Does this sound familiar?
ESPN trucks are parked next to Mackay Stadium as a nationally ranked powerhouse comes in to play Nevada on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with snow flurries in the forecast.
Last year it was No. 10 Boise State. This time around it's No. 16 Fresno State invading Mackay in a game on ESPN2, with kickoff slated for 4:21 p.m. on Senior Day. A share of the Western Athletic Conference title is at stake.
Nevada (7-3, 6-1 WAC) can get its first-ever piece of a WAC title with a victory today. Fresno State (8-2, 6-0 WAC) can move one step closer to its first outright WAC title under ninth-year coach Pat Hill.
"If our guys aren't motivated for this game, we have some serious problems," Nevada coach Chris Ault said. "When a team like Fresno comes into your stadium, your house, you have to be ready. I am expecting us to play hard for four quarters. It is going to be a great game."
As of Friday afternoon, about 28,500 tickets had been sold or distributed for the game. Snow flurries were in the forecast overnight and expected to continue until mid-morning.
Last year, flurries were forecasted but about 10 inches of snow was dumped on the Truckee Meadows, catching Nevada officials off-guard. This year, the school is prepared, according to Keith Hackett, associate athletic director for facilties.
"We have a good plan in place and we'll be on the phone first thing in the morning if we need to be," Hackett said. "We have about 50 people available for snow removal if we need them. Hopefully we don't. Everything we've seen says the sun is going to break through in the morning."
Other than less snow, Nevada is hoping for one other difference this year -- the outcome. Last year, Boise State thumped Nevada 58-21. And this year's Fresno State team might be better than last year's Broncos team, even though Boise State was undefeated at the time.
But Nevada is also much improved. The Pack's 14 seniors, who will be playing their final game at Mackay Stadium today, will leave this university as winners -- Nevada ended six-straight non-winning seasons with its seven victories this season.
Fresno State is signed, sealed and delivered to the Liberty Bowl, and while Nevada's bowl destination is still officially undetermined, the Wolf Pack appears to be headed to the Sherton Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.
"As I understand it, there will be a representative from the Hawaii Bowl there at the game ready to make an offer," Nevada athletic director Cary Groth said.
If Nevada wins today and if Louisiana Tech beats Boise State, then Nevada can clinch a bowl spot. But more important than a bowl game, that scenario would give Nevada the WAC championship, something few thought would be possible after Nevada started the season 1-2.
"After the start we had, I wasn't thinking more than one week ahead," Ault said. "I couldn't afford to. But now, after a whole year of football, we have a chance to play for a championship in Reno, Nevada. That's exciting, that's special."
Fresno State is coming off a 50-42 loss at top-ranked USC, but Hill said the Bulldogs have plenty of motivation. Hill said earlier this week that Fresno State felt slighted after beating Nevada, 54-17, in Fresno last season.
"The Nevada game right now is the game we have to win," Hill said. "We have to go to Nevada and win. This is a big game for us. We know what is at stake. Hopefully there will be large crowd. We don't really care about the weather. We don't care about a lot of stuff right now. There were some statements made after last year's game that I saved.
"Last year, it was like 'Fresno didn't beat us. We beat ourselves.' We have to make sure we have to go up there and win this football game."
The Nevada coaches chalked up Hill's statements as an effort to motivate his team.
"We gave them all the credit in the world," Ault said. "We got our butts kicked. It wasn't even a game."
And Ault said the Pack will have to play its best game of the year today to have a shot against Fresno State, a 151/2-point favorite at most Nevada sports books.
"We have made some nice improvements, but we haven't even had that consistent performance with no big mistakes," Ault said. "We've got to get after it. We have to play with enthusiasm, and we have to play with a lot of energy, and, you know, they are coming to our place.
"In championship games, it is about execution. That is the bottom line. You feed off of good plays on both sides of the ball. We have a chance to play a ranked team for a championship in Reno, Nevada, and what a great opportunity it is for us."
