Opponent preview: Nevada

Vanderbilt and Nevada will square off in Week 2 at Vanderbilt Stadium on September 8. Here's a closer look at the Wolfpack as of early July.

Below are closer looks at the lineups, with key stats from 2017 included. In the "honors" section, preseason all-conference honors are listed according to Athlon's ("ATH"), Lindy's ("LIN") and Phil Steele ("PS").

The Wolfpack began the 2017 season with an 0-7 record but, finished on a high note winning two of their last three games. Midway through the season, Nevada defeated Hawaii in a high-scoring battle, and then took down San Jose State and UNLV to cap off a disappointing season.

The Wolfpack return a proven quarterback and countless skill position players to provide loads of excitement for the 2018 season. Returning starter Ty Gangi, a senior, added 180 yards rushing last year and has thrown for 4,047 career yards.

Bruising junior Kelton Moore to carry the rushing load in 2018. Moore's 2017 stats aren't eye-popping but, the 815 rushing yards stand out due to the lack of consistency on the offensive line. He finished with a paltry four TDs but, his numbers should be exponentially higher than 2017. Behind Moore, the Wolfpack will rely on shifty junior Jaxson Kincaide to give the starter much-needed rest in a fast-paced offense.

The receiving corps will be led by talented freshman McLane Mannix, a former Vanderbilt commitment. Mannix was named Freshman All-American last year after catching six touchdowns and catching 778 yards of passes. At 6-foot-4, Brendan O'Leary-Orange provides a redzone target for Gangi as well as a veteran presence to the position. Fellow Junior Kaleb Fossum was sidelined with an injury most of 2017 but, should be a key target in 2018. Sophomores Daiyan Henley and Elijah Cooks round out a deep and talented receiving group.

Last year, the Wolfpack line allowed only 16 sacks, the team's fewest since 2010. In 2018, Nevada has to replace the entire right side of its offensive line but, feels confident Jake Nelson and Anthony Palomares will anchor the left side. Veteran center Sean Krepsz is a beast at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, and will be a huge part of the running game in 2018. Jermaine Ledbetter and Nate Brown will be learning on the fly to begin the 2018 season as neither have starting experience.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel runs the rare 3-3-5 scheme and will continue the same stack in 2018. This is a scheme rarely seen in present-day football but, Casteel feels as if this unique style gives the Wolfpack defense an identity.

Seven seniors lead the way for the 2018 Nevada defense with talented players at essentially every position. The Wolfpack return their No. 2, 3, 4, 5 , 7 and 9 tacklers from a season ago.

Nevada surrendered nearly 40 points per game in 2017, second worst in the Mountain West. On the bright side, the Wolfpack return seven starters on defense including All-MWC linebacker Malik Reed. Casteel was forced to switch Reed from end to linebacker following the 2017 season to clear an obvious hole at the position.

On the defensive line, a pair of seniors in Korey Rush and Jordan Silva will control the edges with junior Hausia Sekona anchoring the middle. This group allowed 208 rushing yards per game and recorded 23 sacks.

Rush is expected to have a breakout season after being named to the preseason ALL-MWC team by Lindy's Sports. Silva and Sekona combined for a total of 60 tackles last season and should be solid contributors to an experienced defensive line.

Senior Malik Reedwas a reliable, durable, and productive captain of the defense. He started every game for the Wolfpack while recording 49 tackles and eight sacks. Besides Reed, Nevada will rely on Gabe Sewell and Lucas Weber to complement Reed's production. The four linebackers returning in 2018 combined for 152 tackles in 2017 and should be the strongest position group for Casteel's defense.

In the secondary, the Wolfpack are led by a pair of seniors in Dameon Baber and Asauni Rufus. In 2017, Baber started all 12 games and finished second in tackles while Rufus suffered an injury in week 10 but, still finished third in tackles.

At corner, juniors Daniel Brown and E.J. Muhammad who are mirror images of each other in terms of body type. They each produced minimal tackling numbers in 2017 but, will have to step into larger roles in 2018.

The Commodores and Wolfpack will be meeting for the first time, which should provide eager fans flocking to the Music City. Nevada will be traveling to a Southeastern Conference stadium for the first time since 2015, when it suffered a 44-27 loss at Texas A&M. The Wolfpack are looking for their first win over an SEC team in school history.

The only other Mountain West team Vanderbilt has hosted is Air Force. The 'Dores are 15-2 when hosting non-conference foes since 2011, according to Phil Steele.

Nevada is an inexperienced team with a young coach still learning how to master his role of leading an FBS team. Both teams have proven quarterbacks with solid running games, so fans in attendance can likely expect a shootout on West End.

Vanderbilt has a sizable advantage in the trenches with five starters returning on the offensive line and the Odeyingbo brothers leading the defensive line.

The one advantage Nevada may have over the Commodores is its up tempo offense. Vanderbilt coach Mason won't have to change the game plan much at all from Week 1 to Week 2 because of the similarities between MTSU and Nevada offensively. The air raid offense is quickly evolving in the college game and the Wolfpack can score in a hurry under Gangi.

In the end, Vanderbilt should pull away with its depth and advantage in the trenches but, don't count out the explosive Wolfpack offense.

2017 record: 3-9 (3-5 Mountain West)

Coach: Jay Norvell (2nd year, 3-9)

PPG, total offense in 2017: 28.2, 398

PPG, total defense in 2017: 33.9, 471

Turnover margin: minus-2

Athlon's preseason FBS power rank: 99

ESPN preseason FPI: 95

Lindy's preseason FBS power rank: 89

Phil Steele preseason FBS power rank: 91

S&P preseason ranking: 101