Nevada (2-1) at Boise State (2-2)
Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021 – 12:30 p.m. (PT)
Boise, Idaho – Albertsons Stadium
TV: FS1 (PxP – Alex Faust; Analyst – Petros Papadakis)
Radio: 94.5 FM (PxP – John Ramey; Analyst – Mike Edwards)
NEVADA OPENS MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE PLAY AT BOISE STATE
Nevada (2-1), following a BYE last week, opens Mountain West Conference play at Boise State (2-2) for a 12:30 p.m. (PT) kickoff. Saturday’s contest will be broadcast on FS1, with Alex Faust (play-by-play), Petros Papadakis (analyst) on the call.
The Wolf Pack Radio Network will call the game as well on 94.5 FM with John Ramey (play-by-play) and Mike Edwards (analyst) in the booth, with the 60-minute pregame show to begin at 11:30 a.m. PT.
SERIES HISTORY
Nevada and Boise State meet up for the 43rd time in school history. The first matchup between the two programs dates to Sept. 25, 1971, with the Broncos winning 17-10. The Pack secured its first victory over Boise State on Nov. 11, 1973, defeating the Broncos 23-21 at home. Boise State holds a 12-30 series edge and has won nine of the last 10 meetings.
The last Nevada win came in its historic, overtime 34-31 win in 2010. The Broncos came into Mackay ranked No. 3 in the nation. Freshman kicker Anthony Martinez’s 34-yarder secured the Pack victory.
PACK SITS AT 2-1
Nevada opened its 2021 season with a 22-17 victory over the California Golden Bears in Berkeley on Sept. 4. Prior to the win over Cal, Nevada’s last road win at a Power 5 team also came at Cal when Nevada defeated the Golden Bears 31-24 on Sept. 1, 2012. After Cal opened the game with a 14-0 lead, Nevada scored 22 unanswered points to lead the remainder of the game. Carson Strong threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns, posting the ninth 300-yard passing game of his career. Kicker Brandon Talton recorded the 12th multi-FG game of his career after going 3-for-4 for Nevada. Romeo Doubs finished with six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, Cole Turner led all Pack receivers with seven catches (for 75 yards), and WR Tory Horton led the Pack with 94 receiving yards on three catches. Elijah Cooks recorded his first touchdown since the 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Jan. 3, 2020. The Pack defense came up clutch to secure Nevada’s victory. Cornerback Isaiah Essissima, a transfer from Wake Forest, made his first interception in a Nevada jersey in his Wolf Pack debut, stopping a late fourth-quarter Cal drive with a pick. Sam Hammond and Daniel Grzesiak tallied sacks for the Pack, including Hammond’s 13-yard loss which resulted in a missed Cal field goal attempt. JoJuan Claiborne led the Pack defense with 10 tackles (eight solos), and shared a tackle-for-loss.
Nevada handled business on Sept. 11 in its first home game of the 2021 season. The Pack defeated Idaho State, 49-10. Carson Strong powered the Pack offense, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns. Strong completed 34 of 43 passes, including two touchdowns to Elijah Cooks, who finished with seven receptions for 89 yards. Devonte Lee recorded a 2-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and caught a 15-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth. Cole Turner had a touchdown catch. Backup quarterback Nate Cox stepped in the game in the fourth quarter, delivering a 43-yard touchdown to Harry Ballard.
Nevada dropped its first game of the season to No. 25 Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., on Sept. 18. Despite the 38-17 final score being in favor of the Wildcats, the Pack and Kansas State began the fourth quarter tied at 17. WR Romeo Doubs made 7 catches for 121 yards for a season-high in yardage. His previous season-best was 83 yards on six receptions against Cal on Sept. 4. It marked his most receiving yards since he gained 133 yards on 5 receptions at Hawai’i on Nov. 21, 2020.
GAME OF FIRSTS
Backup quarterback Nate Cox stepped into the Idaho State game in the fourth quarter, tossing a 43-yard touchdown pass to Harry Ballard for both of their first career touchdown passes and receptions in a Wolf Pack uniform. Senior running back Devonte Lee also made his first-career touchdown reception, a 15-yard pass from Carson Strong with 11:03 left in the fourth quarter against Idaho State.
AIR ESSISSIMA
Isaiah Essissima recorded his first collegiate interception in his first night in a Wolf Pack uniform at Cal, grabbing a game-clinching interception with 04:29 left to play. Essissima, a Wake Forest transfer, started in his first game for Nevada and tallied four tackles and an interception.
PACK DEFENSE SHINES BRIGHT AGAINST BENGALS
The Nevada defense provided a spark in the Pack’s routing of Idaho State on Saturday. Lawson Hall led the defense with 10 total tackles, including a sack and forced fumble. Tristan Nichols also had a strong output, totaling four tackles and three sacks for a combined loss of 17 yards. Daiyan Henley racked up eight tackles and recorded two pass breakups. The Pack defense combined for eight sacks and two forced fumbles, including a strip-sack by Tristan Nichols that resulted in a Dom Peterson return for a touchdown.
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