Nevada Wolf Pack football The Nevada Wolf Pack football program represents the University of Nevada , Reno ( commonly referred to as " Nevada " in athletics ) in college football . The Wolf Pack will compete in the Mountain West Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA starting in 2012 . Nevada ' s current head coach is Chris Ault , in his third stint for the Wolf Pack . The Wolf Pack ' s home field is Mackay Stadium in Reno , which opened in October 1966 with a seating capacity of 7 , 500 . After several expansions , the stadium currently seats 30 , 000 . The playing field sits at an elevation of 4610 feet ( 1405 m ) above sea level . Originally natural grass , it was replaced with FieldTurf in 2000 , and permanent lighting was added in 2003 . Bowl games . Nevada won in their first bowl game , 13 – 6 against North Texas in the Salad Bowl on New Year ' s Day 1948 . They were invited to their second bowl game one season later , but lost to Villanova . Nevada was not invited to another bowl game for another 43 years . Nevada had joined Division 1 - AA ( now known as the FCS ) when it was formed in 1978 , and would not be eligible for Division 1 - A bowl games until joining the Big West in 1992 . Nevada was invited to the Las Vegas Bowl the first year after joining the 1 - A level . Nevada lost their first two bowl games after joining the Big West , including the first overtime game played at the Division 1 - A level against Toledo . Nevada won their first bowl game in 48 years in the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl against Ball State . Nevada would not reach another bowl game for 9 years after the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl , but would win the 2005 Hawaii Bowl by a single point in overtime against Central Florida 49 – 48 . Nevada reached a bowl the following 5 seasons , losing four in a row before beating Boston College 20 – 13 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco to break the losing streak . Nevada would play a bowl game against a ranked team for the first time in the 2011 Hawaii Bowl where they lost to Southern Miss . 1923 Cal game . A game that will always be remembered in Nevada football history was the improbable 0 - 0 tie against California in 1923 . Cal entered the game in the midst of a 50 - game undefeated streak , 4 consecutive conference championships , and two consecutive Rose Bowl appearances . The team was so dominant it was known as the " Wonder Team . " The fact that the Wolf Pack , a much smaller program from a lower division , held powerhouse Cal scoreless in Berkeley makes this final score one of the most interesting in college football history . Cal would go on to finish the season with a 9 - 0 - 1 record , and claims 1923 as one of their national championship years . NCAA Records . In the 2009 football season , the University of Nevada became the only team in NCAA football history to have 3 players break 1 , 000 yards rushing during the same season . The 3 players to accomplish this feat for the Wolf Pack were running backs Luke Lippincott and Vai Taua along with quarterback Colin Kaepernick . Longest Punt - 99 yards - Pat Brady , Nevada vs . Loyola ( CA ) 1950 Most Yards Receiving Career - 5 , 005 yards - Trevor Insley ( 1996 – 99 ) Most Yards Receiving Season - 2 , 060 yards - Trevor Insley ( 1999 ) Highest Average Receiving Yards Per Game , Career - 160 . 8 yards - 140 . 9 yards - Alex Van Dyke ( 1994 – 95 ) Highest Average Receiving Yards Per Game , Season - 187 . 3 yards - Trevor Insley ( 1999 ) Most Games Gaining 100 Receiving Yards or More Career - 26 games - Trevor Insley ( 1996 – 99 ) Most Games Gaining 200 Receiving Yards or More - 6 games - Trevor Insley ( 1999 ) Most Consecutive Games Gaining 200 Receiving Yards or More - 3 games - Trevor Insley ( 1999 ) Most Receiving Yards Gained in a Game Without Scoring a Touchdown - 326 yards - Nate Burleson , Nevada vs . San Jose St . ( 2001 ) Most Rushing Touchdowns by a Quarterback throughout a career - 59 - Colin Kaepernick ( 2007 – 10 ) The only quarterback in the history of College Football to pass for 10 , 000 yards and rush for 4 , 000 yards - Colin Kaepernick ( 2007 – 10 ) Nevada is the only college football program to win a conference title in its first FBS season after moving up from a lower division - 1992 Big West Champions I - AA history . Nevada moved up to