Nevada hopes to continue its strong start to Mountain West play when the Wolf Pack travel to face the San Diego State Aztecs Friday night. Television coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
How to watch Nevada vs. San Diego State: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Can the Wolf Pack improve to 3-0 in conference play with a big road win?
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODA
The Wolf Pack opened up the year with a 58-20 blowout road loss to UCLA, but responded with a blowout win of their own over UC Davis. Another week, another national title contender, as Nevada lost easily to Florida State, 62-7, but it has since started Mountain West play with wins over Hawaii and Air Force.
San Diego State’s season has been ... less than friendly. The Aztecs were one of a group of FBS teams to fall to lower-division opponents in Week 1, getting blown out at home by Eastern Illinois, 40-19. They then lost 42-7 to Ohio State and 34-30 to Oregon State, before a 26-16 win at New Mexico State.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. Nevada is 3-2 and 2-0 in conference play, and this is the Mountain West opener for the 1-3 Aztecs. San Diego State has a 3-2 lead in the all-time series, winning the last three games between the two schools.
Vegas: San Diego State is a 5.5-point favorite, and the over/under is at 57 points. OddsShark has more.
Weather: It’s San Diego.
Three names to know
Cody Fajardo. Nevada was known for dual-threat quarterbacks under former head coach Chris Ault, and new coach Brian Polian is continuing that tradition with Fajardo, who has 10 total touchdowns on the season.
Markus Smith. The Wolf Pack cornerback has quietly had one of the better seasons for a defensive back in the nation, with three interceptions, two passes broken up and 18 tackles through five games.
Donnel Pumphrey. A lone bright spot for the Aztecs has been the play of their freshman running back, who is averaging 92.3 all-purpose yards per game and has scored four total touchdowns.
Two things at stake
Nevada has started out with two conference wins, and a third would put the Wolf Pack in strong position in the West Division.
The Aztecs have had a rough start to the season, but they seem to be turning it around after their first win of the year. A home win against Nevada would be big for their momentum as they delve into conference play.
How to witness
TV: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Radio: Here’s a list of Nevada affiliates. For the local San Diego State broadcast, tune in to 1090 AM or 105.7 FM.
Online streaming: WatchESPN.
Further reading
For more on the game, head over to our MWC site, Mountain West Connection.
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