Nevada (1-3, 0-1 MW) at UTEP (1-4, 0-1 MW)
Saturday, October 10, 2026 - 4 p.m. PT
El Paso, Texas - Sun Bowl Stadium

TV: FS1/FOX One (PxP: Connor Onion; Analyst: Spencer Tillman)
Radio: 105.7 KOZZ / The Varsity Network app (PxP: John Ramey; Analyst: Mike Edwards)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada, fresh off its bye week, resumes Mountain West play Saturday at UTEP. The game in El Paso will kick off at 4 p.m. PT (5 p.m. local) and air on FS1 and stream on FOX One with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst) on the call.

The radio broadcast of the game will be available 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 on the call, with the 60-minute pregame show to begin at 3 p.m. PT.

LAST TIME OUT
Nevada dropped its Mountain West opener in heartbreaking fashion September 26, falling 36-33 in double overtime to Air Force.

The Wolf Pack, down 10 with 5:56 to play, fought back to tie things up in just over four minutes of game time. Carter Jones quickly led Nevada down the field for a field goal to make it 27-20 with 3:45 to go, then after a critical defensive stop, the Wolf Pack got the ball back with just over two minutes to go and tied it up at 27-27 on Herschel Turner's 57-yard touchdown run with 1:49 to play.

In overtime, the teams traded field goals in the first session. Nevada was held to a field goal, Joe McFadden's fourth of the game, to start the second overtime but Air Force walked it off on Rocco Conti's seven-yard touchdown run.

The game was not without great performances from the Wolf Pack. Linebacker EJ Smith made a career-high 21 tackles in the contest, tying for the fourth-most in Nevada single-game history. He was followed by EDGE Dylan LaBarbera with a career-high 18 tackles of his own, and linebacker Jeremy Naborne-Owens and EDGE Myles Williams with 11 apiece, the former also notching a sack.

On offense, Turner posted his first 100-yard rushing game, going for a career-high 111 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries. Jones connected with nine different receivers and finished 18-for-30 for a career-high 224 yards.

McFadden kept his season perfect, going 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts and 3-for-3 on PATs for 15 points.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's contest in El Paso will be the fifth all-time meeting between Nevada and UTEP, and the first since 2019. The Wolf Pack holds a 3-1 edge in the series and took that 2019 game by a 37-21 decision.

The Wolf Pack has won each of the last three meetings against the Miners, although the first three of the four all-time meetings took place from 2000-02.

McFADDEN NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kicker Joe McFadden captured Nevada's second weekly conference honor of the season September 28, being named Old Trapper Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Air Force.

McFadden stayed perfect on the season on his field-goal attempts, going 4-for-4 and connecting from 36, 31, 35 and 38 yards out. For the night, the Preseason All-Mountain West selection scored 15 of Nevada's 33 points as he also added three PATs.

Three of McFadden's field goals came at critical moments. His 31-yarder with 3:45 to play brought the Wolf Pack within a touchdown at 27-20 then he hit field goals of 35 and 38 yards in overtime, the former tying the game and forcing a second extra session.

On the season, McFadden is 6-for-6 on field-goal attempts and with 13 PATs on top of that leads the Wolf Pack with 31 points through the first four games.

SMITH THE NATION'S TACKLING MACHINE
Linebacker EJ Smith has lived up to the preseason expectations and hype in 2026, proving himself as one of the nation's top tackling machines.

Through Week 4, Smith leads the country in total tackles (55), solo tackles (30) and tackles per game (13.8). He has posted double-digit tackles in three of four games this season most recently piling up 21 September 26 against Air Force, a figure which ranks tied for fourth in Nevada single-game history.

Smith also leads the Wolf Pack with 3.5 tackles-for-loss.