The 2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno

University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...

 in National Collegiate Athletic Association

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 during the 2008 season

2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...

. Nevada competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference

Western Athletic Conference

The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...

 (WAC).

The team was led by long-time head coach Chris Ault

Chris Ault

Chris Ault is the current college football head coach of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. Ault, along with John Gagliardi, is one of two active coaches who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame....

, who served in the position for his 24th season. Nevada utilized Ault's own creation, the "Pistol" offense

Pistol Offense

The pistol offense is an American football formation and strategy developed in 2004 by Chris Ault, the University of Nevada head coach. It is a hybrid of the traditional shotgun and single back offenses. In the pistol offense, also commonly referred to as the "pistol formation", the quarterback...

. This offense was directed by 15th-year offensive coordinator

Offensive coordinator

An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

 Chris Klenakis. The defense was led by first-year defensive coordinator

Defensive coordinator

A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

 Nigel Burton

Nigel Burton

Nigel Burton is the current head coach for the Portland State Vikings college football team.-Playing career:Burton grew up in Sacramento where he attended Jesuit High School...

.

Nevada finished the regular season with a 7–5 mark, 5–3 in WAC play, which resulted in a three-way tie for second-place in the conference. Hawaii and Louisiana Tech both likewise finished with 5–3 conference records. During the season, the Wolf Pack played three ranked teams: Texas Tech

2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team

The 2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the college football season of 2008/09. The team was coached by Mike Leach. The Red Raiders played their home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. The football team competed in the Division I Football Bowl...

, Missouri

2008 Missouri Tigers football team

The 2008 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2008 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel, who returned in his eighth season with Mizzou, and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.Quarterback Chase Daniel returned for...

, and Boise State

2008 Boise State Broncos football team

The 2008 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2008 college football season. The Broncos played their home games at Bronco Stadium, most famous for its blue artificial turf surface, often referred to as the "smurf-turf". The blue turf was new for the 2008...

. Nevada lost each game, but gave Boise State its closest contest in conference play, losing by seven points. Nevada, however, suffered a setback when they lost to , who were called by one publication the "perennial WAC bottom feeders".

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Nevada.-Personal:...

 was named 2008 WAC Offensive Player of the Year. During the regular season, he passed for 2,479 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 1,115 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was aided by running back Vai Taua

Vai Taua

Vailala "Vai" Lima Taua is an American football running back, for the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Nevada.-Early years:Taua was born in Fountain Valley,...

, who ran for 1,420 yards and 14 touchdowns. It was the first time in school history that Nevada had two 1,000 yard rushers on the team simultaneously.

Nevada secured its fourth straight bowl game

Bowl game

In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...

 appearance and faced Maryland

2008 Maryland Terrapins football team

The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...

 in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl

2008 Humanitarian Bowl

The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Nevada Wolf Pack on December 30, 2008. It was the two teams' first meeting. The game featured two conference tie-ins: the University of Maryland represented the Atlantic Coast Conference ...

. The Wolf Pack lost in a high-scoring and record-setting game, 42–35.

Schedule