Nevada football coach Jay Norvell often speaks of a football season, like a single game, being played in “quarters” — essentially, four sections of three games apiece.
For the 2021 edition of the Wolf Pack, halftime ended long ago and the third quarter is about to conclude with what has all the feel of a must-win game. After going 2-1 in its first quarter and 3-0 in its second, Nevada will look for another 2-1 record when it hosts San Jose State on Saturday night (7 p.m., FS2).
For the defending Mountain West champion Spartans (5-4 overall, 3-2 MW), a loss would basically eliminate them from any realistic chance of repeating, as only two teams have ever reached the MW championship game with three conference losses.