September 6, 2016

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NEWS in REVIEW

By Madeline Purdue

INTERNATIONAL SYRIA SUICIDE BOMBINGS KILL 48, INJURE DOZENS A series of coordinated suicide bombings occurred across Syria on Monday, Sept. 5, killing 48 people and injuring 152. Responsibility for the bombings has been claimed by the Islamic State.

The goal was to target government-held areas as well as government officials and their families. Car and suicide bombs were detonated simultaneously at rush hour in five different cities.

The bombings occurred in the cities of Tartus, Homs, Damascus, Hasakeh and Qamishli, all areas that are heavily controlled by the government.

The first car bombing took place at a military checkpoint in Damascus, the capital of Syria, where officers and their families live.

Another car bomb was detonated on a bridge leading into the coastal town of Tartus. While observers gathered around the scene, a suicide bomber detonated his bomb, killing 35.

These bombings come after Turkish troops and Syrian rebels regained IS territory this week, cutting them off from the northern border of Syria, a key supply access point.

NATIONAL RAPINOE KNEELS DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM BEFORE SOCCER GAME Megan Rapinoe, a player for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, kneeled during the national anthem before a game with the Seattle Reign on Sunday.

She said it was a “little nod” to Colin Kaepernick, who sat during a preseason NFL game last week, and kneeled again this week.

Her actions were “very intentional” and she thinks it was “disgusting” how Kaepernick was treated after sitting.

Both stars kneeled in protest of the inequality they see in America today.

Rapinoe said that, being a gay American, she sees what it is like to not be treated equally. She is one of the five members suing for pay equality on the USWNST. “It’s important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this. We don’t need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful,” Rapinoe said.

LOCAL SEARCH FOR TEENAGER DELAYS END TO BURNING MAN The exit gates of Burning Man were temporarily closed on Sunday Sept. 4, due to a search for a missing 17-year-old girl.

She was eventually found safe in Black Rock City, where Burning Man is being held.

It took burners nine hours to exit the event after the search was called off, causing disruption of travel plans. By Monday morning the wait time to leave had decreased to four hours.

Drivers were caught sleeping behind the wheel while waiting to leave, holding up traffic even further.

Black Rock City reached a population of 70,000 during the event.

VOLUME 123, ISSUE 2

CHAIN REACTION UNR supports increasing cycling culture through bikefriendly facilities and initatives

By Rachel Spacek Many students at the University of Nevada, Reno, have chosen to ditch the parking lines and gas pumps to take their usual school routes by bicycle. Across campus, bicyclists are finding many open spaces on bike racks, more places to fill up flat tires and even a bike repair stand in front of the Joe Crowley Student Union.

UNR and the Campus Bicycle Committee have been dedicated to making campus a more bike-friendly place by encouraging students to pursue a healthier and cheaper commute.

“I believe UNR has made campus a more bike-friendly place,” said Krystine Kimes, former president of the Campus Cycling Coalition and avid bicyclist. “As a past member and president of the UNR Campus Cycling Coalition, it has been made evident to me that bicycle awareness at UNR exists. For example, the Campus Bicycle Committee led by Amy Fitch exists, and they have done a lot to promote bicycling on campus, such as installing a bicycle repair stand on campus, submitting a Bicycle Friendly University application and creating/updating a campus bicycle map to name a few.”

Last year, the League of American Bicyclists recognized UNR as a bicycle-friendly university and awarded the school a bronze-level distinction.

UNR joined 127 other colleges and universities across the U.S. to receive a bronze-level distinction in 2015.

The growth of cycling culture on

ASUN, CSE launch new service site The Associated Students of the University of Nevada and the Center for Student Engagement have launched a new way for students and faculty to get involved and make an impact on the Reno community through GivePulse. GivePulse is a civic engagement platform that provides tools for listing, finding and coordinating volunteer opportunities in the community.

After a year of working with the UNR Disability Resource Center to make sure GivePulse is accessible to all, ASUN officially launched the website this July, said ASUN President Brandon Boone.

GivePulse is now being used by more than 1,800 students and faculty at UNR. “It’s your one stop shop for all things volunteer related” said Stephanie Chen, the university’s coordinator for civic engagement and special events.

GivePulse is a community of volunteers, professionals, civic leaders and students all connected online through the platform. It allows individuals to search and register with local events, groups and causes. Users are also able to track their impact on the local community.

As a land grant university, UNR has prioritized the relationship between the school and the community , within the last couple of years, the Campus to City Initiative has become a major focus of ASUN, said Boone.

IMPRESSIVE LOCAL THEATER

university can accommodate incoming freshmen.

Many off-campus students have turned to biking as a reliable source of transportation to school.

“If the numbers have grown, I can speculate that it is because more and more people are realizing that bicycling is cheaper and an effective mode of transportation. Or maybe they are starting to see it is cool and

stylish,” Kimes said.

The Campus Bicycle Committee has partnered with the Reno Bike Project, a local nonprofit bike shop that has been committed to creating a more bike-friendly community for 10 years. This partnership has brought about free workshops and bike repair clinics.

See BIKE page A2

Universal design changes standards for accessibility

By Madeline Purdue

By Emily Fisher

Madeline Purdue can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

campus has spread to the community around it; for example, The Dropout Bike Shop, located just across UNR on Virginia Street, opened last spring to bring student riders affordable bike repair services.

“The Dropout is really convenient for freshmen who live in the dorms since we are so close to campus, and with more kids living o n campus it helps a lot with selling bikes,” said Chad Kortan, owner and founder of The Dropout.

Kortan had been working on bikes in Reno for 12 years before opening up The Dropout last spring.

“I see the community slowly becoming more bike friendly, but some business owners think that without car parking and easy car access to their businesses that they will have less business, even though studies actually show that having improved bike and walking access actually helps business,” Kortan said.

With a record-breaking enrollment total, returning students are having to find housing off campus so the

Over the last few years, the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, has been undergoing serious construction in an attempt to keep up with the demands of incoming student growth.

The university is currently working to build a new dormitory building and fitness center, among other future projects. Despite the massive upgrades, none of the new buildings have been designed to be fully universal.

The National Disability Authority defines universal design as “the design

and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.”

The idea is that the building can be used by anyone, and everyone can access everything in the same way. A student in a wheelchair should be able to use the same entrance with the same ease as an able-bodied student. It benefits every person who wishes to use it.

Universal design can be as simple as including left-handed options, or as complex as providing signs that can

bridge a language barrier.

Some buildings, such as the Pennington Student Achievement Center, have been built with universal design in mind. The classrooms have been set up in a way that allows everyone to see what the instructor is teaching by using multiple projectors, and anyone can sit at a table of their choosing. The entrance is wide enough for wheelchairs to fit through and there is an easily-accessible ramp.

See BUILDING page A2

File Photo/Nevada Sagebrush

See PULSE page A2

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The Pennington Student Achievement Center stands unfinished on Jan. 2, 2016. It is the building that incorporates the most universal design on campus.

SAY SO LONG TO SOLO

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A2 | NEWS

NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

THE

Student voice of the University of Nevada, Reno, since 1893.

Volume 123 • Issue 02 Editor-in-Chief • Jacob Solis jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Managing Editor • Jordan Russell jrussell@sagebrush.unr.edu

News Editor • Rachel Spacek jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Asst. News Editor • Madeline Purdue jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Sports Editor • Neil Patrick Healy neil@sagebrush.unr.edu

Asst. Sports Editor • Jack Rieger jrieger@sagebrush.unr.edu

Opinion Editor • Ali Schultz alexandraschultz@sagebrush.unr.edu

A&E Editor • Blake Nelson jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Design Editor • Rebecca Day jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Photo Editor • Quinsey Sablan jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Copy Editor • Dominique Kent jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Copy Editor • Daniel Putney dputney@sagebrush.unr.edu

Multimedia Editor • Bailey MeCey jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Web Master • Willis Allstead wallstead@asun.unr.edu

Illustrator • Zak Brady jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Office Manager • Victoria Ramos tbynum@sagebrush.unr.edu

Social Media Manager • Alana Ridge jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Staff Writer • Emily Fisher jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Staff Writer • Brandon Cruz jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Distribution • Michele Cardnuto jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Distribution • Natalie Delbecq jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

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CONTRIBUTING STAFFERS Will Compton, Emily Fox, Annie Guddat, Courtney McKimmey, Heidi Parker

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Obama: ‘Tahoe should be sacred to all Americans’

By Emily Fisher Standing in front of the crystal-blue waters of Lake Tahoe at this year’s 20th annual Lake Tahoe Summit on Aug. 31st, 2016, President Barack Obama discussed the importance of conservation efforts and combating global warming.

The Lake Tahoe summit is dedicated to making the conservation of Lake Tahoe a priority in California and Nevada. It was Obama’s first stop on a two-day environmental conservation tour.

“The challenges of conservation and combating climate change are connected — they’re linked,” Obama said to a crowd of about 8,000 people last Wednesday. “We tend to think of climate change as if it’s something that’s just happening out there that we don’t have control over.”

Obama also announced new measures to help ensure the “jewel of the Sierras” stays crystal clear.

“For thousands of years this place has been a special one.

Just as the space is sacred to Native Americans it should be sacred to all Americans,” Obama said.

The Department of the Interior will provide $29.5 million to clear dead trees and other hazardous fuels in order to improve forest health and decrease the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

The Environmental Protection Agency will provide $230,000 to manage and

reduce storm water runoff in the Tahoe region.

The National Forest Foundation, working with the U.S. Forest Service and local communities, announced it has raised over $4 million for creek restoration projects, sustainable recreation and improving forest health throughout the nearby Truckee River watershed.

“The health of the land and the health of the people are tied together, and what happens to the land also happens to the people,” Obama said, quoting an unnamed former leader of the Washoe Tribe, NPR News reports.

Since the summit’s inauguration in 1997, the federal government has spent around $2 billion on the health of the lake and the surrounding environment, according to NPR News.

Among Obama’s conservation efforts is the plan to restore and protect the Salton Sea, a deteriorating lake in California. The Salton Sea has recently become a source of worry for nearby residents, as the drying lakebed leaves behind toxic dust.

Obama continued his environmental conservation tour Thursday, where he was scheduled to speak in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Midway Atoll before continuing his trip to Asia to discuss and expand U.S.-Asia engagement in both trade and climate.