ESPN trucks are parked next to Mackay Stadium as a nationally ranked powerhouse comes in to play Nevada on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with snow flurries in the forecast.
Last year it was No. 10 Boise State. This time around it's No. 16 Fresno State invading Mackay in a game on ESPN2, with kickoff slated for 4:21 p.m. on Senior Day. A share of the Western Athletic Conference title is at stake.
Nevada (7-3, 6-1 WAC) can get its first-ever piece of a WAC title with a victory today. Fresno State (8-2, 6-0 WAC) can move one step closer to its first outright WAC title under ninth-year coach Pat Hill.
"If our guys aren't motivated for this game, we have some serious problems," Nevada coach Chris Ault said. "When a team like Fresno comes into your stadium, your house, you have to be ready. I am expecting us to play hard for four quarters. It is going to be a great game."
As of Friday afternoon, about 28,500 tickets had been sold or distributed for the game. Snow flurries were in the forecast overnight and expected to continue until mid-morning.
Last year, flurries were forecasted but about 10 inches of snow was dumped on the Truckee Meadows, catching Nevada officials off-guard. This year, the school is prepared, according to Keith Hackett, associate athletic director for facilties.
"We have a good plan in place and we'll be on the phone first thing in the morning if we need to be," Hackett said. "We have about 50 people available for snow removal if we need them. Hopefully we don't. Everything we've seen says the sun is going to break through in the morning."
Other than less snow, Nevada is hoping for one other difference this year -- the outcome. Last year, Boise State thumped Nevada 58-21. And this year's Fresno State team might be better than last year's Broncos team, even though Boise State was undefeated at the time.
But Nevada is also much improved. The Pack's 14 seniors, who will be playing their final game at Mackay Stadium today, will leave this university as winners -- Nevada ended six-straight non-winning seasons with its seven victories this season.
Fresno State is signed, sealed and delivered to the Liberty Bowl, and while Nevada's bowl destination is still officially undetermined, the Wolf Pack appears to be headed to the Sherton Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.
"As I understand it, there will be a representative from the Hawaii Bowl there at the game ready to make an offer," Nevada athletic director Cary Groth said.
If Nevada wins today and if Louisiana Tech beats Boise State, then Nevada can clinch a bowl spot. But more important than a bowl game, that scenario would give Nevada the WAC championship, something few thought would be possible after Nevada started the season 1-2.
"After the start we had, I wasn't thinking more than one week ahead," Ault said. "I couldn't afford to. But now, after a whole year of football, we have a chance to play for a championship in Reno, Nevada. That's exciting, that's special."
Fresno State is coming off a 50-42 loss at top-ranked USC, but Hill said the Bulldogs have plenty of motivation. Hill said earlier this week that Fresno State felt slighted after beating Nevada, 54-17, in Fresno last season.
"The Nevada game right now is the game we have to win," Hill said. "We have to go to Nevada and win. This is a big game for us. We know what is at stake. Hopefully there will be large crowd. We don't really care about the weather. We don't care about a lot of stuff right now. There were some statements made after last year's game that I saved.
"Last year, it was like 'Fresno didn't beat us. We beat ourselves.' We have to make sure we have to go up there and win this football game."
The Nevada coaches chalked up Hill's statements as an effort to motivate his team.
"We gave them all the credit in the world," Ault said. "We got our butts kicked. It wasn't even a game."
And Ault said the Pack will have to play its best game of the year today to have a shot against Fresno State, a 151/2-point favorite at most Nevada sports books.
"We have made some nice improvements, but we haven't even had that consistent performance with no big mistakes," Ault said. "We've got to get after it. We have to play with enthusiasm, and we have to play with a lot of energy, and, you know, they are coming to our place.
"In championship games, it is about execution. That is the bottom line. You feed off of good plays on both sides of the ball. We have a chance to play a ranked team for a championship in Reno, Nevada, and what a great opportunity it is for us."
