Fresno State vs. UNLV

Fresno State and UNLV have 27 meetings on file, the first in 1979; officially, Fresno State leads 21–⁠6; as played, 19–⁠8 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Fresno State 7–⁠3. UNLV forfeited two games (1983 and 1984). This page counts every game as it was played.

Official series
Fresno State leads 21–⁠6
Fresno State wins on file
19
UNLV wins on file
8
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1979
Longest streak
10 Fresno State
Current streak
1 UNLV
Last 10 meetings
Fresno State 7–⁠3
Most recent
2024

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1970s0–⁠1
1980s7–⁠3
1990s4–⁠0
2010s4–⁠3
2020s4–⁠1
Average margin
18.3 points; 7 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Fresno State
11–⁠3 Fresno State’s record at home
At UNLV
5–⁠8 UNLV’s record at home

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Fresno State’s biggest win2018: Fresno State 48, UNLV 3by 45 points
  2. UNLV’s biggest win2024: UNLV 59, Fresno State 14by 45 points
  3. Upset2017: UNLV 26, Fresno State 16UNLV had a 24% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset2014: UNLV 30, Fresno State 27UNLV had a 35% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsFresno StateSeriesUNLV
1982–⁠1985Jim Sweeney2–⁠2Harvey Hyde
1986–⁠1989Jim Sweeney4–⁠0Wayne Nunnely
2017–⁠2019Jeff Tedford2–⁠1Tony Sanchez

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Fresno State’s side (Sweeney 2–⁠2 against Hyde). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Fresno State and UNLV, 1979 on13001500170019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Davante Adams Fresno State8 catches, 221 yards, 4 TD2013 Receiving
Josh Harper Fresno State12 catches, 187 yards, 1 TD2014 Receiving
Jalen Cropper Fresno State8 catches, 164 yards, 2 TD2022 Receiving

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

Every game

Sep 28, 2024UNLV 59, Fresno State 14at UNLV
Oct 28, 2023Fresno State 31, UNLV 24at Fresno State
Nov 11, 2022Fresno State 37, UNLV 30at UNLV
Sep 24, 202122Fresno State 38, UNLV 30at Fresno State
Nov 7, 2020Fresno State 40, UNLV 27at UNLV
Oct 18, 2019Fresno State 56, UNLV 27at Fresno State
Nov 3, 201820Fresno State 48, UNLV 3at UNLV
Oct 28, 2017UNLV 26, Fresno State 16at Fresno State
Oct 1, 2016UNLV 45, Fresno State 20at UNLV
Oct 16, 2015Fresno State 31, UNLV 28at Fresno State
Oct 10, 2014UNLV 30, Fresno State 27at UNLV
Oct 19, 201317Fresno State 38, UNLV 14at Fresno State
Oct 25, 1997Fresno State 46, UNLV 28at Fresno State
Oct 26, 1996Fresno State 34, UNLV 23at UNLV
Oct 26, 1991Fresno State 48, UNLV 22at Fresno State
Nov 3, 1990Fresno State 45, UNLV 18at UNLV
Oct 28, 1989Fresno State 31, UNLV 17at Fresno State
Nov 12, 1988Fresno State 31, UNLV 14at UNLV
Oct 31, 1987Fresno State 45, UNLV 10at Fresno State
Nov 8, 1986Fresno State 36, UNLV 7at UNLV
Sep 14, 1985Fresno State 26, UNLV 6at Fresno State
Nov 24, 1984UNLV 27, Fresno State 13forfeitedat UNLV
Nov 5, 1983UNLV 20, Fresno State 7forfeitedat Fresno State
Nov 20, 1982Fresno State 30, UNLV 28at UNLV
Nov 7, 1981Fresno State 42, UNLV 26at Fresno State
Sep 13, 1980UNLV 35, Fresno State 6at UNLV
Nov 3, 1979UNLV 31, Fresno State 28at Fresno State

Every game is listed as played on the field; a game one side later forfeited is marked “forfeited”; the official series above counts them the NCAA’s way.