Emily Fisher can be reached at jsolis@sagebrish.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters can be submitted via email at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

CORRECTIONS The Nevada Sagebrush fixes mistakes.

If you find an error, email jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

SOCIAL MEDIA The Nevada Sagebrush @TheSagebrush @SagebrushSports Nevada Sagebrush Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

President Obama spoke at the Lake Tahoe Summit on Wednesday. Aug. 31. At the Summit, he praised Lake Tahoe’s community for their leading efforts in conservation.

SENATE RECAP AUG. 31

By Rachel Spacek

LEGISLATION ASUN VOTES TO INCREASE THE NEVADA UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL ACCOUNT

Annie Guddat/Nevada Sagebrush

Whitney Weinheimer cycles across the gazebo in the rose garden on Monday, Sept. 5. More students have been taking advantage of the bike-friendly campus.

Bikes

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“The committee has worked on a variety of projects over the past few years,” said Amy Fitch, chair of the Campus Bicycle Committee. “During the first few weeks of fall semester we are offering three safety/ maintenance workshops, two sessions of free basic bike repair on campus and a campus bicycle tour. We have a campus bicycle map/guide and a website, both of which contain safety tips, information on state laws and campus policies, and resources for bicyclists on campus.”

University Parking Services has also created incentives for students to ride their bikes to and around campus. They have provided free bicycle permits and bike lockers for rent.

Bike permit registration helps the Campus Bicycle Committee gather information about the number of bicyclists riding on campus. Parking Services also gives registered bike owners five free day-use parking permits when the weather or other situations do not allow bicyclists to ride to school.

Fitch said the committee is working with UNR Facilities Services to update design and construction standards, such as improving bike racks to mirror the recommended design by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.

“There are a few projects planned on the streets around campus that would help improve access and safety,” Fitch said. “We are eager to see those projects be implemented and will continue to communicate with Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission planners and engineers in the coming years.”

Kortan said he would like to see RTC make improvements on the Virginia Street overpass that crosses Interstate 80. The bridge is filled with potholes, and there is no bike lane to protect riders from traffic.

“There is also no bike lane on Virginia Street from campus to Midtown. I think Virginia Street needs a lot of work to be more bike-friendly,” Kortan said.

RTC is working toward creating more bike lanes and bike paths throughout the downtown and Midtown districts. It is also conducting a study on a bike-share program where riders can rent public bikes; these bikes would be available 24/7 year-round. Bike-share programs have been implemented in over 600 cities to give the public a cheaper and more sustainable mode of transportation.

The RTC is in the early stages of the bike-share project that began in June of 2014. The project committee is determining if the demand for a bike-share program is enough to continue with the project.

Fitch says the Campus Bicycle Committee will continue to advocate for more bikefriendly resources for UNR and the community around it.

“It is certainly our goal to increase the number of students, faculty and staff who bike to campus,” Fitch said. “The university is growing; increasing bicycle commuting is in line with UNR’s sustainability goals, and the university’s master plan advocates for increased resources and facilities to encourage and accommodate bicycles. Our committee has accomplished a lot, but there is certainly more work to do!”

RTC is also looking into creating a smartphone app to identify where bike racks are located throughout Reno. The app would also allow users to notify RTC about where more bike racks are necessary and where old racks need to be replaced. With community commitment, both RTC and UNR hope to see Reno transform into a safer and more welcoming place for bicyclists.

Rachel Spacek can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

nevadasagebrush.com

Pulse

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something that has become essential to get into graduate schools and eventually careers, said both Boone and Rodriguez.

“GivePulse is awesome because it gives students opportunities outside of the classroom that they wouldn’t have had before,” said Boone. “Students that are more engaged on campus and in the community are more successful overall”.

To join GivePulse, students and faculty can go to unr.givepulse. com and sign up with their NetID to build a profile. Students are able to join different groups, clubs and classes on campus and can start making an impact in their community right away.

GivePulse provides a platform for faculty, students and community groups to connect on a larger scale.

Chen said that before introducing GivePulse, the process of coordinating civic engagement Emily Fisher can be reached at events and volunteer opportunities jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on was time consuming and tedious.

Twitter @TheSagebrush.

After years of working through inefficient emails and Google calendars, GivePulse allows groups to easily organize volunteer and event information. The app makes it possible for students and faculty to focus on an important aspect of civic engagement: making an impact.

Raul Rodriguez, ASUN coordinator of technology said that GivePulse collects data from users and events to track “impacts” in the local community. GivePulse defines these impacts as a “collection of outputs to make sense of the community outcomes.” These outputs include service hours, reflections, star ratings, custom fields and metrics such as pounds of food donated, number of trees planted and number of patients treated.

Since the beginning of the summer, UNR has made over 445 “impacts” in the local community, completing over 1,600 hours of service in the community, and this is just the beginning.

ASUN President Brandon Boone challenged each one of the incoming freshman to complete 100 hours of community service each year they are at the university.

Not only does this platform Quinsey Sablan/Inkblot Marketing collect and track these impacts Students partner with a local organization to plant trees during Homeand hours, it provides students coming Week on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. GivePulse gives students the with an easy way to getting started opportunity to sign up for civic engagement events. building a co-curricular transcript,

Building

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While this building incorporates universal design the most, there is still more that can be done, according to Blaine Harding, director of The Center Every Student. Every Story.

“You shouldn’t have to move desks and move tables because you found out you got a student in a wheelchair in your class,” Harding said. “That classroom should already be set up so that anybody with any form of disability can get into a classroom, can get into a building and they don’t have to worry about the door being too hard to open up, the ramp being in the back or having no ramp at all. All of it has to be accessible.”

Universal design does not have to be costly, but it needs to be considered throughout the entire process for it to work. It requires a lot of thought going into the design of the building and a professional who is an expert in the principles of universal design.

There are at least four more buildings that are being added or renovated on campus in the next few years, and Harding hopes that the university will go even further in the direction of universal design.

“I hope that all these new buildings, if not completely universally designed, are as universally designed as the budget allows them to be. I want them to take that into consideration.

They have to take that into consideration. If we are a campus that values diversity and inclusiveness, inclusiveness means everybody,” Harding said.

Universal design does not only apply to buildings but to environments and products.

For example, students who are blind should be able to access notes on Canvas with the same ease as every other student.

In order for any product to be considered universal, it must be equally accessible.

Harding gave an example of a student in a wheelchair using the soda machine. If the student has a hard time putting money in the machine and

In the first senate meeting of the fall semester, the senate approved Senate Bill 84 to increase the Nevada Undergraduate Research Journal account. NSURJ has been facing public relations issues and is looking for more funds to spread awareness about what the program is and what it can offer students.

NSURJ is a student-run research journal dedicated to giving UNR students the opportunity to submit their undergraduate research to a reputable research journal.

ASUN passed legislation to create the program in March of 2011. ASUN’s hope was that undergraduate students at the university would utilize the program to share their research and prepare themselves for professional research work after graduation.

Co-editors of NSURJ Nicholas Winner and Anita Albanese plan to use the additional funds to engage more students through tabling and marketing on campus.

The senate voted to increase the NSURJ account by $1,000.

ELECTIONS COMMISSION MUST NOW FOLLOW NEVADA OPEN MEETING LAW The senate voted to strike down Section 701 of the Statutes of the Associated Students, which states that the Elections Commission is not required to comply with the Nevada Open Meeting Law, except for the first candidate meeting. The senate voted to strike down SAS 701.10b since the Elections Commission is considered a public body of ASUN. The Nevada Open Meeting Law was established in 1960 to assure that public bodies of state and local governments make their actions and meetings available to the public eye. The OML applies to all public bodies, including administrative, legislative, advisory and executive bodies of local and state governments.

The OML also requires that meeting agendas be accurate to what will be discussed during the meetings and be available for the public to view.

Rachel Spacek can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

needs help, or decides not to bother with the process at all, then they cannot use the soda machine in the same way as an able-bodied student: the system is not universal, Harding explains.

Students can help those with disabilities by being more aware of their surroundings and the challenges other people face every day.

Sophie Coudurier, a freshman at UNR with a disability, wants other students to know that when a building is marked accessible, it isn’t usually completely accessible. She also encourages other people to help if they see someone who is disabled struggling with a task.

“The university is very accessible; however, small details such as the height of counters and the slope of a ramp make a huge difference, and if done right they make life easier,” Coudurier said.

Madeline Purdue can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

“That classroom should already be set up so that anybody with any form of disability can get into a classroom, can get into a building and they don’t have to worry about the door being too hard to open up, the ramp being in the back or having no ramp at all. ” Blaine Harding

Director of The Center Every Student. Every Story.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

NEWS | A3

Sorry I’m late University parking lot space is dwindle due to campus construction

By Rachel Spacek As the availability of on-campus student housing becomes increasingly problematic to many returning University of Nevada, Reno students, so does the issue of finding available parking spaces. A year ago, the construction of the E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center destroyed 200 metered parking spots that UNR students, faculty and visitors depended upon. Today, UNR students are still coping with the disappearance of parking options.

Since construction began on the fitness center, university Parking Services has added an additional 200 parking spots next to the John Sala Intramural Fields, where university tennis courts once stood. Last year, the new parking spots were available to Green Zone permit owners. A Green Zone permit costs $115 a semester and $230 annually. This semester, that lot has been rezoned, making drivers purchase a Tan Zone Permit that costs $300 annually.

This summer, UNR Parking and Transportation Services added a new Tan Zone parking lot along Enterprise Road, north of the Center for Molecular Medicine. Parking Services also relocated the metered parking that was taken away with the construction of the E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center to the bottom floor of the Brian Whalen Parking Complex for $1.50 an hour with a five-hour limit.

Even with the added parking spots, students are still finding it difficult to find parking for their morning classes.

“I feel like since we have to pay so much for parking we should not have to wonder if we’ll get a spot in our given lot zones,” said Julie Tyang, a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“I have an 8 a.m. class and I was hoping parking wouldn’t be so bad since its so early and people usually avoid 8 a.m.’s, but I’ve been having to get to school at least half an hour earlier to get a spot.”

Circling the university parking garages while professors are already deep into their morning lectures is not ideal for students. Many have resorted to completely opting out of paying for a parking spot on campus.

