Nevada (3-7, 0-4 MW) at No. 12/14 Boise State (7-1, 4-0 MW)
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 - 5 p.m. PT
Boise, Idaho - Albertsons Stadium

TV: FOX (PxP: Devin Gardner; Analyst: Tim Brando; Sideline: Josh Sims)
Radio: Wolf Pack Radio Network (PxP: John Ramey; Analyst: Mike Edwards)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada makes its first trip to Boise State in three years this weekend, facing the No. 12/14 Broncos Saturday at 5 p.m. PT. Saturday's contest will be broadcast on FOX, with Devin Gardner (play-by-play), Tim Brando (analyst), and Josh Sims (sideline) 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 4 p.m. PT.

SERIES HISTORY
Boise State leads the all-time series with the Wolf Pack by a 31-14 margin, although the Wolf Pack captured the last meeting on The Blue. Back on Oct. 2, 2021, Nevada beat the Broncos, 41-31.

Saturday, Nevada will go for its third-straight win at Albertsons Stadium, as prior to the 2021 meeting, the Wolf Pack beat Tulane, 38-27, in the 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

ABOUT BOISE STATE
Boise State enters the weekend on a six-game winning streak after suffering its only loss of the season in Week 2 at Oregon. The Broncos have steadily climbed the national polls since, coming in at No. 12 (AP) and No. 14 (USA TODAY Coaches Poll) Sunday.

Running back Ashton Jeanty leads the country in rushing yards (1,525), rushing touchdowns (20), and rushing yards per game (190.6), as the Bronco offense churns out a national-best 267.9 yards per game. The Broncos also boast the nation's third-best scoring offense, averaging 45.8 points per game.

PLENTY OF HISTORY BETWEEN THE TWO
The rivalry between Nevada and Boise State encompasses 53 years (the first meeting was in 1971) and four conferences (Big Sky, Big West, WAC, Mountain West). With Saturday's meeting being the 46th all-time between the schools, it is a little-known fact that this series is the most played in Boise State's history, and the second-most in Nevada history (Nevada has played Fresno State 56 times).

The most famous meeting of the teams came Nov. 26, 2010, in Reno, when No. 19 Nevada overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to beat No. 3 Boise State, 34-31, in overtime. That game featured an incredible 27 future NFL players (14 for Nevada, 13 for Boise State).

CHOATE RETURNS TO THE BLUE
Nevada head coach Jeff Choate served on Chris Petersen's Boise State staff from 2006-11, overseeing the Bronco special teams the whole tenure along with coaching running backs (2006-08), linebackers (2009) and nickelbacks (2010-11). During that time, the Broncos posted a 73-6 overall record, winning four WAC titles and two Fiesta Bowl Championships (2007, 2010), and finishing ranked in the top 11 five times (2006, '08-11), including two in the top five (2006, 2009).

Choate was responsible for the recruitment of a number of the future NFL players on the Bronco roster in that 2010 game, including future NFL All-Pro running back Doug Martin.

CREATOR OF THE DAN PAUL HAMMER
Another of Choate's lasting contributions to Boise State Football was creation of the team's primary badge of honor: the Dan Paul Hammer. Named in 2019 after former Bronco fullback and special teamer Dan Paul, who played from 2008-12 and tragically passed away of unknown causes during the summer of 2019, the weekly team honor traditionally goes to the player who made the biggest hit on special teams in the previous game.

Choate, as Special Teams Coordinator, started the award in 2006--picking up a sledgehammer from a local Home Depot. "The Hammer," as it was known before being named for Paul, remains a highly-coveted honor within the program, as stickers bearing the uniform numbers of the season's previous bearers adorn the handle, and the current honoree leads the Broncos onto the field pregame.

NO LETUP IN THE SCHEDULE
Nevada's 2024 schedule has set up as one of the nation's toughest. Notably, the Wolf Pack has the rare distinction of playing three 2023 FBS conference champions in 2024, with the first two coming back-to-back to start the campaign:

Aug. 24 - vs. SMU (2023 American champion) - L, 29-24
Aug. 31 - at Troy (2023 Sun Belt champion) - W, 28-26
Nov. 9 - at Boise State (2023 Mountain West champion)

Oregon (Michigan, Washington, Boise State) is the only other FBS school to play three 2023 FBS conference champions in 2024.