Still being new to town, UNLV football coach Dan Mullen doesn’t have much of a historical perspective on the Battle for The Fremont Cannon against Nevada, but he knows how important in-state rivalries are to everyone from players to boosters to fans.
“It’s neighbor against neighbor, and it’s important to everyone in the state of Nevada,” Mullen said during his weekly press conference on Monday.
In a moment where he was probably speaking to his administration as much as the reporters in the room, Nevada football coach Jeff Choate called the rivalry game a “clash of cultures.”
“The way I look at it right now is heck with those guys. They’ve got every freakin’ advantage,” Choate said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “It should not be that way. … I’ve got a chip on my shoulder when I walk into Laramie, when I walk into Utah State, and certainly when I go down (to UNLV). I work hard every day to make sure our kids have the best we can provide here at the University of Nevada, and there’s just no way they should have that much more than we have.”
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“(UNLV) will see that when they dress in our swimming locker room and walk across the parking lot into Mackay Stadium,” he continued. “It’s going to look a little different than Allegiant (Stadium).”
There’s time to dissect budgets and facilities later. Right now, UNLV is focused on finishing the regular season with a win at Nevada on Saturday.
The Rebels have won three straight games, including a 38-10 win over Hawaii and a 29-26 victory over Utah State. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea finished last week’s win over Hawaii 21-of-26 passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He leads the Mountain West with 21 touchdown passes and ranks No. 2 in the conference with 2,780 passing yards.
Nevada has won two straight, including a 55-10 victory over San Jose State. The Wolf Pack have played multiple quarterbacks this season, and that could continue. Freshman Carter Jones went 11-for-17 passing for 58 yards and a touchdown against Wyoming, while dual-threat quarterback Chubba Purdy was No. 2 on the team with 66 rushing yards.
UNLV vs. Nevada Betting Odds
UNLV is a 7.5-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 53.5 points. The moneyline is at -325 for UNLV and +260 for Nevada.
Nevada leads the all-time series 28-22, but UNLV has won their past three meetings, including a 38-14 victory in Las Vegas last season.
UNLV is 11-9 overall and 9-11 against the spread in its past 20 regular season games as the favorite on the road. Nevada is 7-13 overall and 9-9-2 ATS in its past 20 regular season games as an underdog at home.
UNLV vs. Nevada On TV
The Mountain West game featuring Nevada and UNLV at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nevada, will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
UNLV vs. Nevada Prediction
I predict UNLV wins 38-13.
Colandrea is probably the newcomer of the year in the Mountain West. I believe his accuracy, decision making, and athleticism have made him one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He has weapons around him in the passing game and on the ground, where Jai’Den Thomas leads the team with 841 yards and eight touchdowns.
UNLV’s defense is also much improved from earlier in the season. The Rebels pressure quarterbacks and create turnovers, even if they still give up chunk plays.
I think this game is just too big for UNLV to lose.