“I actually got a parking pass in Circus Circus this year because Blue Lot permits were sold out and all of the other passes are way too expensive,” said UNR senior, Vincent Perrone.

“It’s a pretty long walk and none of the campus shuttles go down there.”

This semester, both Blue Zone permits and Yellow 1 Zone permits were sold out before the beginning of the semester.

Circus Circus Hotel and Casino has an agreement with the university that allows students to park in the hotel’s parking garage on North Virginia street. The Circus Circus parking permits

are free, but limited to 200 vehicles.

Blue Lot permits are the cheapest university parking permits, costing $63 for a semester and $125 annually. Blue Lot permit holders may only park in the northmost lot of campus, near the intersection of North McCarran Boulevard and Virginia Street or at William Peccole Park, the university baseball stadium.

Silver Lot permits are the most expensive permits. They cost $400 annually and $200 for a semester. Silver permit owners can park in all of the university parking garages and all other zones.

With a record-breaking enrollment total this semester, UNR Parking and Transportation Services is trying to provide students with incentives to avoid driving alone. They are offering five free daily parking permits to students who choose to carpool, bike, walk or use the city bus system. In order to receive the permits, students must register for alternate transportation with Parking Services.

“With so many more students on campus this year than ever, parking is just a nightmare. I avoid it at all costs. I don’t even know the rules, so I just avoid driving and parking anywhere on campus for that reason,” said Jeanette Young, a sophomore at UNR. Vehicles parked in permit parking areas must display their appropriate permits Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some parking areas, including Yellow and Orange zones, are designated as areas where vehicles must display permits 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Metered parking, located behind the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center and the Joe Crowley Student Union, have the same enforcement hours as the permitted parking areas.

“My recommendation would be more metered parking. During the summer we have the perfect amount of metered parking; I could always find a spot there. But during the semester I was forced to buy a pass because there is no way you can ever get a metered spot since there are so few,” Tyang said.

UNR plans to add more buildings and facilities to accommodate the increase in university enrollment totals each year. The university has set the goals of creating a safer and more sustainable campus in its master plan. The master plan sets the goal of creating a new parking garage near the southern end of campus by 2024.

The Nevada Sagebrush reached out to UNR Parking Services for comment, but did not receive a response before print time.

For more campus parking news, visit www. nevadasagebrush.com. Rachel Spacek can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

GivePulse allows you to find volunteer opportunities, connect with others, and track your impact.

Getting started is easy:

1 2 3 4 5

Sign up for GivePulse at unr.givepulse.com Log in with your NetID Update your profile Join sub-groups that meet your specific volunteer interests Find opportunities to engage and give back to the community!

Join the Pack and give back!

For more information please contact Raul Rodriguez at raulrodriguez@unr.edu or at (775)-784-6589

#iLEAD

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Illustration by Zak Brady/Nevada Sagebrush

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PACK N THE EVENTS THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK

By Blake Nelson

ON-CAMPUS BIKE WORKSHOP DATE: Tuesday TIME: 10 a.m.

LOCATION: KC Rotunda INFO: So you did it. You

got a bike because UNR just will not build more parking spaces. You work day in and day out, but nobody ever taught you how to fix a flat, let alone how to properly overhaul a bottom bracket. The solution? Go to the free bike maintenance workshop hosted by the Reno Bike Project. RBP is friendly, incredibly insightful and can help you with anything.

PRETTY LIGHTS CONCERT DATE: Tuesday TIME: 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Reno Events

Center INFO: It's Tuesday, the first day back from a three-day weekend.

Why not just cut loose at the end of the day?

Take an Uber down to the Reno Events Center and see Pretty Lights, the electronic music event self-described as electronic hip-hop soul.

Go party on a weekday — you're in college and no one is watching. Tickets are $37.

Vivid cabaret experience

'The Showbiz Cabaret' showcases local artists as well as UNR graduate's talent

By Blake Nelson

Last Thursday, Sept. 1, marked the first showing of "The Showbiz Cabaret," a circus-themed play rife with high-energy acting and dancing. Opening to a full house, the play was performed spectacularly and was joyously applauded by the large audience. It ran for three days, with a steady turnout for each showing.

The play was written, directed and produced by UNR alumna, Keely Cobb.

Cobb graduated from UNR last May with a bachelor's degree in theater. "The Showbiz Cabaret" is Cobb's first large production, stemming from a duet she wrote during her last semester at the university.

Performed at the intimate setting of The Potentialist Workshop on East Second Street, audience members were treated to an original local play filled with local artists.

"The Showbiz Cabaret" proved to be a new experience for Cobb, the cast and the audience alike.

"I had a little bit of directing experience, but I knew nothing about writing a show and I knew nothing about producing a show," Cobb said.

The cast consisted of 10 members, seven of which were UNR students who all helped write dialogue and choreograph dancing.

Cobb focussed the bulk of the play around the idea of fitting in rather than being yourself in the show business industry. Cobb expressed this theme most poignantly by writing the character Puppet/Silly Clown.

"I connect with [Silly Clown] because I am going into the theater and dance industry, and she faces the controlling aspect of the industry," Cobb said, when

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SURF CURSE CONCERT DATE: Friday LOCATION: The Holland

BIGGEST LITTLE FESTIVAL

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describing her personal feelings about the play.

Puppet/Silly Clown's struggles act as a criticism of the show business industry as a whole, specifically during the scene in which Controlling Clown literally controls her dancing. Losing yourself to fit in is one of those sad but true realities that everyone faces at one time or another.

The use of a puppet written by a person just starting their career in the industry to convey this criticism creates a metanarrative that lends itself to a textured story.

Beyond the critique of the performance industry is a light hearted play with a loose tone, much like that of a

cabaret.

Feeling both improvised and erratic, the actors interacted with the audience members before and during the play.

As the play began, the Narrator/Crazy Clown took the stage and introduced the characters. Each actor seemed to fit with their respective roles, most likely due to their collaborative effort with Cobb. The result was a set of characters that didn't feel unnatural.

The characters brought the play together with small quirks and interesting motivations, creating a flow between the story and the characters.

A wide variety of characters also brings a heightened level of connection with the audience.

"I want the audience to feel like they know the characters on stage, and to feel excited when the characters experience triumph, and to feel sad when they experience heartbreak," Cobb said, when describing her hopes for the play.

The play is centered around 10 vignettes, each exploring different scenarios with the characters lenses. Keeping a swift pace, the play rolls through comedic highs as well as dramatic lows, all of which are supported by a score of music that feels both old-fashioned and contemporary.

One memorable scene is when Diva, played by local dancer Moriah Wegman, breaks free from the spotlight to be with Mr. Cellophane, played by UNR student Brandon Butler. This comes after Mr.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Cellophane gives an impassioned monologue about unrequited love, which Butler himself wrote for the play.

The most notable part of the play, however, is the dancing. All of the vignettes incorporate dance in some way or another. The scenes were choreographed with playfulness and skill.

The end of the play is one of the most impressive scenes, with the entire cast interacting and using the whole stage to bring the story around.

The bombastic style of "The Showbiz Cabaret" really lends itself to the overall experience. The play ran for about an hour, but it felt like 20 minutes due to the high energy involved in each scene. The vignette style made for a unique structure and setting for the characters, and it kept the play both light hearted and dramatic.

"The Showbiz Cabaret" is a shining example of local collaborative art, featuring local talent and production. Cobb's writing and directing was a great framework for all those involved to be creative and natural.

Cobb is currently working with UNR's theater department as dance captain for the upcoming production of "Music Man" this fall. She anticipates writing another, more personal piece that she wishes to perform at dance festivals around the country.

Blake Nelson can be reached at jsolis@ nevadasagrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

3

DATE: Saturday TIME: 3 p.m.

LOCATION: Intramural

Fields

INFO: In a push to

span the gap between university and city, ASUN has cooked up this little festival. With food trucks, local art, and featuring artists like YG and Louis The Child, the festival is built to please students and city dwellers alike.

Get your tickets at the Nevada Wolf Shop or at the Wolf Shop's website.

Tickets are $25 for students and $50 for general admission.

Bailey McCey/Nevada Sagebrush

Blake Nelson can be reached at jsolis@nevadasagebrush.unr. edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

1) The cast of "The Showbiz Cabaret" prepares to bow at The Potentialist Workshop on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. The actors collaborated on writing and choreography for the play. 2) Sonja Petersen and Glynis Irving end the vignette titled "Or is it love?" with a hidden kiss. 3) Brandon Butler and Moriah Wegman act out a scene during the latter half of the play. 4) Sarah Johnson ends the play with a solo dance.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

A&E | A5

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

‘Don’t Breathe’ — more like don’t bother

By Blake Nelson Pretend that it is the mid-2000s again. A relatively peaceful time, not filled with big-budget superhero movies but rather small budget horror movies, usually remakes of older films.

“Don’t Breathe” is a film that would have fit in snugly around, say, 2006. Thinking back to that era of film, specifically horror, can anyone remember a great horror film from that era? Of course, there are some that you’ll remember such as “Paranormal Activity,” and there are some that were scary like “The Ring,” but none were truly great.

“Don’t Breathe” is largely forgettable. There’s the standard subpar acting, the easy setup and the unlikable characters, not to mention a healthy dose of plot holes.

This is all too bad because Sam Raimi, the creator of the hands-down classic “Evil Dead” trilogy, slapped his name on it.

The director and co-writer, Fede Alvarez, previously directed the “Evil Dead” remake of 2013, which received mixed reviews. Alvarez is fairly new to the directing game, but he started off at a breakneck speed by signing on to remake a horror classic. So maybe because of all the hype, my expectations were a little elevated going in.

I’m not saying the movie was bad; it had its moments. I liked the simple plot and setting, both of which harken back to some low-budget gems from the ‘70s. I also really loved the single tracking shot through the house that really gave you a feel of the setting early on.

But as stated before, the acting was lame and at times so bad it was funny, like when Stephen Lang’s character, comically named “The Blind Man,” awkwardly sniffs the air like a dog.

The setup was lazy, and it would have made a better movie if there was none. If none of the boring and heavy-handed exposition had happened, the viewer could have spent more time in the house and possibly sealed up some of the plot holes. Maybe I could have liked some of the characters better without knowing their generic backstories and motivations.

