2024 Mountain West College Football Schedule

2024 Mountain West College Football Schedule The schedule is out! Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Get ready for some football! The Mountain West released its football schedule for this fall, without TV schedules so there could be changes. The league …

2024 Mountain West College Football Schedule


The schedule is out!


Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Get ready for some football!

The Mountain West released its football schedule for this fall, without TV schedules so there could be changes.

The league includes Washington State and Oregon State which are quasi-members of the Mountain West.

Those two schools will play seven games against the Mountain West but they are not eligible to win the conference title.

Television assignments for Fox and CBS will be released at a later date.

Saturday, Aug. 24

Delaware State at Hawai‘i
SMU at Nevada
Montana State at New Mexico

Thursday, Aug. 29

Sacramento State at San José State

Saturday, Aug. 31

Merrimack at Air Force
Boise State at Georgia Southern
Colorado State at Texas
Fresno State at Michigan
UCLA at Hawai‘i
Nevada at Troy
New Mexico at Arizona
Texas A&M Commerce at San Diego State
UNLV at Houston
Robert Morris at Utah State
Wyoming at Arizona State
Idaho State at Oregon State
Portland State at Washington State

Saturday, September 7

San José State at Air Force
Boise State at Oregon
Northern Colorado at Colorado State
Sacramento State at Fresno State
Georgia Southern at Nevada
Oregon State at San Diego State
Utah Tech at UNLV
Utah State at USC
Idaho at Wyoming
Texas Tech at Washington State

Saturday, September 14

Air Force at Baylor
Colorado at Colorado State
New Mexico State at Fresno State
Hawai‘i at Sam Houston
Nevada at Minnesota
New Mexico at Auburn
San Diego State at California
Kennesaw State at San José State
UNLV vs. KansasUtah at Utah State
BYU at Wyoming
Oregon at Oregon State
Washington State vs. Washington

Saturday, September 21

Portland State at Boise State
UTEP at Colorado State
Fresno State at New Mexico
Northern Iowa at Hawai‘i
Eastern Washington at Nevada
San José State at Washington State
Utah State at Temple
Wyoming at North Texas
Purdue at Oregon State

Saturday, September 28

Air Force at Wyoming
Washington State at Boise State
Fresno State at UNLV
New Mexico at New Mexico State
San Diego State at Central Michigan

Saturday, October 5

Navy at Air Force
Utah State at Boise State
Colorado State at Oregon State
Hawai‘i at San Diego State
Nevada at San José State
Syracuse at UNLV

Saturday, October 12

Air Force at New Mexico
Boise State at Hawai‘i
San José State at Colorado State
Washington State at Fresno State
Oregon State at Nevada
San Diego State at Wyoming
UNLV at Utah State

Saturday, October 19

Colorado State at Air Force
Fresno State at Nevada
Hawai‘i at Washington State
New Mexico at Utah State
Wyoming at San José State
UNLV at Oregon State

Saturday, October 26

Boise State at UNLV
New Mexico at Colorado State
San José State at Fresno State
Nevada at Hawai‘i
Washington State at San Diego State
Utah State at Wyoming
Oregon State at California

Saturday, November 2

Air Force at Army
San Diego State at Boise State
Colorado State at Nevada
Hawai‘i at Fresno State
Wyoming at New Mexico

Saturday, November 9

Fresno State at Air Force
Nevada at Boise State
UNLV at Hawai‘i
New Mexico at San Diego State
San José State at Oregon State
Utah State at Washington State

Saturday, November 16

Oregon State at Air Force
Boise State at San José State
Wyoming at Colorado State
Hawai‘i at Utah State
Washington State at New Mexico
San Diego State at UNLV

Saturday, November 23

Air Force at Nevada
Boise State at Wyoming
Colorado State at Fresno State
San Diego State at Utah State
UNLV at San José State
Washington State at Oregon State

Saturday, November 30

Air Force at San Diego State
Oregon State at Boise State
Utah State at Colorado State
Fresno State at UCLA
New Mexico at Hawai‘i
Nevada at UNLV
Stanford at San José State
Wyoming at Washington State

Advertisement

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

New Mexico Steals 83-82Road Win From Nevada, Thanks to Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Game Recap: New Mexico 83, Nevada 82 New Mexico sweeps Nevada for the first time since the Craig Neal era. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire New Mexico secures the sweep of Nevada with down to the wire road win in Reno. Reno, NV-The name of …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]


 Game Recap: New Mexico 83, Nevada 82


New Mexico sweeps Nevada for the first time since the Craig Neal era.


Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

New Mexico secures the sweep of Nevada with down to the wire road win in Reno.

Reno, NV–The name of the game this Mountain West season is, win. By any means necessary, on any court possible & any given night. Yes, that’s certainly plenty of any’s for just one article. But that is the only way to survive in this conference this season. As teams are prepared to win at home and on the road on any given night.

Given all of the history between New Mexico & Nevada over the years, fan bases tend to show out when the other Wolf related team comes to town. The last time these two teams met was not too long ago on January 28th, when the Lobos beat Steve Alford’s Wolf Pack 89-55 in front of a packed Pit in Albuquerque.

It was a tale of two shooting performances that night, as the Lobos could not miss. Logging 50% & above shooting numbers from the field, behind the arc & from the charity stripe. While Nevada struggled from all areas of the court.

That game could be notated as the tail end of the Lobos dominant run in the Mountain West. It was also the first win for New Mexico over Nevada in nine previous meetings to go along with being the program’s first win over their former Head Coach, the proverbial cherry on top of the silver sundae.

This far into February though, both teams find themselves fighting for their own post season hopes. Even the Wolf Pack who are coming off of two impressive quad one wins over Top-25 ranked Colorado State & San Diego State just last week.

For both benches, the stakes were high inside the Lawlor Events Center Tuesday night, with eyeballs around the nation staying up late to see Nevada defend their home against New Mexico in the “Biggest Little City on Earth”.

The Lobos started as quick as they began the last time these two met. Taking a 5-2 lead with a Jaelen House three pointer. Both squads would miss a few shots until a Nick Davidson layup gave Nevada their first lead of the game. Back-to-back 4-0 runs on both sides kept things leveled at 11 a piece before a media timeout.

That media driven timeout cooled things down. As both sides received scoring from four different players in those first five minutes of action. Someone didn’t notify Jaelen House, as a quick steal & layup out of the break caused another timeout just seconds later. This time by the Nevada coaching staff.

After another Davidson layup in the paint, Jemarl Baker Jr. knocked down a much needed three pointer. That along with a defensive stop on the other end gave way for a Donovan Dent layup. The Lobos would go on to outscore their hosts 9-5 after that. With yet another Baker Jr. three pointer giving New Mexico a little cushion in their biggest lead of the game.

That lead only continued to grow, with a Mashburn Jr. three pointer increasing it to double digits (32-22) with 6:36 left in the first half.

