University of Nevada Athletics

NEVADA WOLF PACK (0-0, 0-0 WAC) vs. FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS (0-0, 0-0 WAC)

College Colors Day Classic
Friday., Sept. 1, 2006 - 5:02 p.m. PT - Bulldog Stadium (41,031) - Fresno, Calif.

TELEVISION: ESPN (Bob Wischusen, Rodney Gilmore, Trevor Matich & Rob Simmelkjaer)
RADIO:  Wolf Pack Sports Network (ESPN Radio 630 AM, Reno)
 Dan Gustin (play-by-play) & Bill Daniel (analyst)
SERIES HISTORY:   Fresno State leads 22-14-1 (13-6 in games played in Fresno).
LAST MEETING: Nevada won the last meeting between the two teams, turning in a 38-35 victory on Nov. 26, 2005 at Mackay Stadium in Reno.

The University of Nevada kicks off the 2006 season on Friday, Sept. 1 as the Wolf Pack (0-0) heads to Fresno, Calif., to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs (0-0) in the inaugural College Colors Day Classic. Kickoff at Bulldog Stadium is scheduled for 5:02 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday in the season and conference opener for both teams. With 38 returning letterwinners and 14 returning starters, 22nd-year head coach Chris Ault and the Wolf Pack are coming off the team’s best season in nine years after turning in a 9-3 overall record and earning a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship as well as an invitation to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl last season. Picked to finish third in the WAC this year, Nevada heads to Fresno looking to win its season opener for the first time since 2003.

Exposure
ESPN will televise Friday night’s game at Fresno State to a national television audience with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Rodney Gilmore and Trevor Matich (analysts) and Rob Simmelkjaer (sidelines) calling the action. It will mark the first of at least seven televised games for the Pack in 2006.
 Nevada will make two more appearances on the ESPN family of networks this year. ESPN2 is scheduled to broadcast Nevada’s Sept. 22 game with Northwestern, while the Nov. 25 Boise State game will be on ESPN or ESPN2. The Wolf Pack will also appear on ABC with the network televising the Oct. 21 San Jose State contest to a regional audience.

College Colors Day Classic
Nevada and Fresno State will open the season in the inaugural College Colors Day Classic, the newest tradition on college football. The Classic caps off one of the nation's newest holidays, College Colors Day. Set for Sept. 1, College Colors Day seeks to celebrate and promote the traditions and spirit that drive collegiate athletics by encouraging fans, alumni and students across the country to wear apparel of their favorite college throughout the day.

In the Series with Fresno State
Fresno State holds a 22-14-1 advantage in the series with Nevada dating back to 1923, including a 13-6 advantage in games played in Fresno. The Wolf Pack won the last meeting between the two teams, turning in a 38-35 victory over the then 16th-ranked Bulldogs on Nov. 26, 2005 at Mackay Stadium. That victory clinched a share of Nevada’s first WAC crown and earned the team an invitation to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. It also snapped a six-game losing streak in the series for Nevada.

Tenth-year Fresno State head coach Pat Hill and the Bulldogs return 52 letterwinners and 16 starters from last year’s 8-5 team. Fresno State, which is receiving votes in the preseason coaches’ poll, finished in a tie for third in the WAC last season with a 6-2 mark in league action.

Who’s Back
Nevada returns 38 letterwinners from last year’s 9-3 WAC co-championship squad, including its leading passer (Jeff Rowe) and receiver (Caleb Spencer) and its second-leading rusher (Robert Hubbard) and tackler (Ezra Butler) from one year ago.
 The team  welcomes back 14 starters and one specialist from 2005. The seven returning starters on offense are QB Jeff Rowe, TE Anthony Pudewell, WR Caleb Spencer, WR Mike McCoy, OL Barrett Reznick, OL Dominic Green and OL Charles Manu. On defense, the seven returning starters include DE Charles Wilson, DT Matt Hines, LB Joshua Mauga, LB Jason DeMars, LB Ezra Butler, CB Joe Garcia and S Sergio Villasenor. Sophomore PK Brett Jaekle also returns after handling Nevada’s placekicking and kickoff responsibilities last year. 

Nevada Picked Third in the WAC Preseason Polls
Nevada has been picked to finish third in the WAC this year by both the league’s media and coaches in the preseason polls. The Wolf Pack received 349 points and four first-place votes from the media voters, while the team received 48 points in the coaches’ poll. In 2005, Nevada was picked to finish fourth and fifth in the preseason polls but exceeded all outside expectations by finishing in a tie for first. That marked Nevada’s first WAC title in football and the 13th conference championship in school history (eighth for Chris Ault).

Nevada in Season Openers
Nevada holds a 56-40-3 all-time in season openers, while 22nd-year head coach Chris Ault is 14-7 in the first game of his 21 seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack football program. The Wolf Pack heads to Fresno State looking to snap a two-game losing streak in season openers. The team’s last season-opening victory came in 2003 when Nevada turned in a 24-23 win over Southern Utah on Aug. 30 at Mackay Stadium. The Wolf Pack last opened the season with a conference game two years ago, falling at Louisiana Tech 38-21 on Sept. 6, 2004.