The gimmick of this movie is that the thieves break in to this blind man’s house and are subsequently forced to experience zero light, kind of like being blind. Maybe this is somewhat original, but we have maybe five minutes of it.

The whole ad campaign was centered around this scene, and then they go and pull the old

bait and switch.

And what was it switched with? Well, I don’t want to spoil the twist or the ending but, I’ll say it involves the lewd use of a turkey baster.

I don’t want to give Alvarez a hard time here, but I also don’t want to praise second-rate work. The film isn’t bad; it just feels like that gray area of my memory where Dane Cook was good comedy and “Garden State” was my favorite movie.

I hope that Alvarez’s next outing at the cinema involves better writing choices and less turkey baster.

Blake Nelson can be reached at jsolis@ nevadasagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

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Movie Review ‘DON’T BREATHE’

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Opinion

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

A6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

NV Energy monopoly must end I

n 2015, Nevada had the fastest growing market in the nation for rooftop solar panels. According to the public radio show Marketplace, there was a new customer every 40 minutes. Business was booming and business was good.

Now, though? The market is dead.

Hundreds of solar company employees lost their jobs as every major solar company in the state fled to do business in our neighboring states.

This is what happens when an energy utility decides to protect its monopoly.

Luckily for Nevadans, this monopoly will be up for a vote in November in the form of Question 3: the “Nevada Legislature to Minimize Regulations on the Energy Market and Eliminate Legal Energy Monopolies Amendment.”

Specifically, this ballot initiative would amend the Nevada Constitution to require legislators to write a law eliminating monopolies and therefore ensuring a free and open energy market in the state.

Though the name is deceptively long and the text of the question deceptively uninteresting, this proposed amendment to Nevada’s constitution is necessary in the modern energy landscape.

But first, some background.

NV Energy’s true monopoly on power in

Nevada can be traced back to 1999 when the Nevada Power Company merged with the Sierra Pacific Power Company.

Though they kept the names separate for nearly a decade — only changing their name to NV Energy in 2008 — the two companies operated under much of the same umbrella in an effort to reduce costs.

That point is important. It’s called an economy of scale. As production increases, costs decrease. Therefore, as a single energy company is able to take on all the costs of production, the final cost of that power for the consumer should be cheaper than if there was competition.

The thing is though, these benefits aren’t necessarily playing out like they should. According to an analysis by WalletHub, Nevada pays more for power than all of its neighbors except Utah.

More than that, rates aren’t really dictated by the market so much as decided upon by the Public Utilities Commission — a body which has proven ill-equipped to regulate the state’s solar markets.

Specifically, the PUC changed what’s called net metering at the behest of the legislature. Essentially, with rooftop solar, you could sell back any extra power you produced back to the utility dollar-for-

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia

NV Energy’s corporate headquarters as seen on Oct. 23, 2011. An initiative that would end NV Energy’s monopoly in the state of Nevada will appear on this November’s ballot.

dollar. This is largely what made the initial investment in rooftop solar — which could often cost tens of thousands of dollars upfront— worth it.

Last December, the PUC slashed the rate at which rooftop solar producers are paid by NV Energy by 75 percent. It was this decision that destroyed the market for rooftop solar in Nevada while protecting the profits of NV Energy.

NV Energy and its owner, Berkshire Hathaway (thus, by extension, Warren Buffett), have said that the old net metering rules negatively impacted normal customers because they essentially subsidized rooftop solar users who only number in the thousands. They also claim that it would be cheaper for everyone if NV Energy built large power plants, and then sell that solar power to everyone.

“We do not want our million-plus customers that do not have solar to be buying solar at 10.5 cents when we could turn it out for them for 4.5 cents,” Buffett said in a February interview with CNBC.

Now, it’s not as though Buffett is wrong when he says this, but we have to look honestly at Buffett’s stake in all this. He is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, which paid $5.6 billion in 2013 for Nevada’s largest utility. It is in his own best interest to minimize competition here in Nevada because Berkshire Hathaway is not in the business of losing money.

On the other hand, it’s not as though the pro-solar side of the debate is a grassroots campaign. Billionaire Elon Musk is chairman of Solar City and the Las Vegas Sands Corp., run by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, has put up $675,000 for the pro-Question 3 committee Nevadans for Affordable, Clean Energy Choices, according to the website Ballotpedia.

There is also a larger question over the nature of deregulation in the energy sector — something that’s attributed to as the cause of California’s energy crisis in 2000 and 2001. Fears over deregulation may be overblown these days, simply because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is

stronger than it was in the Enron-era. As veteran Nevada political journalist Jon Ralston put it, “Even with deregulation, there is still … regulation.”

Energy policy is, by nature, uninteresting to the casual college student. Living in dorms or small apartments, energy costs are usually pretty low and therefore pale in comparison to other bills like tuition, rent or even the internet.

It’s also massively complex, and what’s been mentioned here only scratches the surface. But that doesn’t mean the future of energy policy isn’t important.

For Nevada, that future could include renewable energy — an industry that could be a boon for both the environment and the local economy. However, NV Energy has shown that if it maintains its vise grip on the energy grid, that future may never materialize.

The Nevada Sagebrush Editorial Board can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Is Solo facing fair punishment?

O

n Aug. 24 the United States women’s olympic soccer coach, Jill Ellis delivered the news to goalie, Hope Solo that she would be given a six-month suspension as well as a terminated contract. Solo, who is often considered by soccer enthusiasts as one of the best female goalies of all time, faces this punishment in response to remarks made during the quarter finals of the Rio Olympics.

Solo called the competing Swedish team “A bunch of cowards.” Not long after, Solo was Ali terminated from her Schultz soccer contract.

Schultz It is no secret that Happens Solo isn’t a stranger to the negative limelight. According to ESPN, in June of 2014 Solo was arrested on two counts of domestic violence and preceded to resist arrest.

On the other hand, Solo, although a controversial character, also has been known as a crusader for women’s equal rights in sports. She has been one of the leading advocates in United States Soccer for fighting for equal pay for men and women. This, unfortunately goes unmentioned in the media. Regardless of her efforts for equality, violence in any form should not be condoned in professional sports. But if punishment is going to be dealt out shouldn’t it be fair?

Many argue that Solo wasn’t released for her unsportsmanlike slurs, but instead her previous rap

sheet. Although Solo’s release wanot necessarily deserved, it leaves many to wonder if a male did the same, would he be faced with equal punishment?

This list is endless of male professional athletes who have committed heinous crimes and have been dismissed with basically a smack on the wrist.

Atlanta Falcons star, Michael Vick was guilty of running a dog fighting/ gambling ring that was responsible for the death of many animals. Vick, found guilty, received a minimal sentence and returned to football shortly after only to sign a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles for $5.25 million in 2010.

Soccer player Christiano Ronaldo is considered to be the best football player in the world by many, but he also is known to have very poor sportsmanship. One of the more famous instances was when Ronaldo referred to Iceland players as playing with “small mentality.” Later in the same game, Ronaldo refused to engage in a shirt exchange initiated

by Iceland captain, Aron Gunnarsson, showing a lack of remorse in his poor sportsmanship. Other than poor media coverage, Ronaldo received no punishment for this.

In recent news, fellow olympic athlete, swimmer Ryan Lochte, claimed he and three other teammates were robbed at gunpoint in Rio. The story ended up being one fabricated

by Lochte and was debunked by police authorities. Despite the fabricated story, Lochte will face no repercussions. This is coming from the same higher up institution that punished Solo.

Let’s not all forget NBA player Kobe

Bryant who was convicted of rape in 2003 and then went on to still have a contract making millions of dollars.

There is definitely the argument that the history of misogyny in athletics is present. From the unequal pay

“My entire career, I have only wanted the best for this team, for the players and the women’s game” Hope Solo between male and female athletes to a potential unequal punishment between the genders.

Hope Solo has yet to apologize for her actions and continues to claim instead she commented, “My entire career, I have only wanted the best for this team, for the players and the women’s game,” (Fortune). Although some of these accounts are surrounded by different circumstances the fact of the matter is Solo most likely received a harsher punishment than a male would have.

Ali Schultz studies journalism.

She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Photographer/Nevada Sagebrush

From left to right: Michael Vick, Adam Pacman Jones, Mike Tyson, Hope Solo, Christiano Ronaldo Top photo: Ryan Lochte Photos courtesy of Flickr

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

OPINION | A7

Brain injuries shouldn’t be on the back burner W

ith the National Football League preseason winding down and regular season right around the corner, it’s almost impossible not to talk football. According to Sports Illustrated, football is one of the most-watched phenomena on TV in the fall season. This American pastime rakes in an average of 20.75 million viewers.

Yet with all this fame, it’s important to point out a serious issue in the NFL: concussions.

Football fans often say that Emily players know what Fox they are getting into when they sign onto a team, but this is not necessarily true. According to PBS, the NFL reported 271 concussions from practices, preseason and regular games this season, but only 197 of those injuries ever appeared on a team injury report. It appears that there are efforts carried out by the NFL to cover up the true magnitude of concussions. Ultimately, this could inhibit players from receiving the help they need post-concussion.

The NFL just settled for up to $5 million per each player who has been found with long term brain injuries, as stated by The New York Times. This settlement stemmed from a scandal in which the NFL was accused of majorly downplaying football’s effect on the brain. The NFL created their own committee of doctors, led by a rheumatologist. This committee did several studies, concluding that football was completely harmless to the brain. The players were told

that the sport was benign concerning players’ heads, and all was well until veteran football player Mike Webster was diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

It’s hard to ignore the obvious problem of head injuries in football.

Someone bangs their head almost every play, and that could mean major health problems later in life.

We cannot allow the NFL` to continue operating this way while neglecting to face this problem head on.

Sources such as The New York Times have compared the NFL to the big tobacco companies. The two entities have similarities in their desires to cover up major health issues. The NFL, just like many big businesses, seems to be more concerned with making big bucks rather than with preserving players’ health.

All in all, it’s someone’s brain.

Fortunately, thanks to the movie “Concussion,” the NFL has acknowledged the rising problem in brain injuries. Many still argue that we aren’t doing enough. If we were to give a metaphor, the big hits in the game of football, “[are] still the equivalent of being hit in the head by a 10-pound cannonball traveling at 30 miles per hour,” according to Mark Fainaru-Wada, co-author of League of Denial. If I think about how many “big hits” a player takes in a game, I cringe at that concept.

