Game Day Guide: Boise State vs. Nevada
Boise State travels to the "Biggest Little City in the World" to face off with Mountain West foe Nevada Saturday night. Here is everything Bronco fans need to know.
AP
Boise State looks to bounce back from last week's heartbreaking loss to BYU with a reassuring performance against Mountain West rival Nevada Saturday night in the "Biggest Little City in the World."
Saturday's meeting marks the 45th battle between the Broncos and Wolf Pack, the most of any opponent in Boise State history. The regional rivalry dates back to 1971.
Although Boise State and Nevada no longer square off every year – and the matchup does not hold nearly the weight it did 10-15 years ago – this week gives the Broncos an opportunity to rewrite last year's loss on The Blue and the Cougars' recent victory.
The debut year of the Ken Wilson era in Reno has been nothing short of a struggle. The Wolf Pack enter Saturday with just two total wins and an 0-5 record in Mountain West play.
Despite the uphill battle, Nevada is coming off arguably its 'best loss' of 2022. The Wolf Pack nearly knocked off West Division leader San Jose State (6-2, 4-1 MWC) on the road Oct. 29.
Late in the third quarter, Wilson's squad even led the Spartans 21-7, before San Jose State came alive in the final 15 minutes.
Last week against BYU, Boise State seemed to take a step in the right direction once again offensively, but struggled to defend the Cougars. Before the loss, the Broncos' defense ranked in the top 15 in nearly every statistical category.
Boise State is a bit banged up on the interior defensive line, which caused some pass rush issues on The Blue. However, Nevada ranks No. 126 out of 131 FBS squads in total offense, totaling just 284.1 yards per contest.
During the Broncos' run of four-straight wins, the "three-headed monster" of Taylen Green, George Holani and Ashton Jeanty punished opponents.
After barely reaching 100 ground yards last week, look for Boise State to pound the pigskin against Nevada, who ranks ninth in the Mountain West in rushing defense, allowing more than four yards per carry.
Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. MT Saturday. Boise State vs. Nevada will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Scroll down for more information on ways to watch and listen to the game, KTVB's coverage in Reno, series history, odds and predictions and more.
Game Information Broncos vs. Wolf Pack
Boise State (6-3, 5-0 MWC) vs. Nevada (2-7, 0-5 MWC)
- Saturday, Nov. 12
- Mackay Stadium - Reno, Nev.
- Capacity: 30,000
- Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. MT
- Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Weather: High of 45, low of 25 degrees, 40% chance of precipitation
Ways to Watch TV, Radio, Streaming
ON TV
Boise State vs. Nevada will be televised on CBS Sports Network, available on the following channels:
- Sparklight: Channel 139 / 1139 (HD)
- DirecTV: Channel 221
- Dish Network: Channel 158
- Cox: Channel 234
ON THE RADIO
Fans can listen to the game on the Bronco Radio Network, which can be found online or on the following stations in the Boise area:
- KBOI 670 AM in Boise
- KTIK 93.1 FM in Boise
- KDZY 98.3 FM in McCall
- KSNQ 98.3 FM in Twin Falls
Here is a list of Bronco Radio Network stations outside the Boise area.
STREAMING
Streaming for Boise State's showdown with Nevada is available through AT&T TV, Fubo TV, Hulu and YouTube TV. The service is also available online to subscribers of participating cable and satellite television providers (including Dish Network and DirecTV).
For more information, click here.
Bronco Roundup KTVB Coverage
BRONCO ROUNDUP GAME DAY
KTVB's Bronco Roundup Game Day Show will be live on KTVB Channel 7, KTVB.COM, KTVB+ on Roku and Amazon Fire TV and the KTVB mobile app on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. MT. Join Sports Director Jay Tust for an inside scoop on storylines surrounding the Broncos-Wolf Pack battle.
The exclusive pre-game show will feature interviews and updates live from inside Mackay Stadium in Reno, getting Bronco Nation prepared for kickoff.
GAME TRACKER
Once the game kicks off on The Blue, make sure to follow the action with KTVB's Game Tracker and live blog. The Game Tracker features a real-time scoreboard and the latest Twitter updates from Tust and Boise State football.
POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
KTVB will live stream the post-game press conference on KTVB.COM, the KTVB YouTube channel, and on the KTVB mobile app.
Interviews with Boise State head coach Andy Avalos and players will be posted online soon after the press conference ends, so Bronco Nation can watch the press conference whenever and wherever they want.
Stay tuned to KTVB.COM after the game for a recap, highlights and comments from Saturday's contest.
Odds and Predictions Sportsbook Picks
ESPN's Matchup Predictor gives Boise State an 84.5% chance to defeat Nevada on the road Saturday. The Broncos open as 21-point favorites on ESPN.
Popular sportsbooks in Las Vegas also like Boise State by roughly three touchdowns in Reno. Caesars Sportsbook and WynnBet Sports favor the Broncos by 21, while BetMGM and FanDuel Sportsbook have spreads of 20.5.
History Storied Series
According to Boise State Athletics, Saturday's meeting marks the 45th matchup between the Mountain West Conference foes. The series dates back to 1971, with the Broncos touting a 30-14 all-time record.
The Broncos-Wolf Pack series is nearly even when in Nevada, slight favoring Boise State 12-11. When in the City of Trees, the blue and orange is 18-3 against Nevada.
Boise State has won eight of its last 10 matchups with the Wolf Pack, including six-straight wins between 2011 and 2018.
One of those two losses came last October at Albertsons Stadium, as Nevada outgunned Boise State in a 41-31 shootout behind 263 passing yards from Carson Strong and Toa Taua's 124 rushing yards.
The Broncos are Wolf Pack met each year from 2001 to 2014, but have only played three times since.
Boise State's record in its last 10 showdowns with Nevada:
- Nov. 22, 2008: W - 41-34 (Reno)
- Nov. 27, 2009: W - 44-33 (Boise)
- Nov. 26, 2010: L - 34-31 (OT) (Reno)
- Oct. 1, 2011: W - 30-10 (Boise)
- Dec. 1, 2012: W - 27-21 (Reno)
- Oct. 19, 2013: W - 34-17 (Boise)
- Oct. 4, 2014: W - 51-46 (Reno)
- Nov. 4, 2017: W - 41-14 (Boise)
- Oct. 13, 2018: W - 31-27 (Reno)
- Oct. 2, 2021: L - 41-31 (Boise)
Team Leaders Individual Stats
OFFENSE
Passing:
- Taylen Green: 91-133, 1,081 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs
- Nate Cox: 90-168, 945 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing:
- George Holani: 148 carries, 730 yards, 8 TDs
- Toa Taua: 155 carries, 571 yards, 10 TDs
Receiving:
- Latrell Caples: 31 receptions, 308 yards, 3 TDs
- B.J. Casteel: 33 receptions, 397 yards, 2 TDs
DEFENSE
Tackles:
- DJ Schramm: 67 total (30 solo, 37 assists)
- Bentlee Sanders: 61 total (48 solo, 13 assists)
Tackles for loss:
- Ezekiel Noa, Divine Obichere: 6 each
- Dom Paterson: 10.5
Sacks:
- Noa, Demitri Washington: 4.5 each
- Paterson: 5
Interceptions:
- JL Skinner, Rodney Robinson: 2 each
- Sanders: 5
Kicking:
- Jonah Dalmas: 14-17 (FGs), 31-31 (PATs)
- Brandon Talton: 6-7 (FGs), 12-12 (PATs)
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