Oregon State quarterback Gevani McCoy (4) scrambles out of the pocket against San Diego State earlier this season. McCoy played at Mackay Stadium last year, when he led Idaho to a big win over Nevada.
Raul Romero Jr. | AP
A look ahead to the Nevada Wolf Pack football game against the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday at Mackay Stadium:
KICKOFF: 4:30 p.m. at Mackay Stadium.
RECORDS: Nevada (2-4), Oregon State (4-1).
POINT SPREAD: Oregon State is favored by 3.5 points; the total is 47.5.
HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN: The game can be seen on CBS Sports Network and heard on 105.7 FM.
AT STAKE FOR NEVADA: The Wolf Pack needs to at least play well and build confidence for the remaining six Mountain West games starting next week. A loss on Saturday would also mean the Pack would have to win five of its remaining six league games for automatic bowl eligibility.
AT STAKE FOR OREGON STATE: The Beavers on Saturday will play their third of seven Mountain West teams this season. Oregon State has already beaten San Diego State (21-0) and Colorado State (39-31) and will meet UNLV, Boise State, Air Force and San Jose State after Nevada.
THE RIVALRY: Oregon State has won three of four games against Nevada. The Beavers won the first game of the rivalry, 15-0, on Thanksgiving Day, 1903 at Corvallis, Ore. Oregon State was known in 1903 as the Oregon Agricultural College. The game was the third of three games for Nevada in seven days at Washington, Puget Sound and Oregon State. The Pack lost all three games and didn't score a single point on the trip, losing 2-0 (Washington), 10-0 (Puget Sound) and 15-0 (Oregon State). Oregon State and Nevada did not meet again for 95 years when the Pack lost at Oregon State, 48-6, in 1998 and at home, 28-13, in 1999.
THE LAST MEETING: The Wolf Pack, though, won the last meeting between the two teams, 37-35, in 2018 at Mackay Stadium. The Pack led the entire game as quarterback Ty Gangi was 17-of-35 for 195 yards and two touchdowns to Mannix McLane and Jaxson Kincaide. Oregon State, though, had more yards (540-357) and first downs (28-17) despite being held to just 81 rushing yards on 40 carries. Nevada's Malik Reed returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown.
THE HEAD COACHES: Jeff Choate is 2-4 and in his first season at Nevada. Trent Bray is 4-1 and also in his first season at Oregon State. The 42-year-old Bray was Oregon State's defensive coordinator the last two seasons and coached linebackers from 2018-21. He also was an Oregon State assistant from 2012-14 before going to Nebraska from 2015-17.
WHEN OREGON STATE HAS THE BALL: Oregon State quarterback Gevani McCoy is 72-of-115 for 697 yards and just one touchdown and one interception. McCoy has also run for 213 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. McCoy transferred to Oregon State after last season after playing three seasons at Idaho. He was the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year in 2022 (he played three games and then redshirted in 2021). McCoy and Idaho beat the Wolf Pack, 33-6, last year at Mackay Stadium. McCoy was 15-of-21 for 313 yards and two touchdowns against the Pack and also ran for 30 yards on six carries. Oregon State's ground game is led by Anthony Hankerson (485 yards, nine touchdowns) and Jam Griffin (450, 4). McCoy's favorite target by far is Trent Walker, who has 30 catches for 284 yards and no scores.
WHEN NEVADA HAS THE BALL: The Pack is led by quarterback Brendon Lewis, who is 107-of-155 for 1,081 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Lewis also has run for 362 yards and three touchdowns on 79 carries. Savion Red (456 yards, three scores) and Patrick Garwo (194 yards, five touchdowns) lead the ground game. Jaden Smith has 27 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns while Cortez Braham has 29-310-2 and Marcus Bellon has 18-233-2.
COLORADO CONNECTION: Nevada's Lewis and Oregon State's Hankerson were teammates at Colorado in 2022. Hankerson carried the ball 68 times in 2022 for the Buffaloes for 274 yards and three touchdowns while Lewis played in just two games that season, completing 15-of-24 passes for 92 yards and rushing for 43 yards on 12 carries. The two did not play in the same game together in 2022, mainly because Lewis left the team at mid-season and transferred to Nevada after the season.
RUN-HAPPY TEAMS: Both teams' offenses base everything they do on the run. Oregon State has run the ball 245 times for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 264.4 yards a game on the ground over five games. Nevada has run the ball 231 times for 1,157 yards and 11 touchdowns in six games. Both teams' quarterbacks are heavily involved in the run game, with Oregon State's Gevani McCoy contributing 213 yards and three scores and Nevada's Brendon Lewis picking up 362 yards and three scores. Oregon State is sixth in the nation in rushing while Nevada is 36th.
CLOCK EATERS: Both Oregon State and Nevada, largely due to their productive run games, are among the nation's leaders in time of possession. Oregon State, in fact, is the best in the country at 36:37. Nevada is seventh in the nation at 33:42. Also contributing to each team's ability to control the clock is their efficiency on third down. Oregon State is 38-of-75 on third down (.514) while Nevada is 49-of-89 (.557). Nevada is fourth in the country on third down while Oregon State is 14th.
PACK FOOTBALL
Who: Oregon State (4-1) at Nevada (2-4)
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Mackay Stadium
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: 105.7 FM (John Ramey, Mike Edwards)
Line: Oregon State by 3.5; total of 47.5
Series: Oregon State leads, 3-1