Nevada wouldn’t stay down for long, not in their own house. Scoring seven points, including a Tre Coleman three pointer which shrunk the lead back down to single digits. But the Lobos answered back, with their long running backcourt duo of House & Mashburn Jr. chipping in four more points to get their lead back to a favorable place.

Each team gave it all they had until the half-time buzzer, as Jarod Lucas scored four straight points to keep his Wolf Pack within striking distance. It was enough to keep his team in the game. But a Mustapha Amzil three pointer was the last bucket before the half, to give New Mexico the 45-35 lead heading into halftime.

Things were pretty leveled on each side. With similar shooting totals, & longtime friends Jaelen House leading his team with 11 points & Jarod Lucas with 8 of his own. Something unexpected was New Mexico’s shooting performance at half-time, knocking down 5-8 three pointers to help give them the 10 point lead.

Nevada started scoring quickly, with a Coleman pull up jumper opening up scoring in the first possession of the second-half. One of three field goals made in the first minute of play.

The Wolf Pack wouldn’t stop there, going on a 7-0 run after having sent Lobo JT Toppin to the free throw line to make the three point play. That 7-0 run shrank the New Mexico lead to just four (48-44), their smallest deficit since the ten minute marker in the first half.

The Wolf Pack’s hot shooting on their home floor to open the half continued. With a Kenan Blackshear pull up, followed by a Nick Davidson dunk down low bringing Nevada to within one point of the Lobo lead (49-48). Prompting a much needed Richard Pitino timeout.

After the break, the two squads stayed neck and neck. Until back-to-back layups by Toppin combined with another from fellow freshman Tru Washington helped the Lobos create some cushion in their lead. Going up 58-52 before Nevada called a timeout of their own. After several misses on each side, a pair of Washington steals would lead to a pair of Donovan Dent field goals.

With the lead back to double-digits (62-52), a media timeout couldn’t have come sooner for Coach Alford. His team responded well, making shots & making New Mexico earn theirs at the charity stripe (next 4 Lobo points, come from Mashburn Jr. FTs).

But in the face of continuous comeback attempts from their hosts, New Mexico stayed composed. With Amzil’s second three pointer of the night helping widen their lead, only for a Jarod Lucas three on the other end to help close it yet again.

As both teams approached the five minute mark, a pair of Daniel Foster free throws brought the Wolf Pack back to within four. New Mexico would fail to capitalize on their next two possessions. Ultimately sending Kenan Blackshear to the line to tie things up at 71-71 with 4:43 left in the game. Nevada would take their first lead of the second-half shortly after, with Toppin sending Davidson to the line for two easy free throws.

A much needed Amzil three pointer gave New Mexico back their lead (74-73). Which was a part of a clutch performance off of the bench from the Finnish big man (12 points in 21 minutes), who went 3-6 from deep against Nevada.

There would be two more ties after that, at 75 & 77 a piece before a defensive blunder would nearly turn the tides.

A Jaelen House foul on Jarod Lucas beyond the arc sent the sharpshooter to the line for three easy ones. Giving Nevada the 80-77 lead with under two minutes to play. House would go on to miss a three pointer on the other end, but New Mexico would retain the ball.

In comes the Mountain West magic & after being subbed out only seconds prior, in comes Jamal Mashburn Junior. Draining a three pointer that would silence the crowd inside the Lawlor Events Center while tying the game at 80-80. Get ready for the tweets.

If that wasn’t enough to keep Mountain West spectators on the edge of their seat, Nevada would take the lead after another Davidson layup with just thirty seconds to go. No one called a timeout, as offensive maestro Donovan Dent was entrusted to put the ball on the hardwood & drove to the basket only to find one of his team’s best scorers ready for the ball.

A slight lapse in defensive coverage by the Wolf Pack left Mashburn Jr. briefly open in the upper corner. As the clutch shooting guard came under pressure, he fired.

With Mashburn Jr.’s clutch three pointer, he was subbed right back out for the larger Baker Junior. Tasked with preventing a shot that Lobo fans were all too familiar with, a Kenan Blackshear final possession game winner.

With that miss New Mexico earned the 83-82 road win, another quad 1 win & their first sweep over Nevada since the 2015-2016 season.

It was truly a night for scoring in Reno. With New Mexico receiving double-digit scoring from five different players, including Nelly Junior-Joseph’s fifth double-double of the season (11 points, 13 rebounds). While Nevada had four players in double figures, led by 19 point performances from Nick Davidson & Jarod Lucas.

Player Spotlights

Nevada FNick Davidson

Stat line: 19 points & 7 rebounds & 2 blocks on 8-15 (53.3%) shooting from the floor, including 3-3 (100%) from deep in 35 minutes on the floor

To choose just one Wolf to highlight after tonight’s edge of your seat game was difficult. I could have easily pointed to Lucas’s offensive efficiency or Blackshear’s ability to get to the free throw line all night while also dishing out 7 assists. But, I don’t think Nevada even comes close to taking New Mexico down to the wire if it wasn’t for Davidson’s play in the post.

Shooting above 53.5% against one of the more talented & lengthy frontcourts in the conference isn’t easy. And Davidson managed to do so with consistency while also challenging for boards & making some clutch free throws when needed.

Playing at maybe Nevada’s shallowest position on the depth chart, the sophomore is vital to their success.

New Mexico G-Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Stat line: 17 points on 4-7 (57.1%) from the floor, including 3-3 (100%) from deep & 6-6 (100%) from the line in just 23 minutes on the floor

Mashburn Jr. definitely deserves his flowers for Tuesday night’s performance in Reno. He was quiet but efficient for most of the game, only logging 23 total minutes on the floor.

As Coach Pitino continuously subbed him in & out, in favor of size to try in order to find their defensive edge. That didn’t shake the mental toughness of this senior guard.

He returned to the floor time & time again to contribute in a highly efficient way. Ending the night shooting 100% from both the free throw line & from deep range. That deep range performance was vital to New Mexico’s win. As they’ve struggled with effective three point shooting all season.

If you would have asked me Tuesday morning if the Lobos would win tonight’s game off of back-to-back three pointers, I would have offered you a coffee to sober up. But big players show up in big moments, and no Lobo stands taller tonight than Jamal Mashburn Junior.

