Nevada (3-4, 0-1 MW) vs. Fresno State (3-3, 1-1 MW)
Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 - 7:30 p.m.
Reno, Nev. - Mackay Stadium

TV: CBS Sports Network (PxP: John Sadak; Analyst: Taylor McHargue)
Radio: Wolf Pack Radio Network (PxP: John Ramey; Analyst: Mike Edwards)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada can finally turn its full attention to Mountain West play for the rest of 2024 beginning with Friday's home contest against Fresno State. Friday's contest against the Bulldogs will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network with John Sadak (play-by-play) and Taylor McHargue (analyst) on the call.

The Wolf Pack Radio Network will call the game on KOZZ 105.7 FM in Northern Nevada, 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 6:30 p.m.

Friday's game is also Homecoming for the University. A full listing of Homecoming activities for the weekend may be found here - https://www.unr.edu/homecoming. Below is a list of all game activations and events for Friday:

• Game Sponsor: Dolan Lexus
• 2024 Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame Induction
• Color Theme: Throwback – Get your official throwback gear at Silver and Blue Outfitters here: https://www.silverandblueoutfitters.com/collections/top-hat-wolf-logo
• Halftime Drone Show Presented by: Nevada State Bank
• Team Autographs: Women's Soccer
• We Are Nevada Fan Zone Band: Shoot 2 Thrill

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting will be the 55th all-time between the Wolf Pack and Bulldogs, with Nevada looking to break a three-game skid in the series.

The teams have met every season since 1998, but since both schools joined the Mountain West (2012), Fresno State has won eight of those 12 meetings.

ABOUT FRESNO STATE
Fresno State comes into Reno having lost its past two contests, getting routed 59-14 at UNLV on Sept. 28, and most recently dropping a 25-17 decision at home to Washington State Saturday.

Tim Skipper is serving as Fresno State's interim head coach after Jeff Tedford stepped down in late July, and is 4-3 in his role, a record which includes a 37-10 bowl win last year as acting head coach. Quarterback Mikey Keen has thrown for 1,576 yards and eight touchdowns this season, while running backs Malik Sherrod and Elijah Gilliam have combined for seven scores on the ground.

IT'S MOUNTAIN WEST SEASON--FINALLY
After playing its sixth(!) non-conference contest of the season this past Saturday, Nevada can finally settle into full-time focus on Mountain West play. The Pack's final six contests will all be conference contests, as it looks to make a run and earn a spot in the Mountain West Football Championship Game.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST IN THE RED ZONE
Nevada's red-zone performance on offense has been a significant turnaround in 2024. On offense, the Wolf Pack has converted 24 of 25 red-zone trips into points, the 96.0 percent rate ranking ninth in the country and second in the Mountain West (Wyoming is 13-for-13). Of Nevada's 25 trips, 21(!) have resulted in touchdowns, an 84.0-percent rate. That rate has, so far, well out-distanced the Pack's 2023 rate in which it only scored 16 touchdowns on 35 red-zone trips (45.7 percent).

On defense, the Pack snuffed out another opponent red-zone trip Saturday against Oregon State, thanks to Tori Daffin's interception. Nevada ranks fourth in the Mountain West with opponents succeeding in scoring on a red-zone trip just 84.6 percent of the time (22-for-26). More impressivley, Nevada has limited its opponents to just 15 touchdowns on those 26 trips (58.0 percent).

RUNNING THE BALL JUST WARMS THE HEART
Nevada ran for a season-high 353 yards in Saturday's victory over Oregon State, a total that was the Wolf Pack's highest since 2014, when it went for 408 yards in a game against UNLV.

It was the Wolf Pack's second 300-yard rushing game of the season (320 vs. Eastern Washington on Sept. 21) and fourth of at least 200 yards. Prior to this season, the last time Nevada had run for 200 yards in a game was Nov. 27, 2021, at Colorado State (226 yards). In fact, the four 200-yard rushing games this season alone matches the combined total achieved over the five-season span of 2019-2023.

Another aspect of Nevada's high-level running game is that the Pack leads the Mountain West and ranks 16th in the country in time of possession (32:36).

PICK YOUR POISON
Nevada's run game isn't just limited to one player--the Pack has three players with at least 200 rushing yards on the season, with that trio of Savion Red (593), quarterback Brendon Lewis (513) and Patrick Garwo III (230) combining for 1,336 yards. The three have also combined to rush for all 16 of Nevada's touchdowns on the ground.

Red (third) and Lewis (fifth) each rank in the Mountain West top-five in rushing yardage, while Nevada is one of just two teams (along with Colorado State) with two ball carriers in the conference's top 10.

BALL-HAWKIN' SECONDARY
Getting their hands on the ball nearly as much as Nevada's rushing game is the Wolf Pack's secondary after a four-interception performance in Saturday's win over Oregon State. Nevada's secondary has now accounted for all seven of the team's takeaways (all interceptions) this season.

Kitan Crawford made his first interception of the season, and in his Nevada career, returning it 52 yards for a score to cap a 21-0 run which put the Wolf Pack up 35-24 in the fourth quarter. Michael Coats Jr. made two picks, bringing his season total to three, while Tori Daffin intercepted a pass in the end zone to snuff out an Oregon State red-zone trip.

Coats Jr. now ranks tied for sixth in the country in interceptions, with three, while as a team the Pack's seven picks rank 19th in the country.