Hopefully, in seasons to come more attention will be given to brain injuries in football, with player safety at the forefront of the game.

Emily Fox studies neuroscience.

She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Do your best to protect against the flu R ecently, Dr. Donald A. Henderson passed away without significant media attention or fanfare. This is alarming considering “saving millions of lives” was listed as one of his life accomplishments.

In case you’re wondering who he is, Henderson led the global effort to eradicate smallpox — a disease that, in the 20th century and earlier, was blamed for at least 300 million deaths. His triumph over smallpox proved the power of vaccines.

Last month was National Immunization Awareness Month. Although the Heidi month has come to Parker an end, we should understand that promoting health and preventing disease is not just a cause to recognize during the month of August: it is something we need to do each and every day.

We must be relentless, much like Henderson. Why? Our news feeds continue to be filled with stories of vaccine-preventable diseases – a teen dies from meningococcal disease, a summer camp closes due to a whooping cough outbreak, college campuses battle mumps, measles spreads at music festivals, an infant too young to be vaccinated dies from pertussis, the list goes on.

In the United States, vaccines have reduced — and in some cases, eliminated — many of the diseases that were killing or severely disabling people just a few generations ago. My great-grandfather died during the 1918 Influenza Flu Pandemic, along with millions of others; but decades later, our family is protected from this deadly virus when we get our annual flu shot. By vaccinating children against rubella (German measles), the risk that pregnant women will pass this virus on to their fetus or newborn has been dramatically decreased, and birth defects associated with that virus are now rarely seen. Countless examples like these demonstrate, day after day, vaccines are one of public health’s greatest achievements.

Unfortunately, tens of thousands of Americans still suffer serious health

problems, are hospitalized and even die from vaccine-preventable diseases.

But if we continue vaccinating now, following the recommended childhood, pre-teen and adult schedules, parents in the future may be able to trust that some diseases of today will no longer be around to harm their children. We know it can be done: Henderson’s efforts eradicated smallpox and polio cases worldwide have been reduced by 99 percent.

The good news is this: getting vaccinated is easier than you think.

Vaccines are available at doctors’ offices, pharmacies, workplaces, community health clinics and health departments.

Visit immunizenevada.org to help find a vaccine provider near you. Most health insurance plans cover the cost of recommended vaccines – a call to your insurance provider can give you the details. The Vaccines for Children Program helps provide vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them, and vfcnevada.org has information about how to qualify.

You have the power to protect yourself and the ones you love. It is in your hands thanks to the tireless efforts of scientists and those making vaccines available to the masses, like Henderson. Don’t let that power go to waste. Take the necessary precautions, not only today, but every day, to ensure the promotion of health for yourself and for those around you.

Heidi Parker is the executive director of Immunize Nevada. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Photo Courtsey of Imunize Nevada

Photo courtesey of Flickr

Immerse yourself in culture while abroad F

rom skiing in the Andes to trekking through the jungle, South America truly has it all. You might envision a tropical beach with palm trees and pina coladas, but it’s truly far more than the surface-level paradise we tend to think of.

This past summer I was fortunate enough to travel to three different countries – Chile, Argentina and Peru.

I was able to experience each in its own unique ways and to venture outside of the common tourist traps.

I learned that the people there Courtney are quite possibly McKimmey the most friendly people in the world. Despite their happiness and welcoming attitude, however, the people of South America feel as if they have been forgotten. Millions of people remain in chronic poverty, but due to relatively stable economic times and governments, these poorer communities are not priority for aid organizations. Additionally, despite

some progress, South America is still not considered an economic powerhouse.

In Chile, students had overtaken universities to protest rising costs and to demand free higher education. In Argentina, I watched people line up outside of an ATM at 6 a.m. to withdraw money before it ran out.

In Peru, workers in the Sacred Valley shut down the train to Machu Picchu to demand basic infrastructure needs like paved roads.

In Argentina, I met a young man who gave horseback riding lessons one day and wine tours the next, because that’s what makes him happy. I visited with a family in a rural farming village in Peru where they were taking a few days off from work to celebrate their 88th year of independence from slavery.

I did a lot of cool things while abroad, but the point isn’t about all of the cool pictures you take or how many Instagram likes you can get.

The point of traveling abroad is to fully immerse yourself in another culture, which means learning about current social and political issues, past historical events, local holidays, and being able to handle the good

parts as well as the bad. The travel abroad experience should be one that enriches your mind and deepens your cultural understanding instead of just a semester-long vacation.

Sure, there were times when I was frustrated with how things were, but I was also in awe of the simplicity and deep appreciation of life found there.

It’s cliche to say you ‘find yourself’ abroad, but it’s hard not to admit that you learn a lot about who you are. From the moments where you’re dancing the night away in the best discoteca to the moments where you’re stranded in a foreign country, you learn a lot about the things that make you who you are.

The most important thing to remember is to not be afraid of the unknown. Travel to the places you know absolutely nothing about. Get out of your comfort zone; I promise you won’t regret it. Even if you do, it will probably make for a great story when you get back home.

Courtney McKimmey studies economics and international affairs She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr. edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Sports A8

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Football Spotlight

Football season is back

Quinsey Sablan /Nevada Sagebrush

By Neil Patrick Healy Is it basketball season yet? I’m sure this thought must have crossed the minds of almost every Nevada fan after last Friday’s disappointing show by the football team. A win is a win, right? Yes, but not all wins are created equal, and an overtime win against an FCS team that went 4-7 last season isn’t anything to get excited about. Not only does it lack the bang you want when opening a new season and boasting new stadium renovations, but it showed the multiple glaring flaws this team still hasn’t overcome. Here is why the home opening win spells trouble ahead for Nevada in 2016.

THE OFFENSE IMPLODED After an electric first quarter where Nevada scored three touchdowns on four possessions, the offense completely fell apart. Here are some numbers to prove it. · If you take out his 50-yard touchdown run, running back James Butler averaged a mere 3.5 yards per carry for the game. · After accumulating 269 yards of offense in the first half, Nevada could only scrape together 94 total yards in the second half and overtime. · After going 12-for-16 for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, quarterback Tyler Stewart went 5-for-7 for 50 yards.

See LET DOWN page A9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

SPORTS | A9

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

Football Spotlight IN CASE YOU MISSED IT CROSS COUNTRY Wolf Pack cross country members ran through the hills of Shadow Mountain in Sparks, Nevada, on Sept. 2, dominating the Twilight Classic. The Pack won all of its duels and swept the top-seven individual places. Nevada beat out Fresno State, UCLA, UC Riverside and Sierra Nevada College.

Along with the team win, redshirt freshman Lindsey Adams took the day by storm, placing first in her only collegiate cross country race.

Adams set a new freshman course record, clocking in at 14:37 in a 4,000-meter course.

TENNIS Sept. 1 marked the grand opening of Nevada’s McArthur Tennis Center. With the opening of the new tennis center, the Pack’s tennis teams will play on campus for the first time since the ‘90s.

The Nevada men’s tennis team will be the first to play a match on the courts, come March 4. The women’s tennis team will get its first shot at playing on the courts on March 10.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Pack volleyball is heating up with its recent participation in the St. Mary’s tournament in Moraga, California, on Sept. 2 and 3.

Nevada got off to an amazing start by sweeping Middle Tennessee.

Senior Madison Morell led the team to victory with 11 kills and seven digs. The Wolf Pack would then go on to sweep UC Riverside and finish off St. Mary’s in four sets. Morell again was a key factor in the St. Mary win, coming away with 21 kills and 16 digs. This would complete its sweep of the weekend, as Nevada now sits at 4-2.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Pack basketball received a verbal commitment from four-star prospect Shawntrez Davis. Davis was originally supposed to play for Texas Tech coming out of high school, but he did not meet the academic standards for a D-1 school. After playing last season at Palm Beach College, he was pursued by many teams to come play Division I basketball, and decided Nevada was the best fit.

According to the RGJ, Palm Beach State head coach Martin McCann stated Davis is probably the best junior-college frontcourt player in the country. The Pack snagged another amazing player, and we his talent on full display come the 2017-18 basketball season.

Brandon Cruz can be reached at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.

Let Down Continued from page A8

· Nevada only recorded three first downs in the entire second half of regulation and in overtime.

Not exactly the debut that firstyear offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey wanted.

THE DEFENSE LOOKED TERRIBLE I know the triple option is tough to defend, and head coach Brian Polian made sure we all knew that. But Nevada’s defense played its best game of the season against New Mexico’s triple-option attack, and that was on a normal week of practice after a tough loss to UNLV. Polian dedicated a large portion of training camp to practice

Pack in the pros: former Nevada players in the NFL

By Will Comptom Brandon Marshall, Duke Williams, Ian Seau and Colin Kaepernick. These are just a few of the many highlighting names the University of Nevada, Reno, holds in the NFL. Nevada has 12 Biggest Little City alumni currently holding active starting player positions, and two have even won a Super Bowl ring.

Take a look into the world of each of the 12 players from Nevada, and find out what they’ve done, where they’ve been and where they’re going. These are your Pack players in the pros: 1. Don Jackson: Jackson had his way with defenders at Nevada, putting him at 13th in the all-time rushing yards list.

Jackson left Nevada last year and was picked up by the Green Bay Packers in the offseason.

Unfortunately, he was cut during final cuts and is currently a free agent in the NFL. 2. Duke Williams: Drafted in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills, Williams continues to play a solid role on the defensive side of the ball. Number 27 on the field at the safety position, Williams is entering his fourth season for the Bills. Williams has never missed a game and has 69 solo tackles recorded in his career. Although being committed to the game, Williams has only racked up one INT and one sack his entire career in the NFL, and he is in deep waters with his contract ending in 2017. With the pressure on — and in hopes of being re-signed — we will be expecting a breakout year from the Nevada safety.

3. Ian Seau: The Oceanside, California, native and nephew to former NFL legend Junior Seau will be entering his first official NFL season this year in 2016. Picked up by the Los Angeles Rams in the free agency game, Seau proved his worth and took a spot on the team at number 72 on the defensive line. The 6-foot-2, 256-pound Nevada alumnus has a lot of potential, as he ranks eighth on the Nevada all-time sack list. Seau has football running through his veins, and what he can do is something to look forward to.