Three Takeaways:

  • After getting swept by UNLV last Saturday with that tough loss at home, New Mexico needed this win. Not only for their morale & momentum to finish out the season, but for their tournament resume. The sweep of Nevada this season is also significant, having not done so in nearly eight years. Not to mention beginning a two game winning streak against their former Head Coach. A second straight win this week in San Diego could be the momentum this team needs heading into a brutal second half of February.
  • Jamal Mashburn Jr. has been overshadowed this season. With the surge in production from sophomore Donovan Dent & the always crowd pleasing & energetic Jaelen House sharing the back court with him, minutes along with praise are sometimes scarce. His team high of 17 points to go along with those two clutch three pointers to win the game for his squad on the road are huge. His confidence & production along with others on this team like Amzil, Junior-Joseph, Washinton & Baker Jr. will be needed come tournament time & to finish strong the rest of the conference season.
  • Nevada played very well Tuesday night against New Mexico. Boasting a three game winning streak coming into this one, which includes back-to-back wins over Top-25 opponents in conference front runners Utah State & perennial powerhouse San Diego State just last week. Even after the loss, they made the correct adjustments throughout the game, which eventually led to them taking control in the closing minutes. The Wolf Pack appear primed & ready to compete for their spot in the Big Dance come March. I can’t wait to see this team thrive going forward, with a favorable stretch to overcome.

Next Up:

The Lobos only get three days off & stay on the road to hopefully finish their week 2-0. With a rare Friday night game against San Diego State on February 16th. New Mexico could secure two sweeps over two of their more problematic conference foes this year. It’s a tall task but remember, any team on any night.

The Lobos haven’t swept the Aztecs since 2017. Which happened to be Craig Neal’s last season in Albuquerque & it was still called Wise Pies Arena back then. That game tips off at 8:00 PM MT and can be seen on FS1.

While the Wolf Pack stay in Reno to host their southern in-state rivals, UNLV. The first game in the hardwood edition of the Battle for Nevada takes place on Saturday February 17th.

This rivalry may have seen some better days with UNLV’s inconsistency & NCAA Tournament drought over their last decade or so. Both programs are attempting to fight their way out of their mid-table positions.

But have proven their lethality to other team’s tournament hopes this season. That matchup tips off at 8:30 PM PT and can be seen on FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

New Mexico vs. Nevada: Preview, Odds, How To Watch

New Mexico vs. Nevada: Preview, Odds, How To Watch Lobos take to the road this week Follow @MWCwire Wolf Pack will try to defend the home court. Game: Nevada Wolf Pack vs New Mexico Lobos When: Tuesday , February 13, 2024 Where: Lawlor Events Center …

New Mexico vs. Nevada: Preview, Odds, How To Watch


Lobos take to the road this week


Follow @MWCwire

Wolf Pack will try to defend the home court.

Game: Nevada Wolf Pack vs New Mexico Lobos

When: Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Where: Lawlor Events Center Reno, NV

TV: CBS Sports Network

Live Stream: FuboTV (Try for free.)

On Tuesday, the No. 25 New Mexico Lobos (19-5, 7-4 MWC) will face off against the Nevada Wolf Pack (19-5, 6-4 MWC) at Lawlor Events Center on February 13 at 11:00 p.m. ET.

According to our computer prediction, this matchup is anticipated to end with a 76-73 victory for New Mexico, which our model slightly favors.

The New Mexico men’s basketball team kicks off a two-game road stretch on Tuesday with a matchup against Nevada and Friday against SDSU. 

The game will tip off at 9:00 p.m. MT (8:00 p.m. PT) in Reno and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and the Lobo Radio Network.

Currently boasting a record of 19-5 this season, with a conference standing of 7-4 in the Mountain West, the Lobos sit at No. 22 in the NET rankings.

Their recent road performances have been impressive, securing victories in their last three away games, all with double-digit leads. 

They aim to extend this streak to four consecutive conference road wins, a feat not achieved since the 2013-14 season when they had a five-game streak.

 In their latest road game against Wyoming last Tuesday, JT Toppin’s outstanding performance marked his eighth double-double of the season, setting a freshman record at UNM.

Saturday’s match highlighted the Lobos’ most formidable challenge this season: losing the battle in points scored in the paint. 

Saturday was by far the worst game of the season the Lobos have had in terms of losing the points in the paint battle; 48-26 screams this point. 

“I think we were better in the second half (at the rim), but they were getting to the rim — they’re strong at the rim. They’re tough at the rim,” said UNM coach Richard Pitino.

 “We need to do a much better job of making those (shots near the rim). They were there. 

“They were shooting like 70% at the rim, so we’ve got to be way more disruptive and not allow the ball to get there (to the big men so close to the basket), but also give them credit. They were really good.”

Against Boise State, it was pretty much the same, with the Lobos being outrebounded 46-38, so this must be fixed to allow them a chance to get road wins, especially.  

Therefore, expect the Wolf Pack to prioritize packing the paint again, meaning the Lobos’ big men must display great physicality to remain competitive.

The Rebels were clearly the more athletic team and had the length to impose their defensive will on the Lobos, hence sweeping the Lobos this year. 

They packed the paint defensively, and other teams are noticing, so the Lobos must put their “mean socks” for them to have a chance to pick up some road wins.  

The Lobo guards have faced challenges with their shots being blocked and have struggled against the length of opposing teams.

 This was anticipated, especially given the decision to start three shorter guards in Jaelen House (6-foot-0), Donovan Dent (6-2), and Jamal Mashburn Jr. (6-2).

“Yeah, me and Mash gotta do a better job boxing out the ‘2’ and the ‘3’ down there,” Dent said. “They had how many offensive rebounds? Twelve offensive rebounds, mostly from Boone and Rodriguez. We gotta do better there.”

You can bet Steve Alfords Wolf Pack will emphasize that they must outrebound Richard Pitinos Lobos, putting them in the driver’s seat. 

UNM might consider putting three bigs on the court at the same time as Nelly, Topping and Amzil when the other teams are packing the paint. 

Or even a 2-3 zone when opposing teams show their hand early, at least change it up so they are not so predictable on defense. 

This is especially true when one of your guards is showing off that night; at least you cannot get outrebounded. 

Dent acknowledged the size advantage of UNLV wings Luis Rodriguez (6-6) and Keylan Boone (6-8) over himself and Mashburn.

 This led to the Rebels securing six offensive rebounds (three each for Rodriguez and Boone) out of UNLV’s total of 12. 

Many of these offensive rebounds translated into easy buckets near the rim and in the paint for the Rebels.

Both games against the UNLV Rebels and the Jan 31st game against the Broncos outscored the Lobo big men, making it very challenging to get the Lobos to attack the rim themselves. 

Nelly Junior Joseph and freshman JT Topping must step up against the Wolf Pack for the Lobos to win by rebounding and scoring on the road. 

Opposing Coaches watch the film of the losses of their next opponent and try to duplicate the same strategy. Of course, they must have the personnel to do so. 

This is something that Coach Pitino’s staff have to figure out , as you can get Steve Alford for Nevada, who will be looking to duplicate this same effort. 

Additionally, there have been shortcomings in feeding the ball to big men JT Toppin and Nelly Junior Joseph in favorable scoring positions, with much of their interior offense coming from second-chance points off missed shots.

When the Bigs have the ball in the low post-block area, he is a force for UNM, but there is no doubt they must get more production, both rebounds and scoring, from him. 

