LOGAN, UT – NOVEMBER 8: Andrew Madrigal #78 of the Nevada Wolf Pack gets ready to snap the ball during the first half of their game against the Utah State Aggies at Maverik Stadium on November 8, 2025 in Logan, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) Getty Images
“In the short run, you get what you get; in the long run, you get what you deserve, and you aren’t going to get anything if you quit.”
This quote by Nevada head coach Jeff Choate earlier this week lingered around. There’s no question that this season for Wolf Pack football has been a bust, and Choate is just as frustrated as fans are. It may not be how you start, but if Nevada can end the season with some wins, 2026 may look just a bit more brighter.
It can all start this Saturday as Nevada will host San Jose State. The Spartans have not reached their preseason expectations and need to win two of their final three games to avoid their first season of under five wins since finishing 1-11 in 2018.
Nevada has yet to break its losing streak, both in general and in conference games (currently seven in a row and 16 in a row in Mountain West games). Its best chances of breaking that streak will be against SJSU this week and Wyoming next week before ending the season against UNLV.
San Jose State (3-6)(2-3) @ Nevada (1-8)(0-5)
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12:30 p.m. PST
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Betting line: SJSU favored by 9.5 points. The total of 52.5
History: Nevada is 23-12-2 all-time. San Jose State won the most recent matchup 35-31 on Oct. 5, 2024.
Obviously, you want to play a perfect game of football every time, but San Jose State’s offense will hurt you if the opposing defense isn’t locked in. Spartans QB Walker Eget leads the FBS with 2,941 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Wide receiver Danny Scudero leads the nation in receiving yards with 1,126 and has 10 touchdowns on the year. Kyri Shoels has 680 yards with two touchdowns and Leland Smith has 643 with three touchdowns. The Spartans offensive line has also allowed only eight sacks so far.
That’s a whole lot of good, even with the losing record. Given how poorly Nevada’s offense has played, its defense is going to once again be relied on to keep it at least a little bit competitive.
Take advantage of another weak defense (this has been said far too many times)
While San Jose State’s offense has looked well at times, it’s the defense that has kept them out of the winning column more times than not. Nevada’s defense is no gem either, so it’ll once again be another night of which offense can take advantage.
The Spartans are allowing 29.9 points a game, while Nevada has allowed 30.1. Nevada has also allowed 30 or more points four times this year, while San Jose State has done it five times. San Jose State has allowed 419.6 yards per game.
Will the Spartans’ defense struggle to contain Nevada’s offense? The numbers favor San Jose State despite its poor defensive numbers. Nevada is averaging 14 points per game (132/134 FBS teams) and 289 yards (129) per game.
Carter Jones will continue to be the starting QB for Nevada despite the loss to Utah State last week, where he finished with minus-one passing yard. The offense has looked a bit more dynamic with Chubba Purdy’s run threat, but Choate wants to keep confidence in the freshman QB.
Can the losing streak please end?
Choate has yet to win a conference game with Nevada. A Mountain West game hasn’t been captured by this program since 2023. Only eight wins have been collected in the last four years. This team hasn’t shown much promise in a while, and while the team looked better than its 3-10 record showed last year, fans and administrations want wins.
Even if Nevada is unable to end the streak and loses out, Choate will still be around. His $2.7 million buyout will keep his job secure for at least one more season. Whether you believe he’s the answer or not, there’s a severe lack of talent problem with this program, and pinning it on the head coach is the easiest thing to do.
But the sole focus now is on 2026. A win or two before this season ends can go a long way this offseason, and getting that first conference win gets a lot of pressure off of a new season that hasn’t even arrived yet.
Something has to give, right? It may be crazy again, but I’m going to put good energy in the air and say Nevada will win. It might be a rainy day in Reno, so the passing game might not be on point. I’ll go with 21-20 Nevada to break the curse.