For the first time under head coach Jay Norvell, Nevada football became bowl eligible after a 7-5 regular season. The Wolf Pack will face off against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 29. The Red Wolves finished the season 8-4, going 5-3 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Nevada was one of seven Mountain West Conference schools who reached the six-win requirement for bowl eligibility this season. Only one school — Wyoming — is not going bowling after not receiving any bids after a 6-6 season.

This is Nevada’s first bowl game since 2015, when they played Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl. The Pack won 28-23 in Brian Polian’s lone bowl victory at Nevada.

The Wolf Pack and the Red Wolves have one common opponent this season — Nevada’s arch rival UNLV. Nevada blew a 23-0 lead against the Rebels losing by a final score of 34-29. Arkansas State defeated the Rebels 27-20 in a late September matchup.

This is the Wolf Pack’s 14th bowl appearance since joining the FBS in 1991, going 4-9 in the previous 13 games. It’s also Nevada’s fourth bowl game since becoming a member of the Mountain West and went 1-2 in the three prior bowl games.

Darion Strugs can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @dstrugs.