Breanna Denney/Nevada Sagebrush Nevada and UNLV line up during their battle for the Fremont Cannon on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Sam Boyd Stadium. The win in that game propelled the Wolf Pack to a 7.5-4.5 lead over its interstate rivals.
by Chris Boline
Unless you have been placed in solitary confinement for finals, you’re likely aware that the Fremont Cannon is dark blue once again. But the party hasn’t hit its peak quite yet. Nevada still has a long way to go before crowning themselves as the athletic kings of the Silver State.
For the past two years, UNLV has dominated the Governor’s Series by a combined score of 67.5-28.5 (the series is out of 48 points each season). The all-encompassing athletic series between the two universities was supposed to be the marquee measuring stick of student-athlete athletic and academic achievement at each school.
However, I am not sure that this is the perceived case, considering the lack of general buzz from around the campus concerning the series and also the Wolf Pack. Nonetheless, fans need to realize that this series is more important than you think and we need to act like it, especially with the Pack currently leading 7.5-4.5.
Even though Nevada has lost the Governor’s Series the past two years, it has improved. Last year saw an eight-point rise in the final standings and although UNLV edged Nevada last season in football that was obviously not the case this season. In fact, this time last year, the Rebels were ahead of Nevada by the same margin as the Pack is this season. Sure the Fremont Cannon is the heaviest prize in college football, but the school that has an edge in the Governor’s Series has almost double the bragging rights at the end of the day. For Wolf Pack fans this should be a hard pill to swallow, but that could change this year.
Heading into the winter season, these are the key match-ups to look forward to and could be critical for Nevada winning its first undisputed title in Silver State athletics:
Swimming and Diving
Point blank, Nevada’s swimming and dive team has become the unsung star of Wolf Pack athletics this year. The squad is a resounding 5-0 with an average margin of victory of 44 points. Last season, Nevada thrashed UNLV at the Mountain West Conference Championships by finishing third to the Rebels’ seventh.
Indoor Track & Field
Even if the Wolf Pack fell to the Rebels in last year’s conference championship, the 2014 season has been shaping up to be a different story. Nevada’s squad will be bolstered by the strong performance of its cross-country team which finished three spots ahead of UNLV in October’s conference championship. Additionally, the Pack will welcome the return of senior All-American sprinter Kashae Knox who redshirted last season.
Women’s Basketball
The Wolf Pack and Rebels have identical 3-5 records on the season, so this could be one of the closest match-ups for this year’s Governor’s series. Nevada has been bolstered by the tremendous play of center Mimi Mungedi, the reigning Mountain West player of the week. The Rebels are riding a three-game losing streak right now so it will be interesting to see what happens when these two square off in Reno on Jan. 7.
For bragging rights, the Fremont Cannon might be the most visually appealing, but Pack fans need to have their eyes set on a bigger party for a potential win in the Governor’s Series.
Chris Boline can be reached at cboline@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @CDBoline.