Ault Moving Up Career Victories Lists
After leading his team to a 9-3 record last season, College Football Hall of Fame inductee Chris Ault has moved into 15th among active Division I-A coaches in winning percentage (.707). Among active coaches with five years of Division I-A experience, he also ranks fifth in career victories with 177. In his third stint as the head coach of the Wolf Pack, Ault now holds a 177-73-1 record in 21 previous years as a head coach, all at Nevada.
 The winningest coach in school history, Ault was named the WAC Coach of the Year in 2005 for his efforts in leading the Wolf Pack to a share of the league title and the school’s first bowl appearance in nine years. During his tenure, Ault has won eight conference championships and taken Nevada to postseason play nine times (three bowl games).

Challenging Slate
Nevada has lined up one of the most challenging schedules in the country this season. The Wolf Pack will take on five teams that earned a bowl appearance one year ago (Fresno State, Arizona State, Colorado State, Northwestern and Boise State). Nevada, which received three votes of its own in the preseason USA Today Coaches’ poll, will also take on four opponents ranked or receiving votes in the preseason rankings (FSU, ASU, NU, BSU).

The 2006 schedules starts off with a pair of road games against bowl teams as Nevada travels to Fresno State and No. 24 Arizona State. Fresno State ranked as high as 16th in the country a year ago and earned a Liberty Bowl appearance, while ASU climbed as high as 14th in the national polls a year ago and played in the Insight Bowl.

The Wolf Pack will take on three of those five bowl teams at Mackay Stadium, playing host to Colorado State (Poinsettia Bowl) Sept. 16 and Northwestern (Sun Bowl) Sept. 22. Boise State, which earned an invitation to the MPC Computers Bowl last year, will travel to Reno on Nov. 25.

Garcia on Watch Lists for Nagurski and Lott Trophies
Senior cornerback Joe Garcia has been named to the preseason watch lists for two of the most prestigious honors in college football: the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Lott Trophy.

Garcia, who hails from Westminster, Calif., had 72 tackles and four interceptions last season en route to earning first-team All-WAC honors.

He is one of 56 players on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is presented each year by the Charlotte Touchdown Club to the best defensive player in college football as voted on by the Football Writers Association of America. This year’s award will be presented on Dec. 4 at the Westin Hotel-Charlotte.

Garcia was also one of the 42 players named to the 2006 Lott Trophy Watch List.  Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, the Lott Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Now in its third year, the Lott Trophy is the first college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player and is sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation. Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and Master Coaches, a distinguished group of former head college coaches. The winner will be announced at a gala black-tie banquet at The Pacific Club Dec. 10.

Rowe Continues to Climb Career Passing Charts
Senior quarterback Jeff Rowe heads into his final campaign ranked among Nevada’s career leaders in a number of passing categories. He has thrown for 5,955 yards in his career, which ranks eighth in the Nevada record book, while his 37 passing touchdowns put him ninth. Rowe also ranks sixth in both career completions (510) and attempts (856).

A 2005 second-team All-WAC selection, Rowe has thrown for over 2,500 yards in each of the last two seasons, including 2,925 yards last year. He ranked second in the league and 21st in the nation in total offense with 264.1 yards per game and was third in the WAC and 30th in the NCAA in passing efficiency at 137.8. Rowe tallied at least 200 passing yards in all but two games in 2005, including two 300-yard outings with a season-best 324 yards against Colorado State. Rowe also tossed at least one touchdown pass in all but one game last year, including three contests with three scoring strikes.

Mackay is Back
The Wolf Pack turned in a 5-1 record at Mackay Stadium last year and brings a four-game home winning streak into the 2006 season. Since then-Nevada quarterback Chris Ault led the team to a 17-13 victory over UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 1, 1966 in Nevada’s first game in the facility, the Wolf Pack has turned in a 154-45-2 (.771) record at Mackay Stadium.
 In his 21 years as Nevada’s head coach, Ault has led the team to a 121-25-1 record at Mackay Stadium (.827), including a 10-2 mark in the last two years. He has guided the Wolf Pack to 15 seasons with one loss or less at home, including four undefeated campaigns at Mackay Stadium (1976, 1985, 1990, 1994).

