.
The defense supplied substance of its own. Dylan LaBarbera and Tajean Stallworth each recorded a sack, while Zion Jones and Stallworth forced and recovered one fumble apiece. LaBarbera added six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry, and Jeff Choate specifically praised the new captain’s work on the sideline. Against an efficient, experienced visitor, another afternoon of pressure and takeaways would make the defensive progress much easier to trust.
Montana State at Nevada
A close escape would feel underwhelming; Nevada should control the game with its rushing depth and disruptive defense. Kickoff is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT on The CW Network, and the model gives the Wolf Pack a 98% chance to win.
The number makes this look nearly automatic. The opponent does not. Montana State won the 2025 FCS championship 35-34 in overtime, and the Bobcats led the FCS with eight selections to the 2026 Stats Perform Preseason All-America team. They arrive 2-0 after scoring 54 points against Utah Tech and 51 against Butler, extending their program-record winning streak to 16 games.
Quarterback Justin Lamson has completed 37 of 50 passes for 499 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions through those two games, with two more touchdowns on the ground. Montana State also has recent proof that this stage is manageable. The Bobcats won 35-31 at New Mexico in 2024 after erasing a 17-point deficit with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
The personal history raises the temperature without changing the assignment. Choate coached Montana State from 2016 through 2019, and his final two teams there went 19-9, reached consecutive FCS playoffs and advanced to the 2019 semifinals. Now the reigning champion visits the rebuild he is trying to advance at Nevada.
The cleanest thing to root for is another game dictated by Nevada’s rushing depth. Kelley’s explosion was the headline last week, but Herschel Turner, Jones, Ky Woods, Donnie Cheers and Carter Jackson all contributed positive rushing yardage. If the Wolf Pack can keep Lamson watching from the sideline, finish long drives and force him to operate under pressure when he returns, the result will mean considerably more than simply avoiding an FCS upset. Nevada would leave Week 2 with evidence that its rushing depth can sustain drives and its defense can keep creating negative plays.
North Dakota State at Air Force: root for Air Force
Kickoff is Saturday at 7 p.m. PT on FS1. Air Force has a 43% chance to deliver the preferred result, so this is worth checking before Nevada starts but not worth organizing the evening around.
This one works through the conference standings. North Dakota State is the Mountain West participant, so an Air Force win hands it a conference loss. Nevada’s modeled title-game chance is 19.9% if Air Force wins and 17.8% if North Dakota State wins, a difference of 2.2 percentage points between the two alternative outcomes. Helpful, yes; season-shaping in Week 2, no.
The full slate and live branches are in the interactive Nevada guide, with the simulation approach explained on the methodology page.