Week #5 - Nevada (0-4, 0-0 MW) at Fresno State (1-2, 0-0 MW)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30
Kickoff: 7 p.m. PT
Stadium: Bulldog Stadium
Location: Fresno, Calif.
Television: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: Wolf Pack Radio Network (Flagship: ESPN Radio 94.5 FM/630 AM); NevadaWolfPack.com/audio; TuneIn App
Series: Fresno State leads, 27-20-1
Last Meeting: W, 27-22 - Oct. 8, 2016

SERIES HISTORY
Nevada and Fresno State have been playing football against one another since the jazz era, 1923 to be exact. The 48-game series is one of the longest in the Wolf Pack's history. The series has been competitive too, with the Bulldogs currently leading, 27-20-1. The only tie came in the 1928 season when the Pack and Bulldogs tied 12-12 in Reno. Heading into Saturday's contest, Nevada has won the last two meetings but own just a 9-15 record on the road. There have also been eight shutouts, but none since 1942. 

NEW RETURN FACES
Nevada has thrown a few different looks out onto the field for its kick returns and punt returns through four games. Kaleb Fossum fielded two punts for 18 yards in the opener at Northwestern. Following injury, junior CB Vosean Crumbie took over on punt return duty and is averaging five yards per return.

Crumbie has also been a bright spot on kick returns with four returns for 102 yards and a long return of 35 yards. True freshman Berdale Robins got in on the kick return action against Idaho State and impressed with five returns for 105 yards in that single game, the most kickoff return yards by a Wolf Pack player since Elijah Mitchell's 116 against Utah State last season. He also took three kick returns at Washington State for 45 yards. Junior RB Blake Wright and true freshman WR Daiyan Henley each fielded a kick return at WSU as well, making it six players who have taken a kick return.

Nevada is averaging 22.65 yards per kick return through four games, which ranks in the top 50 in the nation and is fifth in the Mountain West. Robins' 18.8 yards per kick return rank 88th in the country and 10th in the conference.

SACK!
Through the first four games of the 2017 season the Nevada defense has recorded seven sacks. It took the defense last season until the fourth game to record its first sack. Senior LB Austin Paulhus, junior DB Asauni Rufus and junior DE Malik Reed are all tied for the team lead with 1.5 sacks each. Additionally Paulhus' 1.6 tackles for loss per game ranks 21st in the nation.

TRUE FRESHMAN QB
True freshman Kaymen Cureton took the reigns at quarterback for the first time in his collegiate career against Idaho State and got his second consecutive start at Washington State. Cureton is one of just seven true freshmen from around the nation to earn a start at quarterback.

THE RUFUS ON FIRE
Junior DB Asauni Rufus has proved to be one of the best defensive members of the Wolf Pack and has shown why through four games. In his four games he ranks fourth on the team with 23 tackles, but made 10 at Washington State, a season high. He has also added 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass break ups, has forced two fumbles and recovered one more. Additionally he went over the 200 tackle mark for his career, needing 57 more to pass John Ramatici for 10th all-time.

IMPROVED RUN-D
Last season the Wolf Pack run defense ranked near the bottom of the nation in run defense, giving up an average of 6.1 yards per rush. Even though the team has only played four games the run defense has been a bright spot for Nevada so far this season. The Pack is surrendering an average of 2.9 yards per rush through its first four games and held Northwestern and Toledo's top rushers to just over 100 yards.

PACK'S TOP FIVE MARKS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Nevada ranks in the top five in the Mountain West in the following statistical categories; 4th down conversion percentage defense (5th, 40.0), fewest penalties per game (5th, 6.75), kickoff return defense (5th, 16.5), kickoff returns (5th, 22.65), punt return defense (1st, 5.5), rushing defense (5th, 129.8), team tackles for loss (1st, 8.8).

PUNTING PLUS
Nevada sophomore punter Quinton Conaway had struggled in his first couple of games but has posted much improved performances in the last two games. Conaway punted four times against Idaho State and averaged 46.8 yards per punt, his best through four games. He also added a career long punt of 55 yards. At Washington State he punted a career-high seven times. In his last two games he is averaging 42.2 yards per punt with two touchbacks and six fair catches.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES
True freshman WR McLane Mannix turned some heads in the season opener at Northwestern, racking up 76 yards on just two catches, but he has since followed that up with even more impressive outings. The Texas native caught six passes against Toledo, including a 75-yard touchdown reception, and added seven grabs against Idaho State.

