By Myrtle Davies
Fresno State (3-3, 1-1 MW) at Nevada (3-4, 0-1 MW)
Friday, October 18, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. PT | CBS Sports Network | Mackay Stadium (27,000) | Reno, Nev.
Fresno State Game Notes (PDF) | Nevada Game Notes (PDF) | Mountain West Weekly Release (PDF)
Fresno State Weekly Press Conference | Ultimate Broadcast Guide
MEDIA COVERAGE
TV – CBS Sports Network
Play-by-Play – John Sadak
Analyst – Taylor McHargue
Sideline – N/A
Radio – Bulldog Sports Network
Play-by-Play – Paul Loeffler
Analyst – Pat Hill
Sideline – Kenny Wiggins
Social Media: Twitter: @FresnoStateFB | Instagram:@fresno_state_football | Facebook: FresnoStateFootball | YouTube: FresnoStateAthletics
Live Stats: BulldogsLive.com
A LOOK INSIDE
Series: Fresno State leads, 32-22-1
Head Coaches:
Tim Skipper
Fresno State Record (Years): 4-3 (1st season*)
Career DI Record (Years): Same
Jeff Choate
Nevada Record (Years): 3-4 (1st Season)
Career DI Record: 31-26 (5th Season)
QUICK LOOK
- Fresno State looks towards its second road Mountain West test of the season this Friday at Nevada.
- The Bulldogs will play their only non-Saturday game of the season this week.
- Fresno State has lost two games in-a-row, falling to then-No. 23 UNLV and Washington State in the last two games. Washington State was receiving votes in the AP poll when it came to Fresno.
- Although falling to Washington State last weekend, the Bulldogs are still 1-1 in Mountain West play with their next test this Friday at Nevada. Fresno State has five conference games still to play with three of those to be played at home.
- Fresno State has faced some of college football’s top squads this season. The Bulldogs opened the season at then-No. 9 Michigan and fell 30-10. The Bulldogs have also faced a ranked UNLV team on the road and hosted a Washington State team that was 4-1 and receiving votes in the AP poll at the time of the game.
- Fresno State will travel to Nevada for the first time since 2022. In that 2022 matchup, the Bulldogs secured the West Division title to move on to the MW Championship Game. Fresno State would become the 2022 MW Champions with a win over Boise State on the road.
- This season as a whole, the Bulldogs have seen 11 total players with their first starts in the program with four earning those first starts last weekend against Washington State. Eleven first-time starters are the ninth-most among FBS programs this season, and the fifth-most in the Mountain West.
- Fresno State has had 33 different players start at one point this season, on both sides of the ball.
- For the third time since 2020, Fresno State has a new head coach leading its football program. On July 15, 2024, Tim Skipper was named the interim head coach for the 2024 season as Jeff Tedford stepped down for health concerns. Skipper held the title of assistant head coach and linebackers coach for the Bulldogs in 2022 and 2023.
- Senior running back Elijah Gilliam had his first career 100-yard rushing game last weekend, stepping back up into the starting role with the absence of Malik Sherrod.
- In five games played this season, Korey Foreman has three forced fumbles. He has the most in a season by a Bulldog since Arron Mosby had a nation-leading six in 2021. Mosby set the program’s record for most forced fumbles in a season that year. Before that, David Perales had four in 2020 and Justin Rice had four in 2019. And even before that, no Bulldog had more than three in a season since 2012.
- With an interception by Dean Clark and a fumble recovery by Jakari Embry off the force by Foreman, Fresno State had its first gained turnover since Sept. 21. The Bulldogs rank third in the Mountain West and 12th in the FBS with 12 total turnovers this season.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
- Fresno State and Nevada will be meeting for the 56th time in program history
- The two teams have met in 24 straight seasons as conference rivals, with the ‘Dogs holding a 15-9 record in those contests.
- When the two began sharing affiliation in the WAC in 2000, the Bulldogs owned a 7-5 mark (2000-11), and since moving to the Mountain West in 2012, the Bulldogs own a 8-4 advantage.
- The first meeting in the series took place in 1923 in Reno with a 46-3 win by Nevada.
- Fresno State leads Nevada 32-22-1 in the all-time series.
- Fresno State has won the last three games against the Wolf Pack, dating back to the 2021 season.
- Fresno State is 14-12-1 in games played in Reno.
- The last time the Bulldogs traveled to Reno, Fresno State secured the West Division title with a 41-14 defeat over Nevada (Nov. 19, 2022).
- In 2020, when Fresno State traveled to Reno and lost 37-26, the Bulldogs were hit by COVID and saw a depleted special teams unit without a true kicker, punter or long snapper. The Bulldogs used then-true freshman wide receiver Mac Dalena to kick, walk on receiver Grant Lake to snap and quarterback Jake Haener to punt.
- Nevada offensive line coach Brian Armstrong was the Bulldogs’ offensive line coach in 2023
- Nevada offensive analyst Jordan Loeffler spent two seasons (2020-21) with the Bulldogs as a graduate assistant with the offensive line.
- Nevada is currently sitting at 2-2 at home following victories against Eastern Washington and Oregon State and losses to Georgia Southern and #21 SMU
- The Wolf Pack enter this contest with a 3-4 record overall record for the season
- Nevada is coming off a victory against Oregon State at home on Oct. 12
- This is Nevada’s second conference game of the season, and they are currently 0-1 in conference play following their loss to San Jose State on Oct. 5
GAME NOTES
https://nevadawolfpack.com/documents/2024/10/14/101824_FresnoState.pdf
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.
COURTESY NEVADA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
