Don’t look now, but there might be a wolf behind.

Or maybe a whole pack.

While the likes of UC Davis, Sacramento State, and Chico State have been battling through the Pacific Western Collegiate Rugby Conference, Nevada has quietly racked up a 4-1 conference record.

Head Coach Nelo Lui told Goff Rugby Report that he was actually looking to experiment in the first half of the season, and expected to see a few losses. Well, seems like he was wrong.

“We used our first bunch of games to get the right feel,” said Lui, who was capped at 7s by the USA. “We had all road games then so we figured we might have some trouble.”

Lui moved the lineup around through four straight road games, and the Wolfpack’s only loss was a competitive 41-19 to Chico State.

“Last week was the first time we played at home, and it was really good to be home,” said Lui. “And it was the first time we really had the players in the positions we wanted. It was sort of like we were finally where we belong.”

The result? An 86-12 win over San Jose State.

Among the shifts, was Mario Diaz from tighthead prop to No. 8, putting a freshman in the front row. Not exceptionally tall, Diaz is a powerful, bulldozing presence and difficult to stop. Flyhalf Kyle Riley is very good on defense and runs the backline well, while scurmhalf Christopher Stevens has been excellent.   

The bad news? captain and fullback Michael Keady is injured, but Lui said the team as a whole is coming together.

“Going 4-1 is a good start, and we have some tough teams to play, but we’ve been working hard to teach the basics and get those basics right,” said Lui. “We are taking it one game at a time, and it seems to be working.”

UC Fresno State and Sacramento State are next on the docket. Sac State is now 4-2 after beating Chico State in the rain this past weekend, and the Hornets pose a significant threat. Fresno State has been a competitive 1-3-1, but Nevada, in Reno, should handle them.

So it could all come down to the final game of the season, when Nevada, then possible 6-1, takes on UC Davis, then, most likely, 7-0, for #1 in the conference. But even if things go less well than that, the Wolf Pack is in the middle of the Pac West playoff conversation.