4. Josh Mauga: One of the more seasoned veterans of the NFL from the Pack, Mauga entered the NFL back in 2010 when the New York Jets picked him up in the offseason. In 2014, the Kansas City Chiefs took Mauga, and the 6-foot-1 linebacker calls Arrowhead Stadium his home. Mauga is a solid linebacker, combining for 205 tackles last year alone for Kansas City along with two against the option, and Nevada still gave up 383 yards on the ground. This front seven lost a ton of talent and experience last year, and that fact was glaring last Friday.

IT ONLY GETS TOUGHER FROM HERE What makes matters worse for Nevada is that the next game is in South Bend against a high-powered Notre Dame offense. Then the Pack hosts Buffalo, flies back to Indiana to take on Purdue and then has to fly to Hawaii the week after that. Nevada could easily be 2-3 heading into the game against Fresno State (which is always tough) and into an underrated road game against San Jose State.

Pile on the unforgiving No-

GAME PREDICTIONS KENTUCKY WILDCATS VS. FLORIDA GATORS Even though Florida is the ranked team in this bout, I do not believe they will be taking home the W this time around. After their narrow victory over a UMass team that should have been blown out, I have to give this one to Kentucky.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS VS. TCU HORNED FROGS I am calling for another upset! As long as the Razorbacks’ defense holds strong, TCU might just be in for an early loss. The Horned Frogs’ dreadful performance against South Dakota State shocked a great deal of critics.

Although they did get the win, the score was far too close for comfort, since South Dakota State is out of the FCS.

NEVADA WOLF PACK VS. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH As much as I would love to see the Wolf Pack take down a top10 team, I just cannot see that occurring anytime in the near future. The gap between talent is far too big to overcome, and Nevada did not help its case with the recent game against Cal Poly.

UNLV VS. UCLA

Ben Hays/Denver Broncos

Nevada alumnus Virgil Green (85) takes the ball up field during a game last season for the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. Green is poised to be the starting tight end in Denver this season.

INTs. He has about two more years left on his contract, so we are excited to see this consistent Nevada alumnus continue to make his moves.

5. Colin Kaepernick: Debatably the best dual threat to ever throw on the silver and blue, Kaepernick was No. 9 in the NCAA for rushing TDs and was No. 8 in the WAC for passing TDs. Leaving in 2010 to join the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick had a breakout career and took his team to the Super Bowl in his debut season as a starter. Kaepernick is currently under political and media heat for his recent sitting during the national anthem, and is currently benched sitting behind San Francisco quarterback Blaine Gabbert, but is predicted to most likely make final cuts.

6. Rishard Matthews: Drafted back in 2012 in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins, Matthews has been a quiet but solid threat in the Miami receiving game. He has 107 receptions for 1,396 yards and eight TDs over his four-year career in Miami. Matthews will enter his fifth season in the NFL this year playing for the Tennessee Titans with a fresh three-year

contract, and he is hopeful for a great season.

7. Virgil Green & Brandon Marshall: The only two Nevada alumni to ever win a Super Bowl on the same team, Green was drafted in 2011 in the seventh round to the Denver Broncos, and Marshall was in the fifth round a year later in 2012 by the Jacksonville Jaguars; he was traded to Denver in 2013. Marshall is a top Denver linebacker with 219 combined tackles, 171 of which are solo. As for Green, who is more of a quiet offensive threat, he racked up 173 yards for one TD last season at tight end. Both are in the middle of new contracts and are making Nevada very proud in Denver.

8. James-Michael Johnson: Entering his fifth season as a linebacker for the Miami Dolphins, Johnson is a linebacker who has worn some colors.

Drafted in 2012 by the Cleveland Browns, he was traded to Kansas a year later and then picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015. Johnson ended up with the Jacksonville Jaguars and then with the Detroit Lions, finally finding his home in Miami with the Dolphins. Johnson will begin

his first full season with Miami this year in 2016.

9. Joel Bitonio: He was taken in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. Unfortunately, Bitonio was placed on the injury reserve list in early 2015 and has been sidelined ever since.

Bitonio is expected to make a comeback this year and bring a full improvement to the offensive line in Cleveland.

Will Compton can be reached at neil@sagebrish.unr.edu and on Twitter @NP_Healy.

UNLV is currently sitting at 1-0 and UCLA is sitting at 0-1. However, their records do not reflect how the game will turn out. UNLV is on the rise, but the team does not stand a chance against a heavily stacked UCLA squad.

UTAH STATE VS. USC We all saw Alabama’s shellacking of USC last week, which raises the question: is USC any good this year? The team has talent, but it is in need of a solid head coach after the recent dismissal of Steve Sarkisian. USC definitely needs some work, but should still beat Utah State.

Brandon Cruz can be reached at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco 49ers media services

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) calls out plays against the Miami Dolphins two seasons ago at Levi Stadium. After an eventful offseason, Kaepernick is slotted as the No. 2 quarterback behind Blaine Gabbert.

vember schedule, which has home games against San Diego State and Utah State and road games against New Mexico and UNLV. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nevada went 0-4 during that stretch. Realistically I’m guessing 1-3, but I’m not going to be shocked if Nevada throws up a fat zero in the month of November.

Here is my schedule prediction for the rest of the season:

AT NOTRE DAME: LOSS BUFFALO: WIN AT PURDUE: LOSS AT HAWAII: WIN FRESNO STATE: LOSS AT SAN JOSE STATE: WIN WYOMING: WIN AT NEW MEXICO: LOSS SAN DIEGO STATE: LOSS UTAH STATE: WIN AT UNLV: LOSS What makes the Cal Poly game so disconcerting for Nevada isn’t just the need for overtime to put a supposedly inferior team away; it’s that it’s the beginning of another sub-.500 season and an invite to a bowl that is either the first bowl game not on national television since the mid-’90s or one that starts at 8 a.m. local time.

Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada running back James Butler (20) gets wrapped up by Cal Poly defender Kitu Humphrey (8) during Nevada’s home opener at Mackay Stadium on Friday, Sept. 2. Nevada won in overtime, 30-27.

Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at neil@sagebrish. unr.edu and on Twitter @NP_Healy.

Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada head coach Brian Polian walks back to the sidelines after delivering a verbal tirade to the officials after a play during Nevada’s home opener at Mackay Stadium on Friday, Sept. 2. Polian has a reputation of yelling at officials and was fined $10,000 after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties last season against Arizona.

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

A10 | SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Football Spotlight

Nevada’s incoming freshmen look to make an early impact

By Brandon Cruz

Nevada football is officially back with its recent victory last Friday against FCS West foe Cal Poly. Leading up to the season’s start, Nevada coaches searched near and far for the best possible talent they could get their hands on. Many first-year freshmen will get chosen to redshirt, but there are a few we think can make an impact as early as this year.

LINEBACKERS With the loss of captain Jordan Dobrich and four more backers, Nevada had to add some depth to the command center of the defense.

The Pack picked up Lawson Hall, a 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker from Nathaniel Narbonne High School, and Alec Simpson, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound backer out of Palisades Charter High School. Both have great

size for the position, but Hall stands out for various reasons. Hall has a nose for the ball and can sniff it out wherever it is thrown. His coverage skills and ability to move laterally are traits any solid linebacker must have.

Hall also has a knack for making oneon-one open-field tackles, arguably one of the most difficult tasks on the defensive side of the ball. Lastly, he possesses the ability to do something that many NFL linebackers fail to do at: disguise the blitz. Just when you think Hall is dropping into coverage, he is already through the gap and pressuring the quarterback. Both new recruits can have an early impact on special teams, but Hall is the one who could actually see some playing time.

OFFENSIVE LINE Nevada’s recruiting staff stuck to the book on this one — lose four linemen, pick up four more. All four have

promise, some more than others. The player with the biggest upside appears to be Nate Brown, coming out of Tracy High School. His explosiveness off the ball is matched only by local recruit Nathan Edwards. What makes Brown stand out the most is his ability to get to the second level when he is blocking for the run. Runblocking is his strongest attribute, as he falters a bit when holding his block in passing situations. While Nevada is a run-heavy team, every player needs to be well-rounded. If his pass-blocking improves, Brown could definitely see the field some time this year, whether that be on offense or special teams. Many may argue that Carl Burton-Hill could also make an early impact, but I am skeptical. While he undoubtedly has the size, sitting at 6 feet, 5 inches, 295-pounds, his explosiveness off the ball is mediocre at best. He also must

work on engaging his first defender, shedding him and getting to the next level. Do not get me wrong, Hill has potential. He just seems to have a bit more refining to do than his counterpart.

DEFENSIVE LINE To become a feared, respected and praised defensive lineman, it is necessary to have the ability to shed blocks, stuff runs, pressure the passer and be fundamentally sound. Nevada welcomed three recruits on the Dline this offseason, all from different cities within the Battle Born State.

The two true freshmen who can have an early impact on the D-line are Nick Gregg and Kameron Toomer. Gregg is a 6-foot, 310-pound defensive tackle from Reno’s very own Reed High School. His block-shedding ability is strong, and he understands how to fill gaps when the run is coming. Gregg

is also an impressive pass rusher, but his most redeeming quality comes from backside pursuit. He never gives up on a play, has great angles and always seems to find a way to take down the runner. Toomer is a 6-foot3, 235-pound defensive end out of Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas.

As a defensive end you are taught to protect the edge and bounce plays inside because that is where most support lies. Toomer does an incredible job at this and sometimes even ends up with the tackle himself. He is a balanced player who has great run-stuffing abilities and strong pass-rusher traits. Both Gregg and Toomer could have a chance to impact Nevada’s team positively if given the chance.

Brandon Cruz can be reached at neil@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports

Students party, Polian yells as Wolf Pack avoids disaster in season opener

By Jack Rieger Keystone Light sales in Reno have skyrocketed, coach Brian Polian is yelling at referees and Nevada almost lost to an FCS opponent. In other words, college football is back. Here are five things we learned about the state of Nevada football after Friday’s near-disaster.