Division I - A in 1992 when it joined the Big West Conference . The Wolf Pack had competed in Division I - AA since the formation of that division in 1978 , moving up from Division II . Before joining the Big Sky Conference in 1979 , Nevada competed in the Far West conference , and as a Division II independent in football . Nevada competed in the Division I - AA playoffs in its first two seasons , when just four teams were selected . They returned to the national semi - finals in 1983 and 1985 , when the playoffs included 12 teams , and 1986 with a 16 team field . The Wolf Pack reached the national championship game in 1990 , and the quarterfinals in 1991 . In its 14 years in Division I - AA , Nevada made the playoffs seven times , and went undefeated during the regular season three times ( 1978 , 1986 , 1991 ) , compiling an overall record of 122 - 47 - 1 ( . 720 ) . Nevada would record a record of 9 - 7 in the Division I - AA Playoffs during their time in the Big Sky Conference . In 13 years of Big Sky membership , the Wolf Pack won four conference titles ( 1983 , 1986 , 1990 , 1991 ) . The Wolf Pack won the Big West title in its first year in Division I - A in 1992 . Move to I - A and 1 - A / FBS History . The change from Division I - AA to Division I - A brought a lot of excitement to Wolf Pack fans . In 1991 , Nevada ' s final season in Division I - AA , the Wolf Pack recorded what still stands as one of the biggest comebacks in Division I NCAA Football history when they defeated Weber State 55 - 49 , after trailing by 35 points in the second half . Backup quarterback Chris Vargas led a second half Nevada comeback of 41 unanswered points to win the game . After the game , Vargas was given the nickname , " The Comeback Kid , " and would become one of the greatest quarterbacks to play for the Wolf Pack . In 1992 , Nevada became the first NCAA Football team to win a conference championship in its first Division I - A season . Nevada won the 1992 Big West Conference title after beating Utah State in the final conference game of the season . Led by Vargas again coming off the bench , Nevada came from behind late in the 4th quarter to win , 48 - 47 . Nevada has a long standing rivalry with Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference . The rivalry with Boise State does not seem to contain the same amount of bitterness as Nevada ' s rivalry against UNLV . However , many feel that this has become a more meaningful , and more important rivalry for the Pack since UNLV has become somewhat irrelevant in football over the past few years . Some of the most important games in the history of both programs have been played against each other . In 1990 the Wolf Pack won what is still thought of by many fans to be the most important and thrilling victory in Nevada Football history . In the 1990 season Nevada would win the Big Sky Championship with an overall season record of 13 - 2 . Nevada ' s only regular season loss was a 30 - 14 conference loss to the Broncos in Boise , Id . Nevada and Boise would both go on to the Division I - AA Playoffs . The two teams would meet in the 1990 Division I - AA Semi - Finals in Reno for a rematch of their earlier battle that year . With the winner obviously going to the championship , the game would take 3 overtime sessions to find a winner . Nevada Fullback Ray Whalen scored the decisive touchdown in the third overtime with an 8 yard run into the endzone . Nevada ' s defense would hold Boise after the score on Boise ' s turn during the alternating overtime sessions . That would be the second game in a row that Nevada played were they would need 3 overtime periods to finish the game . Nevada had defeated Furman the week prior in a triple overtime game . There has been no other game played between the two teams that has taken place in the post - season up to date . Nevada would go on to lose to Georgia Southern by a score of 36 - 13 in Statesboro , Ga . In 2006 Nevada and Boise State would meet in Reno in Boise State ' s final regular season game . Boise State won the game giving the Broncos a birth into the Fiesta Bowl . This would be Boise State ' s first BCS bowl game , where they would go on to beat Oklahoma in dramatic fashion . In 2010 the two teams had met for yet another very meaningful game nearing the end of the season . Nevada would beat Boise State in another dramatic overtime game , ending the Broncos ' chances of playing in the Rose Bowl . On October 14 , 2007 , the Wolf Pack and the Boise State Broncos would play in yet another historic game to set a new NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record for total points scored with 136 . Boise State won the game 69 - 67 in the second half of the fourth overtime period , when Broncos LB Tim Brady tripped up Nevada ' s freshman QB Colin Kaepernick on the mandatory two point conversion attempt . Nevada was invited to play the Maryland Terrapins in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl on December 30 , 2008 . The Wolf Pack would finish the 2008 regular season tied for second place in the WAC , with a record of 7 - 5 and 5 - 3 in the WAC . Nevada would trail Louisiana Tech 31 - 14 with 1 : 30 left in the 3rd quarter , only to come from behind in the final game of the regular season to win 35 - 31 . The victory all but stamped a bowl invitation for Nevada . The 2010 Nevada football season was considered by most to be the greatest season ever played , only rivaled by the 1990 season . Nevada would only lose one game against Hawaii on its way to a 13 - 1 record beating ranked California and Boise State teams , along with beating BYU on the road and Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl . Lead by Colin Kaepernick Nevada would wins a share of its first WAC title since 2005 , and would ruin # 4 at the time Boise State ' s certain invitation to a BCS game . Nevada currently holds an 22 - 15 series lead against arch rival UNLV . The two schools battle annually on the gridiron for the Fremont Cannon , the largest and most expensive trophy in college athletics . The game was played only four times in the 1980s , but has been played every year since 1989 . The Wolf Pack won the 2011 game by a score of 37 - 0 in Reno , Nevada . The shutout victory for Nevada was the first shutout in the history of the rivalry . Nevada has won the past 7 games against UNLV . The 7 game win streak in the rivalry is the longest win streak by either team in the series . Nevada ' s football program has had 40 All - Americans , and has had a total of 45 All - America Selections . Nevada has also had three players or coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . They are coach Chris Ault , running back Frank Hawkins ( 1977 - 80 ) , and former coach Buck Shaw . Fullback Marion Motley is the only Nevada player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Three - time Super Bowl Champion Charles Mann played for Nevada from 1979 to 1982 and was named Most Valuable Defensive Lineman in 1982 . Mann was inducted into the Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 . Another Nevada alumnus with a long career in the NFL was free safety Brock Marion . He was selected in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys ; where he played most of his career , and won two Super Bowl s . Marion was selected to three Pro - Bowls , and one All - Pro team . On August 18 , 2010 the University of Nevada accepted an invitation to the Mountain West Conference along with Fresno State . The Wolf Pack , and Fresno State are scheduled to leave the WAC and start play in the Mountain West Conference in 2012 . Both programs will join Boise State who is also leaving the WAC for the Mountain West in 2011 . The move to the Mountain West will place Nevada in the same conference as in - state rival UNLV for the first time since 1995 . Defensive Tackle Brett Roy would become Nevada ' s first FBS consensus 1st Team All - America after his stellar Senior season in 2011 . Roy recorded 64 tackles , 18 . 5 tackles for a loss , and 10 sacks . " Blue Friday " . On November 26 , 2010 # 19 Ranked Nevada faced # 3 AP # 4 BCS Ranked Boise State in Reno , a match up hyped as the biggest sporting event in Reno for the last 100 years . Boise State had the nation ' s longest winning streak at 24 games , and were trying to jump Oregon in the BCS poll to have a shot at the National Title with a win against Nevada . At the start of the 2nd half Nevada was trailing 24 - 7 but mounted a furious comeback when Nevada Senior Quarterback Colin Kaepernick scored a 18 - yard rushing touchdown in the 3rd quarter cutting the lead to 24 - 14 . In the 4th quarter the Wolf Pack scored a rushing touchdown when receiver Rishard Matthews broke through the defense on a reverse to