So opposing teams recognize this, knowing that the Lobos will not feed the post players very much, so they can emphasize defense on the smaller guards. 

This offense must have more balance, and one feeds the other with an inside-out game because the other team can concentrate on one aspect only. 

Now, that’s expected for a team with so much guard play, but the guard must recognize when they are having an off night and feed the bigs. 

However, they have faced difficulties, including having shots blocked and struggling against the length of opposing teams. 

This challenge was anticipated, especially with a lineup featuring three shorter guards 6-foot-0 Jaelen House, 6-2 Donovan Dent, and 6-2 Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Dent highlighted the size disadvantage faced against UNLV’s wings, Luis Rodriguez (6-6) and Keylan Boone (6-8), which led to the Rebels securing offensive rebounds and easy baskets inside the paint.

The Lobos must return to “We Ball and not Me ball” and distribute the ball on assist instead of simply taking a jump shot with 10-12 seconds still on the shot clock. 

Their opponent, Nevada, holds a similar 19-5 overall record, with a conference standing of 6-4 in the Mountain West. 

Nevada comes off impressive victories against ranked opponents last week, triumphing over No. 22 Utah State on the road and defeating No. 24 San Diego State at home in overtime.

 Nick Davidson’s standout performances in these games earned him the Mountain West Player of the Week title and will be a big challenge for the lobos big man. 

New Mexico claimed victory in the first encounter between the teams this year, dominating with an 89-55 win on January 28 at The Pit, snapping Nevada’s nine-game winning streak in their head-to-head history.

 Jaelen House led UNM with 21 points, six assists, and six steals in that game. However, the Lobos have faced difficulties in Reno, losing six consecutive games since their last victory in the 2015-16 regular-season finale.

Despite playing poorly at times, the Lobos overcame a deficit and took the lead at halftime, ultimately losing the game by just three points. 

I expect this Lobo team to bounce back, understanding the significance of securing these two wins to prove their worth for this year’s NCAA tournament. 

With crunch time upon them, they must demonstrate their ability to secure crucial road victories, especially in obtaining a few significant Quad 1 wins.

 I firmly believe they will rise to the occasion; this team possesses abundant talent, good coaches, and a competitive will to win. 

As Steve Alford, in a podcast, told Geoff Grammer from the Albuquerque Journal, it’s not so much teams being inconsistent from game to game. Still, there are a lot of really good teams in the Mountain West Conference this year. 

Look at UNLV, who wins in the PIT but loses to Air Force, “It’s the teams that can probably show the maturity that can handle game to game, week to week are the ones that are going to surface to the top” 

“We have a lot of ball to play with four weeks and eight games; there’s a lot of ball to be played, so you have to be playing your best basketball now.” 

So the reality is as much as the Lobos have enjoyed the ride this year in the Mountain West Conference, it is time for them to show they belong at the upper tier in this conference.

 They must step up the game and play their best ball or risk being all flash and no fire; that is what champions are made of going strong when the going is tough. 

 The Lobos will conclude their road trip on Friday with a visit to San Diego State, with the game scheduled at 8:00 p.m. MT (7:00 p.m. PT) at Viejas Arena, airing on FS1.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

No. 25 New Mexico Continues Hot Streak, Beating Nevada 89-55

The Lobos achieved their first win over the Wolf Pack in five years, in convincing fashion. Ending a 9-0 losing streak to Nevada on Sunday.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]


 Game Recap: New Mexico 89, Nevada 55


New Mexico slams Nevada by 34 points at home Sunday night.


Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Lobos achieved their first win over the Wolf Pack in five years, in convincing fashion.

Albuquerque, NM–A conference rivalry like no other. Two programs that share a similar mascot, a lopsided series record as of late & a shared appreciation for Steve Alford. The latest installment of that rivalry, was also the lone Mountain West game on Sunday night.

Meaning there were plenty of fans, regionally & bystanders nationally tuned in to see if New Mexico was the real deal & if Nevada was going to be the team to expose them.

Richard Pitino’s group put peddle to the metal against their visitors Sunday night, opening things up with a 10-0 run and not really looking back. Receiving contributions from seven Lobos in the first twenty minutes of action, New Mexico took the lead from the get go and never let go of the reins. Heading into half-time up 38-24, after what was an 18-point Lobo lead was chipped away by Nevada in the closing minutes.

It was a team effort in the first half, but New Mexico was led by 10 points, 6 rebounds & 2 blocks from Nelly Junior-Joseph. While Pitino’s trio of guards went for 17 of his squad’s 38 points, shooting 7-14 from the floor. Stud freshman JT Toppin was sidelined early with 5 points & two fouls, but it didn’t matter, not tonight.

Nevada struggled to knock down shots, looking for their first bucket for nearly five minutes into the game & trailing the rest of the way. Their best chance came with around 12:57 left to go in the second-half. As a Nick Davidson dunk sparked a 7-0 Wolf Pack run, which helped Nevada shrink their deficit to just nine points (their smallest all night).

That momentum was short lived as New Mexico responded with back-to-back three pointers, which livened the crowd inside the Pit. The home team’s lead reached 20-points soon after and only got larger as time went on.

As the final nail in the coffin coming in the form of a 7-0 run around the five minute mark, the Lobos had done it. Earning their first win over Nevada since January of 2019. Not to mention their first win over Steve Alford since his return to the Mountain West.

It was an impressive display from the Lobos and much needed after what Kenan Blackshear did inside that arena just a year ago. The win was also their fifth straight, all by double-figures & by an average margin of victory of 20.8 PPG. Also placing them in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West, behind No. 18 Utah State, whom the Lobos have already beaten once this season.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico G-Jaelen House

Stat line: 21 points, 6 steals & 6 assists on 7-13 (53.8%) shooting, including 4-8 (50%) from deep

House had one of his most impressive games of the season. Which seems like something I’ve written multiple times this season. But Sunday’s performance had flair, passion & efficiency to boot. Shooting a monster 53.8% from the floor & knocking down shots from everywhere on the floor. Thanks to a huge second-half, where he had 14 of his 21 points.

Not to mention a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio and a dominant defensive performance on the perimeter with six logged steals & countless other disruptions. House has always had poise and confidence but shooting 50% on a night with four other Lobos reaching double-figures was what was needed to send the Wolf Pack home in convincing fashion.

Nevada FTylan Pope

Stat line: 5 points, 4 rebounds & 1 block in just 12 minutes on the floor

Maybe the toughest player spotlight choice of the season, as no Wolf Pack player’s performance stood out. A player who played hard during his time on the floor & didn’t look intimidated by the score was Tylan Pope.

Nevada Sports outlets have been praising the Tulane transfer for his play off of the bench as of late. I see why after this dunk through traffic that the Nevada Twitter account doesn’t have a video of.

