Rowe looks solid at QB for Wolf Pack in scrimmage

RENO - Sophomore quarterback Jeff Rowe may have gained some valuable ground in his quest to be Nevada's No. 1 quarterback.

Rowe, who lost his starting job early last season to senior Andy Heiser because of an injury and overall ineffectiveness, completed 10 of 14 passes for 99 yards in the Wolf Pack's first scrimmage of fall camp Monday at Mackay Stadium.

"I felt comfortable today," Rowe said. "The receivers ran great routes and we had only a couple of dropped balls. For the first scrimmage (of the fall) I thought things went well."

So did head coach Chris Ault.

"I thought Jeff looked good," coach Chris Ault said. "All the quarterbacks did a good job on audibles.

"It was a good scrimmage. I thought both sides had their moments. Each side showed intensity, but when the offense scored or the defense stopped them, I thought intensity was lost. We have to learn to maintain and keep that intensity (throughout)."

Heiser had a rough day, completing just one of five passes for seven yards in his two-plus series'. Travis Moore, meanwhile, was 3-for-5 passing for 61 yards, including a 32-yard TD pass to Trevor Brackett. Moore may have inched closer to the No. 2 spot with his performance.

All told, the offense piled up 316 yards unofficially.

The TD pass that Moore threw came on an audible. Facing a second-and-5 from the defense's 32-yard line, Moore found Brackett open about eight or nine yards downfield. Brackett got a couple of nice blocks, broke a couple of tackles and took it into the end zone.

"If he hadn't called the audible I would have still seen the opening," said Brackett, a JC transfer from Southern California. "It's a good feeling. I'm just trying to go out and do the job."

Brackett, who has been playing more as an inside receiver than outside recently, said teammate Nichiren Flowers has helped him make the adjustment.

"Trevor has had a good camp," Ault said. "He's aggressive and tough. He's going to be a good receiver."

Brackett is in a fight for playing time with Flowers, Alex Rosenblum, Caleb Spencer and Talib Wise. It's a quick and talented group.

On the defensive side of the ball, Paul Pratt returned a fumble 43 yards for a touchdown. Chris Barry, a senior defensive tackle, was solid with four tackles alone on the second drive by the offense.

"We had some really big moments, but we fell off," said Barry Sacks, co-defensive coordinator. "We need to show consistency all the time."

NOTES: Former Douglas High stars Luke Rippee and Andy McIntosh plus Carson's Nick Shine saw very limited action late in the 70-minute scrimmage. Rippee assisted on one tackle ... The second scrimmage of fall camp is slated for Saturday at 3:30 at Mackay Stadium. Admission is free and the snack bar will be open.

Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-1281.