1,000 Yard Rushers & Receivers
Nevada has produced a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver in each of the last five years, including WAC Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Mitchell who rushed for 1,399 yards last season. Here is a list of the Wolf Pack’s 1,000-yard efforts over the last five years:

Preseason Honors
Members of the Wolf Pack squad have been recognized in a number of the preseason college football annuals:

LB Ezra Butler
Sporting News Preseason All-WAC
20th-best outside linebacker in the nation by the Sporting News
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason Second-Team All-WAC
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Second-Team All-WAC

DB Joe Garcia
Street & Smith’s Preseason All-WAC
Sporting News Preseason All-WAC
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason Second-Team All-WAC
Blue Ribbon Preseason All-WAC
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview First-Team All-WAC

DT Matt Hines
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Second-Team All-WAC

TB Robert Hubbard
Sporting News Preseason All-WAC
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason First-Team All-WAC
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Second-Team All-WAC

OL Charles Manu
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason Second-Team All-WAC

DE J.J. Milan
Street & Smith’s Preseason All-WAC
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason Second-Team All-WAC

TE Anthony Pudewell
Street & Smith’s Preseason All-WAC
Sporting News Preseason All-WAC
20th-best tight end in the nation by the Sporting News
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason First-Team All-WAC
Blue Ribbon Preseason All-WAC
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview First-Team All-WAC

OL Barrett Reznick
Street & Smith’s Preseason All-WAC
Sporting News Preseason All-WAC
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason First-Team All-WAC
Blue Ribbon Preseason All-WAC

QB Jeff Rowe
Street & Smith’s Honorable-Mention All-American
Street & Smith’s Preseason All-WAC
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason Second-Team All-WAC
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Second-Team All-WAC

WR Caleb Spencer
Street & Smith’s Honorable-Mention All-American
Street & Smith’s Preseason All-WAC
Blue Ribbon Preseason All-WAC
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Second-Team All-WAC

DE Charles Wilson
CollegeFootballNews.com Preseason Second-Team All-WAC
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Second-Team All-WAC

All-Conference Honors
Nevada had 10 players named to the WAC All-Conference team and claimed two of the four individual honors in 2005.  Nevada placed five student-athletes on the first team (second only to Fresno State's eight), including RB B.J. Mitchell, OT Tony Moll, P Justin Bergendahl, WR Caleb Spencer and CB Joe Garcia. Second-team honorees included DE Craig Bailey, LB Roosevelt Cooks, QB Jeff Rowe, TE Anthony Pudewell and OG Barrett Reznick. 

Mitchell was also named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year after leading the WAC in rushing at 116.6 yards per game. Head coach Chris Ault was named the 2005 WAC Coach of the Year, the sixth such honor of his Hall of Fame career.

Sophomore linebacker Joshua Mauga and placekicker Brett Jaekle also earned honorable-mention Freshman All-America honors from the Sporting News in 2005. Mauga played in all 12 games with nine starts, recording 32 tackles (16 solo) and 2.5 sacks. Jaekle converted 50-of-53 PATs and made 80 percent of his field goal attempts (12-15).

Nevada in the 2005 WAC & NCAA Statistics
Running back B.J. Mitchell led the WAC and ranked 11th in the nation in rushing in 2005 at 116.6 yards per game (1,399 yards)...fellow running back Robert Hubbard ranked sixth at 59.9 rushing yards per contest (719 yards)...Caleb Spencer and Nichiren Flowers were fifth and sixth, respectively, in receptions per game with 6.09 and 4.58 catches per game...Spencer's 6.09 receptions per game were good for 30th in the NCAA stats, while he was also ranked 35th in the country in receiving yards per game (80.02)...quarterback Jeff Rowe ranked second in the league and 21st in the nation in total offense with 264.1 yards per game and was third in the WAC and 30th in the NCAA in passing efficiency at 137.8...Brett Jaekle ranked third in scoring with 7.2 points per game...Mitchell and Hubbard both tied for fifth with 6.5 points per contest...linebacker Roosevelt Cooks ranked eighth in tackles, recording an average of 8.2 stops per game...Justin Bergendahl ended the season 44th in the nation at 41.28 yards per punt...Kevin Stanley ranked 37th in the NCAA, averaging 9.95 yards per punt return.

As a team, Nevada led the nation and the WAC in time of possession (33:12)...the Wolf Pack also ranked among the league's & national leaders in scoring offense (3rd in the WAC, 34.2 ppg), total offense (2nd in the WAC and 14th in the nation, 449.3 ypg), rushing offense (2nd in the WAC and 22nd in the nation, 199.5 ypg), passing efficiency (3rd, 135.0), rushing defense (3rd, 141.2 ypg), turnover margin (3rd, 0.00), first downs (2nd, 301), third-down conversion (2nd, 48.9%), sacks (3rd, 29), and field goals (3rd, .800). Nevada also ranked 30th in the NCAA in passing offense with 249.8 yards per game and tied for 28th in fumbles recovered with 12.

Up Next
Following Friday night’s game at Fresno State, the Wolf Pack heads to Tempe, Ariz., to take on Arizona State on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils are ranked 24th in the preseason Associated Press poll and have been picked to finish fourth in the Pac-10 this year.

Nevada will then return home to Mackay Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 16 to play host to Colorado State in the Wolf Pack’s home opener. The Colorado State game will mark Heroes Day at Mackay Stadium with the Wolf Pack honoring local police officers, firefighters and service men and women. Heroes presenting a military ID or coming to the Legacy Hall Ticket Office in military, law enforcement or fire department uniform can purchase up to four tickets at $10 each.