NEVADA IS BETTER AT TAILGATING THAN PLAYING FOOTBALL If the amount of beer cans consumed by students correlated with the football team’s success, Nevada would be a top25 program. An hour before the game started, the student tailgate section of the north end-zone parking lot looked like a scene from “Project X,” except more Chubbies shorts and body odor. A U-Haul truck overflowing with sexually aroused 19- to 22-year-olds was anchored at the west end of the tailgate, while pickup trucks containing more sweaty, disorderly students lined the north and south ends of the tailgate, creating a parabola from hell.

The center of the parabola was pure chaos, as full cans of Coors Light flew by the mob of students like stray bullets in a war zone. Some especially desperate tailgaters resorted to picking up the exploding beer cans and inhaling whatever fluid they could salvage from the leaking containers. There was a deafening blare of music coming from speakers lined up around the parabola that made having a conversation nearly impossible. Steven Reilly, a senior-year finance student, spoke very highly of the tailgating experience.

“I had an unbelievable time,” Reilly said.

“It was really one of the better tailgates I’ve ever been to in my life. I did not expect it to be like that, but it was top-notch.”

While the tailgate was filled with energy and excitement, most students seemed completely disinterested in going to the game, including Reilly.

“I got too drunk,” Reilly said. “I went to Archies instead to sober up. I really wanted to go before the tailgate started but things kind’ve got out of control and it was just out of the question. I heard we almost lost though.”

For the students who didn’t go to the game, Steven was right. Nevada barely avoided losing to Cal Poly, an FCS opponent better known for its computer science program and alumnus Weird Al Yankovic than its football team.

it so frequently that it visibly wears down officials and makes Polian — a first-time head coach — look childish.

WOLF PACK’S YOUNG FRONT SEVEN DID NOT LOOK GOOD Cal Poly’s triple-option offense wore down Nevada’s inexperienced front seven with a relentless running game. Cal Poly netted 383 rushing yards to Nevada’s 174 and ran 83 total plays, while Nevada ran just 58. Polian mentioned his defense’s fatigue in the postgame news conference.

“One thing that happened to us in the first half is we got physically worn down,” Polian said. “When the difference between plays is 83 to 58, your defense is going to get get worn down and you’ve got to get off the field.”

Nevada’s defensive front seven consists of six new starters and an especially inexperienced linebacking core anchored by redshirt freshman Gabe Sewell. The defense’s lack of depth was exposed when a couple of minor injuries forced Nevada to play more linebackers and linemen with even less experience.

To be fair, Cal Poly’s triple option is an unusual offense to contain. The triple option is designed to create chaos and misdirection and gives less talented offenses a chance to even the playing field. It’s sort of like when Donald Trump resorts to name-calling and insulting Hillary Clinton instead of participating in civilized debate. In other words, the triple offense is the Trump of football.

MACKAY STADIUM RECEIVED A MAJOR FACE LIFT In case you haven’t heard, the oversized high school field that was Mackay Stadium received a $14 million face-lift over the summer. Most notably, there is now a video screen from the 21st century and a sound system that emits audible, relevant

noises. The cracked red track has been resurfaced and colored blue and silver, and a two-story permanent restroom has been added. According to Knuth, 4,084 blue chair-backs were added to seven sections of the bleachers (Reno chiropractors are going to lose some business). Lastly, a 9,000-square-foot club level was installed below the stadium’s press box, which can hold up to 300 people and host nongameday events.

The renovations were a real bright spot on Friday night and were desperately needed. Finding an open urinal in Mackay before Friday was more difficult than graduating in four years (let’s stop building dorms and consider building more classrooms). Tip of the cap to Doug Knuth and Nevada Athletics for listening to the fans and improving Mackay.

TYLER STEWART AND RECEIVING CORE LOOK DANGEROUS Nevada lacked a playmaking aerial attack last season, and the offense was almost completely dependent on the running game to produce points. On Friday night, Tyler Stewart looked awfully comfortable in his second season as the starting quarterback, completing 17 of 23 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Six minutes into the game, Stewart delivered an off-target fade pass in the corner of the end zone to junior Wyatt Demps, who miraculously hauled in the ball with one hand.

Stewart had success connecting Head Coach Brian Polian has disagreement with an official on Saturday, Sept. 2 at Mackay Stawith his receiving core throughout the dium. Polian was fined $10,000 last year for his behavior during a game against Arizona. first quarter as the senior quarterback completed his first seven passes, helping Nevada jump out to a 21-7 lead. He tent pass rush. sign for an offense desperate for a dancompleted all five of his third-down Last season, Stewart only completed gerous passing game. passes and also ran for 31 yards. Stewart 57 percent of his passes and threw for and the offense became less effective as just 15 touchdowns. It’s a small sample Jack Rieger can be reached on Twitter the game progressed, especially when size against a subpar opponent, but 17 @JackRieger or at Jrieger@sagebrush.

Cal Poly was able to establish a consis- for 23 and two touchdowns is a good unr.edu

BRIAN POLIAN IS STILL YELLING AT REFEREES In an exclusive conversation with Reno Gazette-Journal columnist Chris Murray last week, Polian said, “I don’t want people to just have an image of me red-faced.”

Over the past three years, Polian has earned a reputation with fans and opponents as a hothead who is quick to lose his temper with officials while on the sideline.

In a game against Arizona last season, Polian was guilty of two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and fined $10,000

by Athletic Director Doug Knuth for his behavior.

During the conversation with Murray last week, Polian went on to say, “I love my job. I smile a lot. I love coming to work. I love our kids. I love our coaches. I love working with the athletic department staff. Obviously there are certain times of the year where all eyes are on you, and if you act a certain way you create a reputation and now I have to try and battle that a little bit.”

On Saturday, Polian was back to his usual shtick, repeatedly berating officials on the sideline for calls he thought they missed. In Polian’s defense, screaming at Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush officials is basically in a college football James Butler (20) scores the game-winning touchdown on Friday, Sept. 2 at Mackay Stadium. Butler’s touchdown came in the first overtime period and clinched the viccoach’s job description, but Polian does tory for Nevada, 30-27.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

SPORTS | A11

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

Football Spotlight

Back to School Parking Tips The beginning of the Fall Semester is always a busy time on campus.

Check out these tips for finding the best parking spots and ways to get around campus!

For parking maps, permit information and PACKTransit shuttle routes visit: unr.edu/parking

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Expect Irish to cruise past outmatched Wolf Pack

Purchase a UNR Parking Permit Online

Avoid the long lines and purchase your permits online. For permit pricing and availability, visit https://unr.t2hosted.com Parking permits must be displayed Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. § New Parking Zone – There is a new Tan parking lot on Enterprise Road north of the CMM. This new Tan area is close to the Medical School and the

vs.

Saturday Sept, 10, 12:30 p.m.

By Neil Patrick Healy What’s worse for the morale of a fan base than needing overtime to beat a bad FCS team?

A body-bag game! Nevada has to travel across the country to take on the University of Notre Dame, and if things play out the way they did against Cal Poly, the Irish are going to have a field day.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSIVE LINE WILL DOMINATE

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Arrive to Campus Early

Arriving well before your scheduled class time will give you plenty of time to park your vehicle and find your way around campus.

Ø

Avoid Driving to Campus Alone

With the high cost of parking permits, finding a carpool partner helps you share the cost and the driving responsibilities.

Ø

Ride your Bicycle to Campus

If you’re planning on riding your bicycle to campus, register your bike with us and receive a FREE bicycle parking permit. Visit unr.edu/parking for additional details.

Ø Use PACKTransit

Campus shuttles are quick, convenient and feature expanded routes this year.

Shuttle stops are serviced in 10 minutes or less. Please be courteous to other riders and do not ride for extended periods of time. For a copy of the route or Shuttle Passenger Policy, visit unr.edu/parking.

Ø Take the City Bus to Campus

Never search for parking on campus again! With the RTC RIDE pass, students enjoy unlimited rides to campus and Reno/Sparks for $230 for 12 months! Visit our unr.edu/parking for additional information.

Ø

Motorist Assistance Program

The Motorist Assistance Program is our chance to help you. If you are faculty, staff or a student, and you lock your keys in your car, have a dead battery or have a flat tire while on campus, we are ready to lend a hand – FREE OF CHARGE. For assistance, simply contact us at (775) 784-4654. Motorist Assistance is available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays.

A recent trend for Notre Dame is the ability to produce elite offensive linemen and get them drafted into the NFL. Since 2014, the Irish have had two first-rounders, one second-rounder and one third-rounder. The 2016 line is no different.

Notre Dame has an offensive line that averages out as the biggest line among the preseason AP top-10 teams. With an average height/ weight measurement of 6 feet, 5.1 inches and 315 pounds, the Irish line is bigger than the lines of nine NFL 2015 playoff teams. Senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey, junior left guard Quenton Nelson and junior right tackle Alex Bars all have high projections in the 2017 and 2018 drafts. Add junior center Sam Mustipher and senior right guard Colin McGovern looking to have breakout seasons, and Nevada’s front seven is in trouble.

The Wolf Pack front seven lost an alarming amount of experience and talent from last year’s team and now has to plug in younger and less inexperienced guys to fill the void. If Cal Poly can put holes in Nevada’s defense, then expect the Irish line to carve through it like butter.

IRISH BACKS WILL EXPLOIT NEVADA DEFENSE Despite do-it-all back C. J. Prosise being taken in the third round of last year’s NFL draft, the Irish return two stud running backs with an abundant amount of experience.

Sophomore Josh Adams had a huge breakout season for the Irish in 2015. The first carry of his career went for a 26-yard touchdown against Texas, he had a 98-yard touchdown run against Wake Forest and he broke the Notre Dame freshman rushing record with 835 yards.

Adams will join senior Tarean Folston, who tore his ACL on his third carry of last season but had 889 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore.

Both backs are poised to have big seasons for the Irish, and with an excellent offensive line paving gigantic holes for them to run through, both backs should have no problem exploiting the weak Nevada defense. Expect both Adams and Folston to have over 100 yards rushing.

Don’t be surprised if at least four running backs record carriers over the course of the game.

NEVADA’S OFFENSIVE LINE WILL STRUGGLE Flip to the offensive side of the ball, and the picture doesn’t get prettier for Nevada. Take out sophomore running back James Butler’s 50-yard touchdown run in the first quarter last Friday, and he averaged a mere 3.5 yards per carry. It wasn’t really Butler’s fault, but the offensive line couldn’t create holes for him to run through. Notre Dame’s defensive front seven isn’t elite, but it has the pieces to be close enough. It is for sure leaps and bounds better than Cal Poly’s, which should be concerning for the Wolf Pack.

