San José State (4-3, 2-1 Mountain West) at Nevada (2-4, 1-2 Mountain West). Saturday, Oct. 24, 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. Pacific), Mackay Stadium, Reno, MW+.
Your hosts are Tessa Nakagawa-Ruiz, a San José State fan and tech product lead who treats game week like a launch, and Ridge Corbell, a Nevada fan and snowboarder whose motto is "Send It."
Tessa: Ridge, I hear you snowboard. I ship code. Let's see whose release holds up on game day.
Ridge: Welcome to altitude, Tessa. I'll lend you a beanie. You'll want it after the fourth quarter.
Players to watch
San José State quarterback Luke Weaver has completed 132 of 209 passes for 1,529 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. Receiver Carson Clark has 42 catches for 509 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Jabari Bates has 556 yards on 120 carries. Defensive lineman Jayland McGlothen leads with six sacks, linebacker Dylan Lee has 65 tackles and cornerback Caleb Womack has two interceptions.
Nevada running back Dominic Kelley has 500 yards and four touchdowns on 87 carries. Quarterback Carter Jones has 654 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Receiver Gary Givens III has 15 catches for 260 yards. Linebacker EJ Smith leads with 71 tackles, and Myles Williams has 2.5 sacks.
Ridge: Seventy-one tackles from EJ Smith. The man sends it every snap.
What happened last week
San José State won 24-11 at UTEP. Daniel Rolovich led the offense, going 12 of 23 for 193 yards and a touchdown and running for 39 yards. Viliami Teu ran 20 times for 156 yards and two scores, and Clark caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Nevada led 11-0 early at North Dakota State, then lost 31-17. A 57-yard field goal try came up short and was returned 100 yards for a touchdown. A trick play on a two-point try was fumbled and returned for two Bison points. A.J. Bianco threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, and Givens caught a 19-yard touchdown.
Tessa: Teu's 156 yards was the best patch note of the week.
Injuries and availability
The Mountain West doesn't publish an official availability report, and no injury news had surfaced for either team as of Oct. 18. Neither school has announced its starting quarterback. San José State used Rolovich last week and Nevada used Bianco.
What the coaches are up to
Ken Niumatalolo was hired at San José State on Jan. 21, 2024. His defense allows 21.7 points a game, 50th in FBS, and has 27 sacks in seven games. Three of his team's four wins came on the road.
Jeff Choate was hired at Nevada on Dec. 4, 2023. His Wolf Pack run for 192.8 yards a game, 37th in FBS. His pass defense allows 155.3 yards a game, seventh in the country.
Player storylines
Nevada's run game against an SJSU run defense ranked 83rd is the key matchup. Turnovers are Nevada's worry. The Wolf Pack are minus-8, 134th in FBS, and the Spartans' pass rush is built to force mistakes. San José State should test Nevada's run defense, which allows 184.3 yards a game. Opponents score on 94.4% of their red-zone trips against the Pack.
What's happening on campus
It's Homecoming Week at the University of Nevada, Reno. The ASUN Homecoming Parade kicked things off on Oct. 18. On Oct. 22, the Nevada Alumni Association hosts an awards and Athletics Hall of Fame reception at the Joe Crowley Student Union. On Oct. 23, the Class of 1976 holds its Golden Reunion and PACK! MidTown starts at 5:30 p.m. Kickoff is 2 p.m. at Mackay Stadium. Nevada is also celebrating 130 years of football.
Anything else fun and true
Mackay Stadium's field sits at 4,610 feet. Nevada won five of nine meetings with SJSU from 2016 through 2025. Next up, Nevada visits UCLA on Oct. 31, and San José State hosts New Mexico.
Ridge: Hydrate, Tessa. The air's light up here, but the vibes are heavy. Send it.
Tessa: Noted, Ridge. Logged in the retro, right after the final whistle.
The Cover Window
My call: Nevada Wolf Pack 26, San José State Spartans 20.