Three Takeaways

  • This Nevada loss was bound to happen sometime during Alford’s tenure in Reno. An undefeated record against his old employers is nothing to snuff at, but Sunday’s bombardment likely changes the power dynamic between these two programs for now. It wasn’t the most dignified way to lose (34 points and all), but New Mexico is one of the hottest teams in the country at the moment. Not to mention they’ve already done the same to Utah State & San Diego State this season.
  • Back in early January when UNLV handed the New Mexico their second loss in conference play I said things needed to change in the Lobo locker room. They couldn’t have an amazing non-conference performance just to fold in conference play like they did last year. Someone in that locker room felt the same way and since New Mexico has looked like a different team. One with confident stars playing in rhythm and role players like Junior-Joseph & Amzil thriving to give Richard Pitino one of the more dangerous squads in the country. Anything short of a No. 20 ranking come Monday would be a bit of an insult.
  • This Lobo team is playing with a passion, energy & confidence that I haven’t seen in maybe over a decade. One of the moments that I feel perfectly encapsulates this idea, is one of the many Lobo fast breaks of the night. A defensive stop from a mix of House, Junior-Joseph & Dent that led to all three of those players well ahead of any Wolf Pack player, which resulted in House rising in support of a then Dent slam dunk. It’s great to see, a revitalized fan base, student section & along with players inside the program.

Next Up:

The Lobos take their win and continue their two game homestand against a struggling but always dangerous Boise State squad. The two sides split their home and home series last season, but each team defended their home courts. That 8:30 PM MT tip-off can be seen on FS1 as the sole MWC game of the night.

While Nevada return home to host San Jose State on Friday February 2nd inside the Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack look to return to their winnings ways after dropping four of their last five. That 8:00 PM PT tip-off can be seen on the FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

No. 25 New Mexico vs. Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More

New Mexico vs. Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More The Lobos head back home to put their winning momentum on the line. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire No. 25 New Mexico heads home to host Steve Alford & his Nevada Wolf Pack …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]


New Mexico vs. Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More


The Lobos head back home to put their winning momentum on the line.


Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

No. 25 New Mexico heads home to host Steve Alford & his Nevada Wolf Pack in Super Sunday Showdown.

WHO: No. 25 New Mexico (17-3, 5-2 in the MWC) vs. Nevada (16-4, 3-3 in the MWC)

WHEN: Sunday, January 28th, 8:00 PM MT/7:00 PM PT

WHERE: University Arena aka “The Pit”, Albuquerque, NM

TELEVISION: FS1

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

Line: KenPom ($), The Lobos are favored by 6 Points

A date circled on many Lobo fans calendars this time of year, the return of maybe their “winningest” Head Coach ever. A day that stirs up emotion among the New Mexico fan base, both good and bad. But another gameday to overcome nonetheless, regardless of who fills the opposing team’s bench.

Steve Alford left New Mexico for a dream job at one of college basketball’s blue chip gigs, UCLA. Fans understood why he left, but never truly forgave their former head coach. Lobo basketball since his departure has struggled to climb back to what is seen as their peak of the 21st century.

Because of that history, fans pack the pit when the other wolf team comes to town. Look no further than last season’s matchup, where 15,004 fans packed University Arena to witness one of the biggest buzzer beaters in Mountain West history. It was one of two Lobo losses last season resulting from a buzzer beater at home and one of two losses to the Wolf Pack last season.

In fact the last time a ranked Lobo team went up against Nevada was just a little over a year ago inside the Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack added to the win column in Coach Alford’s record against his old employer. Which is perfectly intact at 8-0.

The Lobos will put their red hot momentum and top-25 ranking on the line Sunday night. As they prepare to host a team, like themselves, make opposing coaches hold their breath until the final buzzer sounds. New Mexico is coming home after a two-game road trip that resulted in convincing wins over Air Force & San Jose State.

Those are games the Lobos needed to win & couldn’t afford to lose, so give Richard Pitino and his group some credit for not fumbling those road wins. Maybe give more credit to their nationally renowned perimeter trio of Jaelen House, Jamal Mashburn Jr. & Donovan Dent who have led this New Mexico team to potentially their first NCAA Tournament trip since current Nevada Assistant Coach Craig Neal took them to ten years ago.

It really has been a team effort for the Lobos this season. Certainly led by that trio of guards but supported by stellar transfers & impactful freshman. New Mexico has slowly become the team national media were giving attention to in the offseason.

While Nevada is coming off of a 77-64 win against No. 24 ranked Colorado State on Wednesday. A much needed win that ended a three game losing streak for the Wolf Pack. A team like their hosts, are looking for an NCAA Tournament birth come March.

They are led by former transfers and now longtime Wolves Kenan Blackshear & Jarod Lucas. A perimeter duo who are making their last run around the Mountain West before running out of eligibility.

The guys over at Heat Check CBB have Nevada as one of the First Four Out in their most recent Bracketology release while other outlets have them as a Last Four In selection.

The path both of these teams have taken to Sunday’s matchup appear similar. Great non-conference performances, some tough losses but some high value “upsets” in conference play.

As the lone Sunday game of the entire Mountain West Conference slate, there will be eyeballs aplenty available to watch this clash of wolves.

Players to Watch:

F JT ToppinNew Mexico

23-24 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG & 1.2 SPG while shooting 66.3% from the floor in 25.0 MPG

Last time out: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 block on 5-11 (45%) shooting, including 4-5 (80%) from the line against San Jose State

If you haven’t gotten a chance to see a Lobo game this season, make time. New Mexico is a deep and talented team this year with leadership and true potential. With maybe JT Toppin having one of the more exciting freshman seasons since Kendall Williams well over a decade ago.

The 6-9 freshman four man is a site to see in the paint. Recently tying the record for most double-doubles by a freshman (7), previously held by Lobo legend & former NBA journeyman Kenny Thomas.

Toppin’s offensive game is primarily focused around the rim, with second chance layups & turnaround hook shots being his weapons of choice. Along with finishing in transition. While defensively he has active hands, which lead to opponent turnovers and those aforementioned dunks in transition. Big Lobo wins are usually accompanied by big Toppin nights, so they may need one from him in order to put away a team they haven’t beaten in a long time.

F Kenan Blackshear –Nevada

23-24 Stats: 16.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.9 APG while shooting 51.3% from the floor in 31.1 MPG

Last time out: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists on 9-12 (75%) shooting against Colorado State

Blackshear’s name will live in infamy inside the heads of Lobo fans after his buzzer beating mid-range jumper inside the Pit last season. The true definition of a dagger that deflated an entire arena filled with fifteen thousand people in an instant.

Blackshear’s game is tough to stop. A 6’6 combo guard who often towers over his opponents on the perimeter. He has a deadly inside game, a 1.8 assist to turnover ratio but virtually no outside game.

