Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Nevada game guide: What to know about matchup vs. Wolf Pack
Fresno State returns home for the first time in a month and to a much different challenge matching up against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday than it had in a victory at Wyoming, all while needing a win to remain in control of its destiny in the West Division of the Mountain West Conference.
The Wolf Pack is 2-0 and tied with San Diego State at the top of the division, just ahead of Fresno State at 2-1 and last week passed the Bulldogs and are now ranked first in the conference in scoring offense.
Quarterback Carson Strong has a wealth of weapons working outside including Romeo Doubs, Cole Turner, Melquan Stovall, Justin Lockhart and Washington Union High grad Tory Horton, and two versatile running backs who can get downhill in Toa Taua and Devonte Lee.
The top three teams in the division have yet to play one another, but Fresno State might be catching a break in the schedule. The Bulldogs’ remaining Mountain Division opponents are New Mexico (2-5, 0-3 in the MW) and an enigmatic Boise State (3-4, 1-2), which has a win at then-No. 10 BYU and four mistake-plagued losses.
Nevada has to play Air Force (6-1, 3-1) and ends the regular season at Colorado State (3-3, 2-0), and San Diego State plays at Air Force this week, still has a flight to Hawaii that tripped up Fresno State and ends the season at home against Boise State.
For Fresno State, former running back Lorenzo Neal also will have his jersey No. 22 retired in a halftime ceremony and it is Homecoming weekend.
Neal will become the eighth Bulldogs player to receive that honor, joining quarterbacks Kevin Sweeney (No. 9), Trent Dilfer (No. 12), David Carr (No. 8) and Derek Carr (No. 4), kicker Vince Petrucci (No. 14), wide receiver Henry Ellard (No. 83) and running back Dale Messer (No. 21).
Fresno State vs. Nevada
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Bulldog Stadium
TV: FS2 (Dan Hellie, Petros Papadakis)
Find it fast: AT&T (Channels 651, 1651), Comcast (410, 779, 1209), DirecTV (618), Dish Network (149)
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill, Cameron Worrell)
Find it fast: Fresno (AM1340), Bakersfield (AM970), Visalia (AM1130), Modesto (FM92.9), Stockton (AM1280), Bulldogs app, iHeartMedia app
The coaches: Kalen DeBoer (8-5 in second season), Jay Norvell (30-23 in fifth season)
The records: Fresno State 5-2, 2-1 in MW; Nevada 5-1, 2-0,
The series: Fresno State leads 29-22-1
Last meeting: Nevada won 37-26 in 2020
The line: Fresno State -3
Tickets: 559-278-DOGS or gobulldogs.com
About Nevada: The Wolf Pack has a high-octane offense, but can and has been held in check in the past few years as Norvell was building his program. Nevada put up only 22 points in a win at Cal and 17 in a loss at Kansas State, and last season was held to 21 in a loss at Hawaii and 20 in a loss to San Jose State. … Turner, who had 12 receptions for 175 yards in Nevada’s win over Hawaii last Saturday, is listed as a tight end and the Bulldogs defense has lost a few of them in coverage the past two weeks. Hawaii tight end Caleb Phillips caught a 26-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter when the Rainbow Warriors scored the final 17 points to upset the ‘Dogs, and Wyoming tight ends Treyton Welch and Parker Christensen caught 32- and 16-yard passes last week. … Strong, the Nevada quarterback, is averaging 11.9 yards per completion. Fresno State has allowed five pass plays of 40 or more yards and in the Mountain West only New Mexico has allowed more. … Nevada had 5.0 sacks against Hawaii and is leading the nation with 4.5 per game. That obviously could be a problem for the Bulldogs and quarterback Jake Haener, who has been hit a lot this season. Defensive end Tristan Nichols leads the Wolf Pack with 8.0 sacks, tackle Dom Peterson has 4.5 and end defensive end Sam Hammond has 4.0. The Wolf Pack front represents another big challenge for the Bulldogs offensive line. … The red zone is another potential area of concern for Fresno State. Nevada is leading the Mountain West in red zone touchdown percentage at 70.8% (17 of 24 trips) while the Bulldogs are only at 61.3% (19 of 31). Haener has a higher completion percentage than Strong in the red zone (68.4% to just 57.6%), but Strong has thrown 11 TDs with no interceptions and Haener has 10 TDs with three interceptions when inside an opponent’s 20-yard line. … The Nevada pass defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to hit 63.6% of their passes and is ranked ninth in the conference in opponent third-down conversion percentage.
If you’re going to the game …
Things to do: Bulldog Blvd., the new pregame fan fest located between Bulldog Stadium, the Soccer Stadium and Bob Bennett Stadium/Beiden Field, will open four hours before kickoff. This week will feature live music by 40 Watt Hype. The food truck lineup is Bulldog Burger Bistro, Tacos Mazatlan, Brickology Pizza and Nickel’s Lemonade.
The area also includes a family fun zone and a Fresno State students tailgate that includes an eSports trailer and giveaways.
On the west side of Bulldog Stadium in the White Lot there is the Nosotros Nook tequila tasting lounge where fans 21 and older can sample award-winning Blanco, Reposado and Mezcal and purchase crafted cocktails and other partner beverages. It also opens four hours before kickoff.
COVID-19 policy: In accordance with California Department of Public Health guidelines for mega outdoor events, Bulldog Stadium is open to its full capacity with no physical distancing requirements.
Those not vaccinated against the coronavirus are required to wear a face mask and everyone in attendance, whether vaccinated or not, is strongly encouraged to wear a face mask when in common areas of the stadium.
Masks also are required to ride gameday shuttle vans and carts.
Clear bag policy: Only clear bags of plastic, vinyl or PVC are allowed inside Bulldog Stadium and must not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches.
A small clutch bag may be taken inside the stadium in addition to one of the approved clear bags.
An exception will be made for any necessary medical items, subject to inspection prior to entry into the stadium.
Got tickets? Mobile tickets and parking passes have been implemented to expedite delivery as well as reduce person-to-person contact points.
All fans are encouraged to download their game tickets and parking passes to their smartphones. Additional information on mobile tickets is available at gobulldogs.com/mobiletickets.
Parking, gameday shuttle service: The cost of general parking in the Green Lot located on Woodrow Avenue between Shaw and Barstow avenues is $15.
A free shuttle will run starting at noon through the end of the first quarter with stops on Barstow, Woodrow and at the Maple Avenue Roundabout.
This story was originally published October 19, 2021 at 8:00 AM.