Not only was the 75-yard touchdown reception against Toledo a career long reception for Mannix and a career long pass for QB Ty Gangi, but it was also the longest pass play by the Wolf Pack since 2011 when Tyler Lantrip hit Rashard Matthews for 90 yards against UNLV. Additionally Mannix's 139 receiving yards vs. the Rockets were the most receiving yards in a single game by a Wolf Pack player since Hasaan Henderson racked up 141 against Boise State in 2014.

Mannix began his collegiate career with touchdown receptions in back-to-back-to-back games after hauling in another one against Idaho State and is already up to over 300 yards receiving. His three touchdown receptions are tied for 32nd-most in the nation, and his total of 316 receiving yards ranks 39th nationally and fourth in the Mountain West.

DEMPS COMING ON
Senior WR Wyatt Demps has been one of the Wolf Pack's top targets through the first four games of the season. Demps leads the team with 22 receptions and is averaging 10.5 yards per catch. He is tied with true freshman McLane Mannix for the team lead in touchdown receptions, each hauling in three. Against Idaho State, Demps caught two TD passes, making him the first Nevada receiver to have multiple TD catches in a single game this season. He is the only player on the Wolf Pack roster with a multiple TD receiving game (he has two in his career after he caught three in the Fresno State game last year).

RUSHING ATTACK
Nevada totaled more than 200 yards on the ground against Idaho State for the first time in 2017. Sophomore RBs Jaxson Kincaide and Kelton Moore both fell just four yards shy of reaching 100 rushing yards in a single game for the first time in their careers. Kincaide was three yards short of tying his career high of 99 yards, while Moore's 96 yards established a new career high. He also recorded a career high in rushing attempts with 21. Junior RB Blake Wright also got in on the action with his first carries of the season. Wright finished with four carries for 21 yards and his first career rushing touchdown. It was the first rushing touchdown by a Nevada back this season.

Additionally, sophomore RB Maliek Broady got his first touches of the season and of his career last Saturday at Washington State. Broady finished with four carries for 17 yards and he put up Nevada's lone touchdown of the game, the first of his career.

TWO-POINT CONVERSION
Against Idaho State, Nevada converted on a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter when QB Kaymen Cureton hit WR Trevion Armstrong in the endzone for the two points. It was the first successful two-point conversion by the Wolf Pack since Cody Fajardo hit Hasaan Henderson for the extra two points against BYU in 2014.

WALK-ON SURPRISE
In Nevada's game against Toledo, the Pack had a new face on kickoff duty for the second half. Ramiz Ahmed, who had been cleared to play the night before the contest, suited up for the Wolf Pack and handled two kickoffs in the second half. Ahmed impressed in his debut, sending both of his kickoffs well into the endzone for touchbacks. Through his three games played, he has taken eight kickoffs and had seven go for touchbacks. Ahmed made the team via the walk-on tryouts held a couple of weeks prior.

IT'S GOOD!
Wolf Pack placekicker Spencer Pettit is perfect through the first four games of the season, going 3-for-3 on field goal attempts. Pettit connected on both of his field goal attempts in the season opener at Northwestern and hit from 31 yards with under a minute to go before halftime, sending the team into the locker room with a 17-7 lead. He also connected from 33 yards out for the Pack's only points of the second half. Against Toledo he made his only attempt of the game, but set a new career long of 47 yards in the process. Pettit is now 10-of-12 in his career, raising his field goal percentage to 83 percent. Additionally Pettit is 8-for-8 on PATs.

SCHOLARSHIP ALERT
A total of four Wolf Pack student-athletes, formerly walk-ons, were awarded scholarships during fall camp: senior OL Thomas Newton, junior TE Trae Carter-Wells, sophomore PK Spencer Pettit and sophomore RB Maliek Broady.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Wolf Pack's 2017 schedule consists of eight teams that advanced to bowl games last season; Northwestern, Pinstripe Bowl; Toledo, Raycom Media Camellia Bowl; Washington State, Holiday Bowl; Hawai'i, Hawai'i Bowl; Colorado State, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl; Air Force, NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl; Boise State, Cactus Bowl; San Diego State, Las Vegas Bowl.

GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM
After summer classes had commenced, the Wolf Pack football team posted a cumulative grade-point average of 3.008 for the 5,667 credit hours current members of the team had logged. The 5,667 credit hours take in to account every credit hour by every current member of the team, which dates back to 2013. Nevada is one of just three FBS schools to accomplish this, along with Northwestern and Boise State.

