Nevada (0-1) at Troy (0-0)
Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024 - 4 p.m. PT
Troy, Ala. - Veterans Memorial Stadium

TV/Stream: ESPN+ (PxP: Will Kollmeyer; Analyst: Ben Stanfield; Sideline: Junior Louissaint)
Radio: Wolf Pack Radio Network - KOZZ 105.7 FM; Varsity Network App
(PxP: John Ramey; Analyst: Mike Edwards)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada goes on the road for the first time in 2024 this weekend, heading to Troy for a Saturday non-conference clash. Saturday's contest against the Trojans is set for a 4 p.m. PT kick and will be broadcast and streamed on ESPN+ with Will Kollmeyer (play-by-play), Ben Stanfield (analyst), and Junior Louissaint (Sideline Reporter) 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 3 p.m. PT.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting will be the first all-time between Nevada and Troy. The Trojans are scheduled to complete the home-and-home agreement with a trip to Reno in 2031.

ABOUT TROY
Troy is the second-straight 11-win team and conference champion that Nevada will face to open the 2024 campaign. A season ago the Trojans went 11-3 and captured the Sun Belt title before falling, 17-10, to Duke in the Birmingham Bowl.

Under new head coach Gerad Parker, the Trojans' roster underwent major change in the offseason, similar to Nevada. Troy features just 60 returning players in 2024 with a total of 61 newcomers, to Nevada's 56.

NEWCOMERS MAKE A QUICK IMPACT
A number of 2024 newcomers made big impacts for the Wolf Pack in Saturday's contest. Wide receiver Cortez Braham Jr., a transfer from West Virginia, led Nevada with four catches for 66 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown grab for his first-career FBS score. Braham combined with fellow transfer Jaden Smith (Tarleton State) to grab 10 passes for 98 yards.

Running back Savion Red (Texas) also displayed his playmaking ability, bruising his way to 30 yards and a one-yard touchdown over 12 carries. Also in in the back field, Patrick Garwo III (Boston College) caught a five-yard pass and ran once for six yards.

On defense, safety Kitan Crawford's all-around ability as on display, as he made five tackles (three solo) and returned a kickoff 19 yards.

IKAHIHIFO A FORCE IN LONG-AWAITED RETURN
Sixth-year player Henry Ikahihifo made his long-awaited return to the field for Nevada in Saturday's contest.

Ikahihifo, who began his collegiate career playing tight end at Nevada from 2019-20 before transferring out from 2021-22, returned to Reno in 2023 but had to sit out the season due to NCAA two-time transfer rules.

Saturday, Ikahihifo's eagerness to return was on clear display, as he led the Wolf Pack defense with two tackles-for-loss, made four tackles, and showed a preview of the difficulty defenses will have containing his disruption.

AGGRESSIVE SECONDARY ON DISPLAY
Another fresh sight for Wolf Pack fans Saturday was the aggressive coverage and play of the Nevada secondary. Under passing game coordinator/secondary coach and NFL veteran Joey Thomas, the Wolf Pack showed a daring, ball-hawking attitude right from the jump as Chad Brown intercepted SMU's first pass attempt of the contest. By game's end, the Wolf Pack secondary made four of the defense's seven pass breakups, showing no fear in staying right on their marks and putting hands in passing lanes.