An element of his game that you think would make him easier to guard or at least point to where on the floor opponents should push him towards, but it doesn’t. I don’t see Nevada securing the win without a big night from Blackshear.

Keys to the Game

For New Mexico:  Force Turnovers, Get to the line & minimize fouls

The Lobos make their money in transition off of missed field goal attempts and more often turnovers. If you blink you’ll miss it, but New Mexico’s points off of turnovers are no joke. They’ll need plenty of those to avoid playing to one of Nevada’s strengths, which is getting to the line & knocking them down.

The Wolf Pack are ranked in the top-20 in the country in free throw attempts (14th) and makes (16th). The Lobos need to play smart and keep them off of the line Sunday night. A foul heavy night in Albuquerque could doom the Lobos. As that slows down the game and possibly takes away one of their own strengths/advantages.

By the same token, the Lobos need free throws of their own if three-point & mid-range jumpers aren’t falling, which they rarely do. It’s an odd mix but one New Mexico needs to find to secure the win.

For Nevada:  Get to the line, Control the tempo & Crowd the Paint

The Lobos make plenty of their money at the line, but the Wolf Pack does it better. If Nevada can slow down the tempo and take New Mexico’s elite transition offense out of the game while getting to the free throw line at the same time. I can’t see a better reason to use the phrase, two birds with one stone in college basketball more than that exactly.

The Wolf Pack don’t necessarily have a dominant big man down low like say a Jaedon Ledee or Great Osobor. In my opinion that’s an advantage, because they won’t be as cautious when it comes to foul trouble or relying on points from their frontcourt to secure the win.

Instead, they can use that frontcourt on the defensive side and make it difficult for New Mexico’s bigs to earn their living down low. They can do so by sending those bigs to the line, where as a whole, they shoot a poor 59.2% from the charity stripe.

Prediction: New Mexico 80, Nevada 74

The power of the Pit has treated the Lobos well all season (10-0). With their only three losses of the season coming on the road. KenPom has New Mexico as 6-point favorites, which feels accurate given the margin of victory the Lobos have dealt to their opponents as of late but not forgetting Nevada’s offensive abilities any given night.

Though at this point in the season, teams are playing for their tourney resumes and at-large bids. A win in Albuquerque over a ranked New Mexico team means a heck of a whole lot for Nevada. While a homestand win for the Lobos not only gives them their first win over Steve Alford, but a solid quad 2 win to add to their own resume.

I think the current form the Lobos are in combined with their homecourt advantage gives them the win. It could be close but I see New Mexico pulling out the win Sunday night.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Brock Purdy’s Younger Brother Chubba Decommits from SJSU and transfers to Nevada

Brock Purdy’s Younger Brother Decommits from SJSU and transfers to Nevada

The news of Brock Purdy‘s younger brother, Chubba, transferring from Nebraska to San Jose State lit up the Bay Area last weekend.

The idea of Chubba dominating on a Saturday followed by Brock on a Sunday was storyline gold. Seriously, what could be better than that?

But all those imaginations won’t become reality now that Chubba has decommited from SJSU and transferred to Mountain West-foe Nevada.

The news isn’t surprising after Chubba deleted his initial commitment post on Sunday, Jan. 21 — the same day SJSU announced the hiring of new head coach Ken Niumatalolo who will be taking over for Brent Brennan.

A former four-star from Gilbert, Ariz., Purdy played two years at Florida State, compiling 317 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 147 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Then, after transferring to Nebraska in 2022 for two years, he threw for 529 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing for 353 yards and three scores. He was 0-4 as a starter.

Purdy’s commitment to Nevada also comes on the same day SJSU running back Quali Conley entered the transfer portal. 247 Sports’ crystal ball puts Conley’s chances at transferring to UA at 100%.

If Conley becomes a Wildcat, it could signify former SJSU associate head coach, running backs coach, and recruiting coordinator Alonzo “Zo” Carter joining Brennan in Tucson.

So now, if Niumatalolo doesn’t bring in a quarterback through the transfer portal, SJSU’s options are Oregon transfer Jay Butterfield, freshman Anthony Garcia, redshirt freshman Tyler Voss, and redshirt sophomore Walker Eget.

[lawrence-related id=58874]

Also noteworthy, is that Niumatalolo won’t be running his patented triple option offense at SJSU this season and, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, “is expected to target an offensive coordinator for some type of wide-open and pass-heavy system.”

Niumatalolo utilized the triple option in his 25 years of coaching at Navy. In his 15 years as a head coach from 2007-2022, he became the winningest head coach in program history, went to 10 bowl games, and from 2015-19 was a three-time recipient of the American Athletic Conference coach of the year award as the Midshipmen had four AP Top 25 poll finishes.

Nevada vs. Wyoming: Game Preview, How to Watch, Central Players, Keys & Prediction

The Nevada Wolf Pack travels to the high plains of Wyoming to snap its six-game losing streak against the Wyoming Cowboys.

 

Nevada vs. Wyoming: Game Preview, How to Watch, Central Players, Keys & Prediction


The Wolf Pack travels to the high plains of Wyoming to snap its six-game losing streak against the Cowboys.


Contact/Follow @KayceeClark-Mellott and @MWCwire

WHO: Nevada (15-3, 2-2 in the MWC) vs. Wyoming (9-8, 2-2 in the MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:30 PM MT

WHERE: Arena-Auditorium “Dome of Doom”, Laramie, Wyo.

TELEVISION: Mountain West Network

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

LINE: Nevada +8.5

RANKINGS:

  Nevada Wyoming
AP RV (22) NR
USA TODAY COACHES POLL RV (14) NR
NET RANKINGS 45 204
KENPOM 47 214

The last victory for the Nevada Wolf Pack against the Wyoming Cowboys came in the 2020 COVID-19 season, Wyoming head coach Jeff Linder’s first season. Linder and the Pokes have won six straight from that season sweep of the Cowboys, including four games in Laramie.

Nevada’s season, thus far, is the best since the 2018-19 season, when they played in the NCAA Tournament as a seven-seed. The Wolf Pack is one of the best defensive teams in the Mountain West Conference (MWC), allowing the fewest points in the league. Coupled with three players scoring in double figures, Nevada has become one of the top teams in the conference. However, the team has lost two straight matchups against Boise State and San Diego State.

Both losses included some of Nevada’s worst shooting percentages of the season and the most fouls committed in a game against the Aztecs. The Wolf Pack allowed 41 rebounds in both games, the most in a season. Although both teams are in the top four in the conference for rebounding, Wyoming and Nevada are in the middle of the MWC.

The Cowboys have a season of many unknowns. They lost four starters from last season to graduation or the transfer portal. The only returning players for Wyoming are Brendan Wenzel, Caden Powell, Kenny Foster — who experienced a season-ending injury in the preseason — and Cort Roberson — who mainly works on the scout team.