Despite getting torched against Texas on Sunday night, Notre Dame’s defense is still going to be the most talented Nevada faces all season. Establishing a ground game up the middle of the Irish defensive line is a tall order considering both defensive tackles weigh more than most of Nevada’s starting offensive line.

Junior Daniel Cage stands at 6 feet 1 inch and 315 pounds, and he looks to take the next step as an interior lineman after showing tremendous growth as a sophomore. When Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer says on record that he

regrets not landing a player — as he did when asked about Cage — you know the player is something special.

Next to Cage is 6-foot-6, 310-pound sophomore Jerry Tillery, who logged significant playing time as a freshman despite originally being recruited as an offensive tackle. With all that size in the middle, Butler will once again have trouble finding holes to run through. Pair those two with quality defensive ends Andrew Trumbetti and Isaac Rochell, and Nevada will have a hard time doing much on the ground.

NEVADA PASSING GAME WILL SHOW FLASHES Like I said, Notre Dame’s defense was exposed against Texas. The Irish defensive coordinator, Brian VanGorder, is already on thin ice in his third year in South Bend, and the internet even had a couple of petitions to have him fired.

Nevada’s offense may make some plays simply because VanGorder can’t get it together.

The one bright spot in Nevada’s disappointing opening performance was, oddly enough, senior quarterback Tyler Stewart. The secondyear starter made some big plays down the field in the first half and threw two touchdown passes while going 17-for-23 and throwing for 189 yards. Notre Dame’s secondary has more high-quality players than Cal Poly, but there are still some questions after senior starting safety Max Redfield was dismissed from the team for carrying a handgun without a license and possession of marijuana.

I’m sure some Nevada fans watched the Notre Dame–Texas game and thought, “Notre Dame’s defense is bad, so we have a chance.” That’s assuming Nevada has the same talent as Texas does, which isn’t remotely true. Once the running game is largely taken away, Stewart will be forced to make plays with his arm. We saw him complete nice passes upfield, including a 46yard strike to Victor Gonzalez. There will be a couple of nice throws, but don’t expect Stewart to carry the Pack to victory on his shoulders.

NOTRE DAME RECEIVERS WILL MAKE PLAYS With the graduation of Chris Brown and speedster Will Fuller being taken in the first round by the Houston Texans in last year’s draft, Notre Dame is essentially breaking in a new receiving core for 2016. The only returning receiver with significant playing time is Torii Hunter Jr. (yes, the son of former outfielder Torii Hunter), but where the Irish lack in experience, they make up for in raw talent.

Sophomore receiver CJ Sanders will be lined up in the slot and could give the Notre Dame linebackers and secondary nightmares. Sophomore Equanimeous St. Brown, besides having one of the best names in sports, is a huge mismatch problem for Nevada’s cornerbacks on the outside. St. Brown broke out in a major way against Texas, catching five passes for 75 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, he towers over the Nevada corners, which will have to draw one of the safeties into a double team. Sooner or later that is going to get exposed by Hunter Jr., Sanders or one of the Notre Dame tight ends.

PREDICTION Barring an Appalachian State over Michiganlike upset, Notre Dame will be in control of this game from beginning to end. The talent gap between these two teams is just too extreme for Nevada to take this game away. The game could be a two-possession game going into halftime, but the second half will yield much more drastic results. One of the consequences of scheduling a body-bag game when you’re a school like Nevada is that you’re eventually going to have to step on the field and hope for the best. Nevada Athletics better enjoy cashing that game check.

Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at neil@sagebrish.unr.edu and on Twitter @NP_Healy.

Gameday

Saturday, Sept. 10, at 12:30 p.m.

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

A12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Football Spotlight

vs. Cal Poly at Notre Dame vs. Buffalo W 30-27 (OT)

12:30 p.m.

9/10

MEET THE TEAM

6 p.m.

9/17

at Purdue

at Hawaii

vs. Fresno

TBA 9/24

9 p.m.

10/01

TBA 10/08

at San Jose vs. Wyoming 7:30 p.m.

10/15

TBA 10/22

at New Mexico TBA 11/05

vs. San Diego 7:30 p.m.

11/12

Pack needs overtime

at Utah State TBA 11/19

at UNLV TBA 11/26

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Nevada nearly loses opener to FCS opponent

By Jack Rieger

Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada linebacker Alex Bertrando (56) poses for a photo at Nevada’s practice at Mackay Stadium on August 25. Bertrando was named a captain his senior year and will be looked to for leadership.

WEEKLY TOP 5

Fantasy Sleepers

1

JOSH GORDON

If Josh Gordon could stop smoking weed, he could potentially be one of the best receivers in the NFL. Gordon is suspended the first four games of this season, and he hasn’t played in over two seasons due to repeated failed drug tests.

When Gordon plays in week five, he will be an immediate top-10 NFL receiver.

Nevada football was on the verge of losing a disastrous opening game of the season to FCS opponent Cal Poly on Friday night. Then running back James Butler scored a game-winning touchdown in the overtime period to salvage what was otherwise an embarrassing 30-27 win.

Nevada came storming out of the gates as Butler scurried for a 50-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the game. Cal Poly then fumbled on a pitch to the left, and Nevada recovered on the opponent’s 27-yard line. Four plays later, Stewart heaved a pass to the corner of the end zone where Wyatt Demps made a fantastic one-handed catch to give the Wolf Pack an early 14-0 lead.

The game was flowing exactly as Nevada had imagined; the running game was finding holes in the defensive line and the Wolf Pack front seven was containing Cal Poly’s unpredictable triple-option offense. And then inexplicably for the next 55 minutes of the game, Nevada’s offense became totally unproductive and its defense got overpowered by Cal Poly’s offensive line.

Cal Poly out-rushed Nevada 404-to-190 and ran 83 plays to Nevada’s 58. The Mustangs’ triple-option offense kept the Wolf Pack on its heels throughout the duration of the game, and Cal Poly quarterback Dano Graves ran the ball 26 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns. The young Wolf Pack front seven was overmatched and fatigued by the unique offense.

“One thing that happened to us in the first half is we got physically worn down,” said coach Brian Polian. “When the difference between plays is 83 to 56, your defense is going to get worn down and you’ve got to get off the field.”

In the second half Nevada’s offense only had four drives, three of which resulted in three and outs Butler, who finished with 123 yards and two touchdowns, had trouble finding running room in the second half. Quarterback Tyler Stewart completed his first seven throws, but he couldn’t get in a rhythm after the first quarter.

Cal Poly outscored Nevada 14-0 in the second half, and with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter, Graves scored a game-tying touchdown on a 1-yard rush. Cal Poly began

Screenshot of a tweet by Nevada Appeal reporter Joe Santoro.

2

MARCUS MARIOTA Tennessee coaches are raving about the second-year quarterback’s accuracy and chemistry with Titans’ receivers. Mariota struggled to establish himself as a rookie last season, but talented running backs along with another year of experience should help Mariota make a leap.

3

JARED COOK

4

STERLING SHEPARD

with the ball in the overtime period and settled for a field goal. Nevada answered the call with a fourplay touchdown drive, finished by Butler’s 5-yard touchdown rush. Nevada players sprinted to Butler and lifted him on their shoulders as the Wolf Pack narrowly escaped a loss to an FCS opponent.

While Nevada played inconsistently and struggled to establish a rhythm on offense or defense, coach Polian was not complaining in the postgame press conference.

“I’m not alarmed, I’m pleased,” Polian said.

“We won the game. I’m not going to apologize for a win.”

While the Wolf Pack ultimately won the game, Friday night’s performance won’t translate to many wins against Division I opponents. Polian anticipates his team will make an improvement next weekend at national

Jared Cook is an NBA power forward disguised as a tight end.

After years of mediocre quarterbacks, Cook now has Aaron Rodgers throwing him darts. Cook will be a redzone target and will have plenty of catches over the middle.

The Giants drafted Shepard in the second round of this year’s draft and will immediately plug the rookie into a highimpact role as the second receiver on the depth chart behind Odell Beckham Jr.

5

TEVIN COLEMAN Drafting Coleman, who will be available in the late rounds, is basically buying an insurance policy on Atlanta running back Devonte Freeman. Freeman rushed for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, while Coleman received the secondary carries.

powerhouse Notre Dame.

“There was some sloppiness and some things that absolutely need to be corrected,” Polian said. “You make the biggest gains between game one and game two. There is no preseason football in college; you got to work the kinks out in a game that matters. And certainly there’s some things tonight that we have to get fixed.”

Nevada will travel to South Bend, Indiana, to play Notre Dame on Sept. 10. The game will be televised on NBC at 12:30 p.m.

Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@Sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @JackRieger.

Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

Sophomore defensive end Korey Rush (99) prepares to rush the quarterback on Friday, Sept. 2 at Mackay Stadium. Nevada narrowly escaped defeat, beating Cal Poly 30-27.

GAME PREDICTION: NEVADA AT NOTRE DAME

Neil Patrick Healy

Notre Dame is better than Nevada in every facet of football. Even with one of the more overrated defensive coordinators in the nation in Brian VanGorder, the Irish still have superior talent on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame has three potiental first or second-round draft picks along its offensive line, which spells trouble for Nevada’s front seven. I expect Notre Dame to light up the scoreboard and have two 100-yard rushers.

Jack Rieger

What’s more likely, Nevada upsets Notre Dame in South Bend or UNLV upsets UCLA in Pasadena? At this point I’d take the Rebels, considering they convincingly defeated their FCS opponent in week one while Nevada limped to victory against Cal Poly. The Fighting Irish are currently favored by 21 points, and I’m surprised that number isn’t higher. If Nevada pulls off the upset, I will wrestle the geese in Manzanita Lake.

Brandon Cruz

The Mountain West Conference is going to have an extremly rough week. UNLV plays UCLA, Utah State squares off against USC and Nevada gets to take a shot at Notre Dame — all of which are top-25 teams. I can’t see any possible scenario that has Nevada winning this week in South Bend, Indiana.

Not only is the Pack outmatched in talent, but it’s walking into one of the rowdiest crowds college football has to offer. This is the only time an Irishman can defeat a wolf.