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by Eric Uribe

When Wolf Pack fans think of a rivalry, images of Rebel red usually come to mind. But in reality, at least in football, shades of blue and orange are more accurate.

I’m not knocking the Silver State bragging rights feud between Nevada and UNLV, but the Wolf Pack’s biggest rival on the gridiron today is Boise State and it’s not even that close.

Aside from the 550-pound Fremont Cannon (that collects dust most of the year anyway), games between the Rebels and Wolf Pack have been relatively meaningless for decades.

Between the Grand Canyon-sized drop off in UNLV’s football program and both teams being in separate conferences most of the century, the interstate rivalry has lacked the importance that makes a true college football rivalry.

And when one team has won eight of the past nine meetings, is it really a rivalry? Especially when a meager four of the last nine games have been decided by single digits, the lowest of which being five points?

No, a real college football rivalry involves two teams that trade victories. It involves games that go down to the wire with field goals making or breaking a team’s’ season. It involves contests that decide who wins championships.

Nevada and Boise State can put a check mark next to each of those criteria, while UNLV and Wolf Pack can’t even make an argument.

Who remembers Boise State escaping Nevada by the skin of their teeth in a 69-67 quadruple-overtime classic back in 2007? It’s a game that’ll be etched into both fan bases’ memory forever. A game where both teams rolled up more than 1,300 yards of offense and quarterback Colin Kaepernick made his first career start.

Surely, you remember Blue Friday in 2010 (or hope to forget if you’re a Broncos diehard)? Of course, Boise State’s national championship aspirations were dashed behind a ferocious comeback by the Wolf Pack and two shanked field goals.

Now, can any UNLV or Nevada fan remember a game between each other in vivid detail like the last two examples? Nope.

In fact, the most memorable incident between both programs didn’t even happen during a game. Rather, it was after their 1995 clash when the Rebels’ Quincy Sanders threw (and missed) his helmet in the direction of Wolf Pack head coach Chris Ault.

Furthermore, it takes two to tango, and there’s a more-vested interest between Wolf Pack and Broncos’ fans than UNLV and Nevada.

Don’t believe me? This stat will quell any doubts: It’s rare for Mackay Stadium and its entire 29,993-person capacity to be filled — so rare it has only happened seven times since the turn of the century.

Four of those games have been in showdowns against Boise State, including the upcoming battle on Saturday, while two have been with UNLV and the other with California.

You can’t pin this stat on traveling distance either, as Boise is 420 miles from Reno and Las Vegas is 448. Simply put, Boise State fans actually care for and support their football program.

Few teams in the Mountain West Conference travel as well as the Broncos, with a contingency of blue-and-orange-decked fans at each away game.

UNLV? They don’t even go to home games (an abysmal 14,305 turned out for its home opener against Northern Illinois),much less road games.

The only MWC program with a more devil-may-care attitude toward their football program than UNLV might be San Jose State (evident by the 14,693 attendance figure on Saturday against Nevada).

Explain to me how a fan base that doesn’t even care about its football program, would seriously care about a rivalry with another team? You can’t.

I’ll give the rivalry between Nevada and UNLV this: there’s a big disdain between each others students. The ever-so-classy FUNLV and FUNR shirts prove that. But rivalries need to transcend the student section and the interstate rivalry just doesn’t stack up.

On Saturday, Mackay Stadium will be packed to the brink. The game will likely be close. The road to the MWC championship for both teams will go through each other. Pay close attention to that atmosphere.

Then come Nov. 29, notice the atmosphere of Nevada and UNLV (after the pre-game tailgate where tensions are highest).

Both will be very different. The one on Saturday will be a lot more high stakes. 

Eric Uribe can be reached at euribe@sagebrush.unr.edu