Nevada (2-6, 2-2 MW) vs. Hawai'i (2-7, 0-4 MW)
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 - 1 p.m.
Reno, Nev. - Mackay Stadium

TV/Stream: Spectrum Sports (Hawaii)/Nevada Sports Net, Mountain West Network (Northern Nevada) - (PxP: Kanoa Leahey; Analyst: Rich Miano)
Radio: 105.7 KOZZ / The Varsity Network App (PxP: John Ramey; Analyst: Mike Edwards; Sideline: Ashlee Jones)

Fan Experience: Saturday's game is sponsored by Renown Health, and will be Nevada Football's "Pack Goes Pink" game. The first 5,000 fans through the Mackay Stadium gates will receive a pink Nevada beanie courtesy of Renown, and the first 100 fans will receive the commemorative gameday pin. Pack Goes Pink t-shirts can be purchased by clicking HERE. Renown and Nevada will partner during the game to honor those impacted by cancer and invite all fans to join the fight against this disease.

The Nevada Fan Zone band will be Miki Rae and the Hooligans, and Nevada Swimming and Diving will be on hand to sign autographs. Saturday is also Nevada School of Medicine Day, and the pregame will feature a Chinook CH-47 flyover.

RENO, Nev. - Nevada (2-6, 2-2 MW) aims to stretch its winning streak to three Saturday as it hosts Hawai'i (2-7, 0-4 MW) at Mackay Stadium. Saturday's contest is set for a 1 p.m. kick and will air on Spectrum Sports, and locally in Northern Nevada on NSN, with Kanoa Leahey (play-by-play) and Rich Miano (analyst) on the call.

The Wolf Pack Radio Network will call the game on KOZZ 105.7 FM in Northern Nevada, and online at www.thevarsitynetwork.com and on the Varsity Network app. John Ramey (play-by-play) and Mike Edwards (analyst) will be in the booth, with the 60-minute pregame show to begin at 12 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY
Nevada leads the all-time series against Hawai'i, 15-12. The Wolf Pack is 9-2 against the Rainbow Warriors at Mackay Stadium. The teams met for the first time in 1920, a 14-0 Nevada win in Honolulu, and played each other four times between 1920 and 1968, before meeting every season from 2000 to the present.

ABOUT HAWAI'I
Hawai'i (2-7, 0-4 MW) enters Saturday's game on a four-game slide, most recently suffering a 35-0 home loss to San José State. The Rainbow Warriors air it out under head coach Timmy Chang, as quarterback Brayden Schager has thrown for 2,565 yards and 20 touchdowns, despite 12 interceptions. Three Hawai'i receivers have at least 28 catches, with Steven McBride accounting for eight touchdown catches.

LAST TIME OUT
Nevada made it two wins in a row, and snapped an eight-game home losing streak,  with a 34-24 victory over New Mexico Saturday night.

Kicker Brandon Talton went 4-for-4 on field goals, matching his career high while also hitting from 52 yards out, and Richard Toney Jr. highlighted another strong defensive performance with a 43-yard pick-six. Altogether, the Wolf Pack defense intercepted a season-high three passes, with Michael Coats Jr. and Jonathan Maldonado also making thefts.

On offense, the Pack rushed for 180 yards led by 76 and a touchdown on 11 carries from Jamaal Bell, and 64 more yards from quarterback Brendon Lewis. Wide receiver Dalevon Campbell gained 79 yards over two catches, while John Jackson III made a team-high four receptions.

TALTON NABS EIGHTH-CAREER MW WEEKLY HONOR
Kicker Brandon Talton was named Mountain West Special Team Player of the Week Monday, marking the eighth such honor of his decorated career.

The Vacaville, Calif., native was a perfect 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts, connecting from 34, 47, 52, and 22 yards out, while being perfect on his two PAT attempts. The 52-yarder in the third quarter, which got the Pack's lead back to three scores at 27-10, marked the sixth field goal of at least 50 yards of his career.

It marked the fourth time in his career that Talton had made four field goals in a game. Talton, already both Nevada's and the Mountain West's all-time leader in field goals made, extended his career total to 78 with the performance.

His 14 points brought his career scoring total to 370, moving him alone into second place on Nevada's career list and into third on the Mountain West's. On the Nevada all-time list, Talton needs just 16 more points to eclipse the mark of 385 held by Marty Zendejas (1984-87), while on the Mountain West list, only TCU's Ross Evans (407 points, 2008-11) and San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey (402 points, 2013-16) remain to be pursued.

KEEP WINNING IN MACKAY
Saturday's win over New Mexico was Nevada's first at Mackay Stadium since the 38-14 victory over Texas State on Sept. 3, 2022--and snapped an eight-game home slide.

The Pack has a chance to make it two in a row at home Saturday, and history favors that situation, as Nevada has defeated Hawai'i in six of the last seven meetings in Reno (going back to 2009). The only blemish on that run is a 54-3 loss to the Rainbow Warriors in 2019.

END OF A SOLID SHUTOUT STREAK
Nevada held New Mexico scoreless in the first half Saturday, marking six-straight quarters of keeping its opponent off the scoreboard. It was not until the Lobos kicked a 47-yard field goal to open the second-half scoring (with 11:21 left in the third quarter) that Nevada's run came to an end at an impressive 97:16 of game time.

That run was Nevada's longest shutout period since going 136:45 without yielding a point over three games in 2011.

GIMME THAT FOOTBALL!
Nevada's defense kept the momentum going Saturday after pitching its first shutout in 12 years Oct. 21 at San Diego State. The Wolf Pack made a season-high three interceptions, scored its second defensive touchdown of the season, and held the Lobos to just 83 yards rushing in the 34-24 win.

Safety Richard Toney Jr. got the Pack in the end zone for the first time on the night with a 43-yard pick-six in the second quarter. Defensive end Jonathan Maldonado picked off a first-quarter pass for his second takeaway in as many games, and defensive back Michael Coats Jr. made the first interception of his career.

TAKEAWAYS -> POINTS
Saturday night against the Lobos, Nevada benefited from a standard football perk--turning takeaways into points greatly improves your odds of winning a game.

Against New Mexico, Nevada scored 17 points off of the three Lobo turnovers. Along with Richard Toney Jr.'s pick-six, Nevada got a field goal from Jonathan Maldonado's first-quarter interceptions, then drove a quick 24 yards for a touchdown off of Michael Coats Jr.'s second-quarter pick.

Prior to Saturday night, Nevada had converted just one of its eight takeaways into points (one touchdown, five punts, one missed FG, one game-ending kneeldown).