YOUNG GUNS
Through the first four games of the season, head coach Jay Norvell hasn't wasted any time in getting his true freshmen some experience. So far there have been eight true freshmen that have seen time on the field for Nevada: QB Kaymen Cureton, DT Chris Green, WR McLane Mannix, DB Nephi Sewell, TE Reagan Roberson, WR Elijah Cooks, WR Berdale Robins and WR Daiyan Henley. Most have made significant contributions too. Mannix has three touchdown receptions and over 300 yards receiving, Henley has a touchdown reception under his belt, Sewell is flying around on defense with 18 tackles and an interception, Robins totaled over 100 kickoff return yards against Idaho State and Cureton got his first start at QB vs. the Bengals.

Additionally, Nevada has started four as those true freshmen this season (Sewell, Cureton, Mannix, Henley), which is tied for sixth-most in the nation:

1. Illinois - 10 (5 offense, 5 defense)
2. Baylor - 8 (5 offense, 3 defense)
3. Ball State - 7 (3 offense, 4 defense)
     LSU - 7 (3 offense, 4 defense)
5. Oregon - 5 (1 offense, 4 defense)
6. Nevada - 4 (3 offense, 1 defense)
     Texas A&M - 4 (3 offense, 1 defense)

DEGREES COMPLETED
A total of 10 Nevada football student-athletes have already obtained a college degree prior to the start of the 2017 season. That number is tied for sixth-most in the nation along with Kent State, New Mexico, South Alabama, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Wolf Pack players with degrees in hand are: Justin Brent, Austin Corbett, David Cornwell, Ziad Damanhoury, Jimbo Davis, Sean Krepsz, Ryan Mack, Thomas Newton, Jaden Sawyer and Travis Wilson.

COACHING STAFF
Jay Norvell enters his first season at the helm of the Wolf Pack football program, his first stint as a head coach. Norvell brought with him an entirely new coaching staff, minus a few remaining graduate assistants from last season.

Jeff Casteel, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Matt Mumme, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Timmy Chang, Inside Receivers
Jason Kaufusi, Defensive Line
Matt Kirk, Safeties
Mason Miller, Offensive Line
Eric Scott, Outside Receivers
Courtney Viney, Cornerbacks
David White, Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
Tommy Perry/Vai Taua, Special Teams Analysts
Jeff Nady/Brandon Crosby, Offensive GAs
John Landwehr/Alec Drudi, Defensive GAs

OH BROTHER
Nevada's roster for 2017 contains two sets of brothers: Clifford and Devin Porter, Gabriel and Nephi Sewell. The Porter brothers are local products from Reno and graduates of Hug High School. The Sewell brothers hail from Nevada's neighbor to the east, Utah, and are both graduates of Desert Hills High School in the town of St. George.

LOGGING FEWER MILES
The difference between miles traveled for Nevada's 2016 season compared to its 2017 season is significantly lighter. Last year, with two trips to Indiana and one to Hawai'i, the Wolf Pack logged a season total of 8,487 miles. In 2017, with just one trip to the Midwest and most others on the western side of the country, the Pack will log just 4,852 miles, a 3,635 mile difference.

PROGRAM HISTORY
Nevada is in its 111th season of collegiate football, seeking win No. 541 in the program's strong history. The Wolf Pack sports an all-time record of 540-478-33 (.552). Since joining the FBS in 1992, Nevada is 164-144 overall and 106-74 in conference play.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Head coach Jay Norvell has implemented a different system for team captains that what has been done in the past. Instead of captains set for the entire year, Norvell and his staff will select game-by-game team captains.

Northwestern: Malik Reed, Spencer Pettit, Austin Corbett, Ty Gangi
Toledo: Wes Farnsworth, Spencer Pettit, Wyatt Demps, Austin Paulhus
Idaho State: Malik Reed, Spencer Pettit, Sean Krepsz, Kaymen Cureton
Washington State: Malik Reed, Spencer Pettit, Kelton Moore, Wyatt Demps

WINNING SEASONS
Nevada has posted winning seasons in six out of its past eight campaigns.

TWO-DEEPS CLASS BREAKDOWN
The Wolf Pack's depth chart on offense and defense consists of: nine seniors, 16 juniors, 10 sophomores, eight redshirt freshmen and five true freshmen.

GRITIRON LUNCHES
The Wolf Pack's booster luncheons return this year with four dates set and a new location for 2017. Coach Jay Norvell's "Gritiron" luncheons will recap games to date and preview upcoming opponents at the luncheons, which are open to the public. This year's luncheons are $20 per person will be held at the Eldorado in Reno on Oct. 9 and Nov. 6, with one scheduled for the Carson Valley Inn in Minden (Oct. 23). Doors open at 11:45 a.m. and the program begins at 12:15 p.m. For more information, call 775-682-6901.