As the team has already matched its win total from last year, the Cowboys are looking to reach double-digit wins with an upset over the Wolf Pack. Games at the “Dome of Doom” have favored Wyoming thus far this season, with a 6-1 record, including two conference victories, courtesy of Akuel Kot’s game-winning buzzer-beaters over San Jose State and Fresno State.

Turnovers have troubled the Pokes all season as the 20th most per game in the NCAA. Sam Griffin and Kot lead the team with 3.1 turnovers each per game. Only two games have seen the Cowboys commit less than 10 turnovers.

While Nevada looks to get back on track in conference play, Wyoming aims to achieve a winning record in the conference.

Key Players to the Game:

G Kenan BlackshearNevada

23-24 Stats: 16.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG & 51.4% FG

Last time out: 14 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals on 6-12 (50%) shooting, including 2-5 from the line, at San Diego State.

Kenan Blackshear is an all-around player for the Wolf Pack. He leads the team in assists and steals and is second among starters in scoring, rebounds and shooting percentage. His four highest-scoring games have all come this season, with a career-high of 31 points at Washington in November. 

Both guards — Blackshear and Jarod Lucas — are prominent players for Nevada, but the stature of Blackshear may pose difficulties for Wyoming’s defense. His passing vision and abilities can help propel the Wolf Pack while drawing attention away from others.

F Caden Powell-Wyoming

23-24 Stats: 7.2 PPG, 1.0 APG, 5.9 RPG, 0.9 BPG & 50% FG

Last time out: 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block on 0-2 shooting against Fresno State.

The obvious answer for the Pokes is leading scorer Griffin or Kot with the buzzer-beaters and scoring double digits in all but one game this season. However, Powell must be a dominant force on the glass. As Nevada has allowed over 40 rebounds in their last two games, it’s central for the Cowboys to continue that trend.

Powell also makes half the shots he puts up, and while playing the best scoring defense in the conference, throwing up the most efficient shots is vital. Since MWC play started, Powell has yet to post double figures, only averaging 4.8 points on 46.2%. A dominant big-man performance can send Wyoming into the driver’s seat of this game. 

Keys to the Game

For Nevada:  Control the glass. Improve shooting efficiency. Get back on defense.

The game plan must focus on rebounds after allowing over 40 rebounds in back-to-back games. The Wolf Pack has been outrebounded in half of its games this season. Additionally, the team’s rebound margin is even at zero, ranking 193 in the NCAA. The combination of Nick Davidson and Blackshear must be highly prominent in the paint, offensively and defensively. 

The Wolf Pack also must find efficient shots to take. Since MWC play started, the team’s field goal percentage has dropped 4.4 percentage points. Nevada shot 36% against Boise State. Additionally, the team has become less effective at the line, dropping nearly six percentage points in that same time. The goal is always to have more points than the opponent, and decreasing numbers is not a good sign for winning. 

Against San Diego State, Nevada gave up 15 fast break points. In MWC games, the average Nevada has allowed is 7.75, but it has only scored 7.83 on the season. It is pertinent to ensure that the Cowboys can’t get fast points against an unset defense, notably when Wyoming is ranked 19th lowest in fast break points.

For Wyoming: Get to the charity stripe. Box out and snag the rebounds. Beyond the arc action.

The Cowboys are one of the best from the line in the league. At 75.3%, Wyoming only trails Colorado State in free throw percentage. In addition, Nevada fouls the third most in the MWC, sending San Diego State to the line for 34 shots. Not a single player for Wyoming shoots under 50% from the line, with seven players shooting 80% or better.

Rebounding is a fundamental key to winning games. As a middle-tier rebounding team in the conference, Wyoming posts a 6-3 record when winning the rebound margin while 3-5 when opponents outrebound the Pokes.

Wyoming is one of the best from beyond the arc. Despite the low number of shots beyond the arc per game, the team shoots 38.6% from three and is ranked 16th in the NCAA. Wyoming has shot over 40% in eight games this season and won seven of them. Even when the team shoots above its average, it holds an 8-2 record while 1-6 when below. The magic number for the Pokes is 38.6%.

Prediction:

Nevada 68, Wyoming 60

Wyoming will cover the spread of +8.5 but ultimately come up short. While Nevada has not been able to grab a board the past two games, this came against the conference’s top teams. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they are neither a top team in the MWC nor prolific at grabbing boards. The Wolf Pack will also clean up some of their foul troubles and return to the win column. Nevada will halt the Pokes’ domination over them and move to 16-3.

Kaycee Clark-Mellott covers college football and basketball for the Mountain West Wire, mainly covering the Wyoming Cowboys.

Advertisement [lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Mountain West Football’s Updated 2024 Matchups Released

Mountain West Football’s Updated 2024 Matchups Released The Mountain West revised its college football schedule to include games against wayward Oregon State and Washington State. Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire What’s new? The vagaries of …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]


Mountain West Football’s Updated 2024 Matchups Released


The Mountain West revised its college football schedule to include games against wayward Oregon State and Washington State.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

What’s new?

The vagaries of college football realignment didn’t directly impact the Mountain West Conference over the last calendar year, but the shockwaves of moves across the country resulted today in a revised slate of matchups that includes the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars, the two Pac-12 programs left behind by their conference mates’ exodus.

When it was announced that the conference would do away with the Mountain and West divisions in 2022, the conference announced a rotation that would protect two games for each team and extend through the 2025 season. A multitude of Power 5 programs had other plans, however, and when the Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC raided the Pac-12 for ten of its teams throughout 2023, it left Oregon State and Washington State standing alone.

Here are the home and away games that the Mountain West had previously unveiled for 2024:

Air Force, Nevada, and San Diego State will host the Beavers while Boise State, Fresno State, and New Mexico will do the same for the Cougars. Conversely, Colorado State, San Jose State, and UNLV will travel to Corvallis; Hawaii, Utah State, and Wyoming will head to Pullman. None of the games will count as part of the conference standings, however, meaning that each Mountain West team will have seven conference games rather than the usual eight.

The changes, as you might expect, have differing impacts on every Mountain West team’s pre-existing schedule. Air Force, for instance, will get to face Oregon State at home instead of Hawaii, but Colorado State now travels to Oregon State and Nevada rather than Boise and San Diego. As DNVR Sports’s Justin Michael noted, it will be the first time since 2010 that the Rams and Broncos do not face each other. Similarly, Wyoming will now host San Diego State and Utah State rather than Nevada and UNLV.

One interesting twist is that the two teams who played in the Mountain West championship game this month, Boise State and UNLV, are now set to square off at Allegiant Stadium rather than Albertsons Stadium next year. Exact dates for the Mountain West schedule will be released at a later time, but next year’s title game is slated for Saturday, December 7, 2024.

