Nevada Wolf Pack Football - Move To I-A and 1-A/FBS History

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 Bowls. 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.