RENO -- Nevada football coach Chris Ault is counting on the leadership of senior quarterback Jeff Rowe and an improved pass defense to try to weather a tough schedule that opens next month with road games at Fresno State and Arizona State.

"This is the toughest schedule this university has ever played. No question about it,'' Ault told reporters during the Wolf Pack's fall training camp.

The season opener pits two of the three Western Athletic Conference 2005 co-champions against each other at Fresno in a Friday night game Sept. 1, which airs nationally on ESPN.

Nevada travels to Arizona State on Sept. 9, then hosts Colorado State and Northwestern the next two weekends before playing at rival UNLV and at Hawaii. The Wolf Pack hosts Boise State, the other defending co-champ, in the season finale Nov. 25.

"When you look at your first six games with four of them on the road, you better strap it up and have your necks bowed,'' Ault said.

"The real critical factor for us is not worrying about that but staying focused on what we've got to do and the way we plan to attack offensively and defensively. You cant worry about the other guy,'' he said.

Nevada posted a 9-3 record last season, including a 49-48 win over Central Florida in overtime in the Hawaii Bowl Dec. 24.

Rowe was 22nd in total offense nationally, while averaging 264.1 yards per game for a total of 3,169 yards. He finished 30th in passing efficiency, completing 241 of 389 attempts for 2,925 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Also returning is his favorite target, senior wide receiver Caleb Spencer, who was 30th in the nation in receptions per game with 6.1 and 35th in receiving yards per game with 80.8. Spencer accounted for 889 yards on 67 catches last year.

Senior Robert Hubbard, who backed up B.J. Mitchell last year and averaged 60 yards a game, is expected to be the starting running back in the lone back offense that Ault calls "the Pistol'' - a form of a shotgun in which the quarterback is back a few yards from center. The Sporting News named Hubbard, tight end Anthony Pudewell and offensive guard Barrett Reznick to a preseason all-league team.

"I think it's a good group," Ault said. "Our receiver corps is a talented group. Tight end is a strength for us ... Hubbard, no question he's an excellent football player.

"We're putting heavy, heavy emphasis on the defense. We moved a lot of personnel to the defense. That's where I felt last year we were just inconsistent. We were decent against the run, but against the pass we were just inconsistent,'' he said.

On defense, Nevada returns a pair of stars in cornerback Joe Garcia and linebacker Ezra Butler, who both made the Sporting News' preseason all-WAC team.

Ault said he's been pleased with the attitude of his seniors on defense.

"I'm glad to see them come back ready to lead this team both on and off the field,'' he said.

"The biggest difference for us now is, defensively speaking these players and veterans have played this defense. They know what the strengths were and what our shortcomings are,'' he said.

"Offensively speaking, the pistol being the special offense that it was last year. It is the thing. We have very great confidence in it and so do the players,'' he said.

"From where we were last year at this time, when we were just trying to figure out what we could get done, that question has been erased,'' he said.

The Wolf Pack plans a public scrimmage at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Mackay Stadium.