Week #7 - Boise State (3-2, 1-1 MW) at Nevada (3-3, 1-1 MW)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 13
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. PT
Stadium: Mackay Stadium
Location: Reno, Nev.
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: Wolf Pack Radio Network (Flagship: ESPN Radio 94.5 FM/630 AM); NevadaWolfPack.com/audio
Series: Boise State leads 29-13
Last Meeting: Nov. 4, 2017; L, 41-14

SERIES HISTORY
Nevada and Boise State have long been rivals on the gridiron. The all-time series currently runs at 42 games and dates back to the 1971 season. The Broncos have won 29 of the 42 games, including a string of 15 of the last 16 contests. The Pack's only win over the Broncos in the last decade was the 'Miracle at Mackay' in 2010 when Nevada knocked off No. 3 Boise State with a game-winning field goal in overtime.

BEHIND THE LINE
Through six games this season, Nevada's defense has been one of the best in the nation at tackling opponents behind the line of scrimmage. Entering week seven, the Wolf Pack ranks seventh nationally, and is first in the Mountain West, averaging 8.8 tackles for loss per game. Senior LB Malik Reed leads the charge in that category with 8.0 TFL this season. His 1.3 per game average ranks 36th nationally and fourth in the conference.

DEFENDING THE RUN
The Wolf Pack defense is coming off back-to-back impressive performances, especially against the run. Last week against Fresno State, Nevada held the Bulldogs to just 30 yards on the grounds, the lowest total by a Fresno State team in more than three seasons. It was the lowest rushing total by a Wolf Pack opponent since Nevada also held San Jose State to 30 rushing yards in 2009.

Two weeks ago against Air Force, Nevada held the Falcons' vaunted triple-option attack to just 154 yards on the ground on 51 carries (3.09 yards per rush). It was Air Force's second-lowest rushing output going back to the 2016 season and the lowest against a MW team since Wyoming held Air Force to 149 rushing yards that year.

PACK'S TOP FIVE MARKS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Nevada ranks in the top five in the Mountain West in the following statistical categories: rush defense (5th, 133.3), pass offense (5th, 268.5), total offense (5th, 431.3), punt return average (1st, 17.6), first downs (3rd, 123), opponent 3rd down conversion (2nd, 26.1), sacks by (3rd, 16), sacks against (5th, 9), red zone defense (3rd, 70.4).

REED ALL ABOUT IT
Coming as no surprise, senior LB Malik Reed is producing a more than solid season for the Pack defense. Reed ranks second on the team with 34 tackles, but leads the Wolf Pack with 8.0 TFL, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and has the team lead with 4.0 sacks. Reed's three forced fumbles this year is tied with nine others for second-most nationally, and gives him 10 for his career. Additionally his two fumble recoveries are tied for second-most in the country.

SCHOLARSHIP ALERT
A total of six Wolf Pack student-athletes, formerly walk-ons, were awarded scholarships during the offseason and fall camp: senior DB Anthony Hankins, senior PK Ramiz Ahmed, junior P Quinton Conaway, sophomore TE Reagan Roberson, RB Roger Neal and sophomore DE Sam Hammond.

TAUA OF TERROR
True freshman Toa Taua has been playing more like a veteran running back as of late, and proved he belongs in the college game with his week 4 performance at Toledo. The Lompoc, Calif. native carried the ball 15 times for a career-high 170 yards and added three rushing TDs. Taua's 170 yards on the ground were the third-most by a Mountain West player this season. Two of Taua's three rushing TDs were chunk plays, including a 66-yard rush straight up the middle on the Pack's first play of a drive in the third quarter.

Taua is currently averaging 6.77 yards per carry, which ranks 13th nationally.

UP, AND, GOOD
Senior PK Ramiz Ahmed drilled a career-long 50-yard field goal to end the first half in the week 4 matchup at Toledo. It was the longest made field goal by a Wolf Pack player since Brett Jaekle hit from 50 yards against UNLV in 2007. Ahmed, who is in his first year of field goal duties, is 5-of-7 on the year in field goal attempts, with his only misses coming from 52 and 51 yards out. Additionally, on kickoffs, he has 21 touchbacks in 36 attempts.

RECEIVING DUO
The Wolf Pack's top two targets this season have been junior WR Kaleb Fossum and sophomore WR McLane Mannix, and for good reason. The receiving duo has snagged 52.6 percent of the team's passing completions this season and have combined for nearly 1,000 receiving yards. Each of them has at least one 100-yard receiving performance under their belt, with Fossum at two games, including a career-high 147 yards at Toledo.

Entering week seven, Fossum ranks 27th in the nation with 496 receiving yards, while Mannix is 42nd in that department with 454. Additionally, at 7.5 receptions per game, Fossum is seventh nationally and second in the MW in that category. Mannix's five TD receptions this year have him 27th in the country and fourth in the league, and his 18.1 yards per reception rank 44th across the nation and sixth in the MW.

NEVER ENDING SUPPLY OF OFFENSE
With the creation of the Pistol in 2005 and into the Air Raid of today, Nevada has gained a lot of yards. Since 2006, the Pack ranks fifth nationally in total yards.

1.    Oregon    81,417
2.    Oklahoma    81,406
3.    Texas Tech    79,777
4.    Houston    79,309
5.    Nevada    71,774

#HECKOFAYEAR
For junior P Quinton Conaway, he adopted the tag line of #HeckOfAYear for the 2018 season. Conaway posted one of the best games of his career in week six against Fresno State. The Oklahoma native totaled 309 yards on seven punts for an average of 44.1 yards per punt, his second-best average this season. Additionally he booted a career-long 74-yard punt, the longest by a Mountain West player this season and third-longest nationally. Conaway has boosted his punting average up to 42.2 yards per punt, which ranks fifth in the conference and 47th nationally.

DEGREES COMPLETED
A total of nine Nevada football student-athletes have already obtained a college degree prior to the start of the 2018 season. That number is tied for 15th-most in the nation along with Akron, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Minnesota, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCF and West Virginia. The Wolf Pack players with degrees in hand are: Justin Brent, Jomon Dotson, Ty Gangi, Sean Krepsz, Kalei Meyer, Kelton Moore, Asauni Rufus, Korey Rush, Lucas Weber.

DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!
Six games into the 2018 season, the Wolf Pack defense has been one of the top teams in the nation in a few different defensive categories. Nevada ranks third in the conference and 35th nationally in sacks per game (2.6), is first in the league and seventh nationally in tackles for loss per game (8.8), and is second in the MW and seventh nationally in 3rd down conversion percentage defense, allowing their opponenets to convert on third down just 26.1 percent of the time. 

HOLY POINTS
In the week one win over Portland State, Nevada put up 72 points, the most points it had scored in a single game at Mackay Stadium since it also put up 72 against North Texas in 1991. In turn those 72 points are the most points scored in the Jay Norvell era. It was three points shy of the Mackay Stadium record of 75, set in 1977 when it beat Sacramento State 75-0. Additionally, the Pack's 72 points were the third-most scored in week one in Division I behind Fresno State's 79 and Ohio State's 77.