Air Force

Home – Colorado State, Fresno State, San Jose State, Oregon State
Away – Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, Wyoming

Boise State

Home – Nevada, San Diego State, Utah State, Washington State
Away – Hawaii, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming

Colorado State

Home – New Mexico, San Jose State, Utah State, Wyoming
Away – Air Force, Fresno State, Nevada, Oregon State

Fresno State

Home – Colorado State, Hawaii, San Jose State, Washington State
Away – Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV

Hawaii

Home – Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV
Away – Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Washington State

Nevada

Home – Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State
Away – Boise State, Hawaii, San Jose State, UNLV

New Mexico

Home – Air Force, Fresno State, Wyoming, Washington State
Away – Colorado State, Hawai‘i, San Diego State, Utah State

San Diego State

Home – Air Force, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon State
Away – Boise State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming

San Jose State

Home – Boise State, Nevada, UNLV, Wyoming
Away – Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State

UNLV

Home – Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, San Diego State
Away – Hawaii, San Jose State, Utah State, Oregon State

Utah State

Home – Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV
Away – Boise State, Colorado State, Wyoming, Washington State

Wyoming

Home – Air Force, Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State
Away – Colorado State, New Mexico, San Jose State, Washington State

Oregon State

Home – Colorado State, San Jose State, UNLV
Away – Air Force, Nevada, San Diego State

Washington State

Home – Hawaii, Utah State, Wyoming
Away – Boise State, Fresno State, New Mexico

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Advertisement

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Officially Hire Jeff Choate As Head Coach

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Officially Hire Jeff Choate As Head Coach Nevada has officially hired Texas co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate for the head coaching position Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire Jeff Choate Is The New Head Coach For …

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Officially Hire Jeff Choate As Head Coach

Nevada has officially hired Texas co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate for the head coaching position

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Jeff Choate Is The New Head Coach For Nevada

The Nevada Wolf Pack officially hired Jeff Choate as their football head coach on Monday.

Choate will be the 28th head football coach in the history of the Nevada football program. 

Nevada targeted Choate for its vacant head coaching position very early in their coaching search. By early Monday, Choate was named the new head coach. Choate will replace Ken Wilson as Nevada’s head coach after Wilson went 4-20 in his two seasons in Reno.

Jeff Choate was officially named the head coach at a press conference on Monday afternoon in Reno. Nevada athletic Director Stephanie Rempe and Nevada school president Brian Sandoval formally introduced Choate as the new head coach.

“ I am sincerely thankful to President (Brian) Sandoval and athletic director Stephanie Rempe, as well as the entire Nevada Athletics staff for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead Nevada football into the future,” Choate said after he was named the new head coach at Nevada. 

Choate also went on to say “Together we are ready to climb the mountain , instill the Battle Born mentality and create a transformative experience for our players.”  “Our goal is to reignite the fire within the Wolf Pack and elevate the program to championship heights.” 

With Choate as the new head coach for Nevada, the Wolf Pack got a head coach with a winning pedigree. Choate was the head coach at Montana State from 2016 until 2021. During his time at Montana State, Choate went 28-22 and guided the Bobcats to back to back FCS playoff appearances in 2018 and 2019. Choate’s win total improved during his time in Bozeman from four to five to eight to 11 wins. In 2019 he did lead the Bobcats to FCS Final four in football which was their first FCS semifinal appearance since 1984.

Choate also boasts extensive experience as an assistant coach. Choate began his coaching career in 1992. In 2002, Choate got his first FBS assistant job at Utah State as a graduate assistant. From there, Choate was an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois, Boise State, Washington State, Florida and Texas. It is at Texas where Choate is currently the co-defensive coordinator under head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Per Nevada Sports Net’s Chris Murray, Choate will stay on as the co-defensive coordinator for Texas as the Longhorns are in the College Football Playoff. Choate will stay in Reno to get settled until the 15th of December when the Longhorns start preparing for their CFP semifinal game.

Choate looks to bring his brand of “blue-collar” toughness to Nevada football. During his time as head coach of Montana State, Choate’s offenses ran the ball close to two-thirds of the time on offense. Now one would see that stat and think that the offense would not produce many points. However, Montana State’s offense under Choate averaged 28.5 points per game during his time at Bozeman.

For a Nevada offense that did not even average 20 points per game under Ken Wilson, this will be a welcomed change. We have to wait and see who Choate hires as an offensive coordinator but expect a run-oriented offense. Hopefully, for Nevada fans, a more successful run-oriented offense under Choate.

This is a very solid hire for Nevada’s football program. Choate’s extensive coaching experience as an assistant and as a head coach is perfect for this program. Especially Choate’s head coaching time at Montana State, an FCS school with limited money and resources. Despite those limitations, Choate built the Bobcat program up to a FCS playoff team. So Choate has experience dealing with limitations and Nevada football has clear limitations.

Choate’s task is to get Nevada football back into bowl contention and championship contention. And not only is he task to get the Wolf Pack back into bowl/championship contention but to keep them in contention. As I said after Nevada fired Ken Wilson, the Wolf Pack must have a consistent converted effort to be a championship contenting football program. 

With Jeff Choate, Nevada has a coach that has the track record to build a winner. A tough, blue-collar style of football that Choate wants to establish in Reno. It is on Choate to establish that mindset and it is up to Nevada AD Stephanie Rempe and school President Sandoval to set Choate up for success.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

 

 

 

Nevada Football: Jeff Choate Named Head Coach

After underperforming the last two years, the Wolf Pack introduce a new leader with defensive chops and head coaching success on his resume.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]


Nevada Football: Jeff Choate Named Head Coach


After underperforming the last two seasons, the Wolf Pack introduce a new leader with defensive chops on his resume.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

A new chapter begins in Reno.

Three days after firing Ken Wilson, the Nevada Wolf Pack introduced Jeff Choate as its new head football coach this afternoon. The news was first broken yesterday by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.

Choate has spent the last three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Texas Longhorns, where he’s overseen a unit that, by Bill Connelly’s SP+ metric, has improved from 86th in 2021 to 15th in 2022 to 10th this season, following last Saturday’s Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State. Under his recent tutelage, Jaylen Ford has been named a first-team all-Big 12 performer in each of the last two years.

He isn’t an unfamiliar name in the Mountain West, either. Choate spent 2002-04 at Utah State and 2006-11 at Boise State, serving as a position coach and special teams coordinator at both stops. He later spent four years as the head coach at FCS Montana State, from 2016 to 2019. In that stint, he guided the Bobcats from 4-7 in his first year to back-to-back playoff appearances, reaching the semifinals in his final year before electing to leave for Austin in January 2021. He posted an overall record of 28-22.

His defensive pedigree, which includes the development of stars like Troy Andersen, Danny Shelton, and Ford, and previous success as a head coach are almost certainly the calling cards that Nevada is hoping to draw upon after allowing 6.89 yards per play (last in FBS) and 2.64 points per drive (106th) this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]