cut it to 24 - 21 . On the next Wolf Pack Possession Nevada Kicker Anthony Martinez kicked a 23 - yard field goal to tie the game 24 - 24 . Boise State would answer with a quick touchdown , when Kellen Moore hit Doug Martin on a screen for a 79 - yard touchdown pass to go up 31 - 24 . With 4 : 53 remaining in the game . Kaepernick led the Wolf Pack on a 14 - play drive capping off with a touchdown pass to Rishard Matthews to tie the game at 31 - 31 with 13 seconds remaining . Kellen Moore then completed a Hail Mary pass down field to the Nevada 9 yard line with 2 seonds left , but Boise State kicker Kyle Brotzman missed a 26 - Yard Field goal as time expired in regulation . In Overtime , Brotzman missed a 29 - yard Field goal during the Bronco ' s turn on offense during the first overtime . When Nevada got its turn on offense Anthony Martinez kicked a 34 - yard Field goal to give Nevada the biggest win in the history of the program , and knocked Boise State out of BCS title and Rose Bowl contention . Nevada would go on to win a share of the 2010 WAC title 8 days later after beating Louisiana Tech 35 - 17 . Other Notable Nevada Victories . Nevada vs Fresno State November 26 , 2005 : Fresno State was ranked number 16 in the nation , and just came off a narrow defeat at the hands of the eventual National Champion USC Trojans . Nevada would take and early lead that it would only relinquish for a very short time in the 3rd quarter . Back - up running back Robert Hubbard had a standout game , as Nevada would recover a late Fresno State on - sides kick attempt to seal the 38 - 35 victory , and Nevada ' s first WAC Championship . This was also Nevada ' s first conference championship in 8 years . Nevada vs Utah State November 14 , 1992 : Nevada would beat Utah State after a late 4th quarter comeback . Nevada was losing by 23 points with just over 5 minutes left when QB Chris Vargas would lead them to a one - point , 48 - 47 victory . The win clinched the Big West Conference title for Nevada in their first season after joining Division 1 - A . Nevada is still the only program to win a conference title during their first year in the FBS ( Division 1 - A ) , after entering the subdivision from a lower subdivision . Nevada vs Weber State November 2nd , 1991 : Nevada recorded the largest come from behind victory in Division 1 NCAA history when it beat Weber State 55 - 49 in 1991 . Nevada was down by 35 points at halftime when QB Fred Gatlin was replaced by Chris Vargas . Nevada would go on the score at will and only allow one touchdown by Weber State the entire second half . Nevada would go on to win the 1991 Big Sky Championship . Michigan State tied the record 35 point comeback when they beat Northwestern in 2006 , and became the first school to do so in the FBS subdivision . Nevada vs Boise State December 8 , 1990 : Nevada and Boise State met for the second time in 1990 for the semi - final of the 1990 NCAA Division 1 - AA National Championship . Nevada had lost to Boise State earlier that year in a conference game 30 - 14 . The Wolf Pack would play 3 overtimes periods for the second playoff game in a row , and would win 59 - 52 after running back Ray Whalen scored a touchdown . Nevada would go on to lose to Georgia Southern in the National Championship game the following week . This is still the only postseason game ever played between these two schools . Nevada @ UNLV September 16 , 1978 : Nevada had not beaten UNLV in 4 straight tries , and was a 20 point underdog with the game being played in Las Vegas in 1978 . Nevada would outplay the Rebels however , and go on to win 23 - 14 . The story that came after the game is what makes the victory remembered by Wolf Pack alumni and fans . Chris Ault convinced the airport security to let the team disassemble the Fremont Cannon so that the team could bring it back to Reno on the plane . Nevada running back Frank Hawkins carried the barrel of the cannon onto the plane . Chris Ault still tells this story during the week of the UNLV game to get his players fired up . Future Move . In 2012 , Nevada will leave the WAC and move to the MWC ( Mountain West Conference ) , as well as fellow WAC member Fresno State . This move was influenced by Boise State ' s move to the MWC , as well as the MWC ' s strength of schedule , which is superior to the WAC ' s . It will also intensify the rivalry with UNLV .