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Nevada vs. San Diego State

Nevada and San Diego State have 16 meetings on file, the first in 1946; San Diego State leads the series 10–⁠6 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s San Diego State 6–⁠4.

Nevada wins
6
San Diego State wins
10
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1946
Longest streak
4 San Diego State
Current streak
1 San Diego State
Last 10 meetings
San Diego State 6–⁠4
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1940s1–⁠0
1990s0–⁠1
2000s0–⁠1
2010s3–⁠5
2020s2–⁠3
Average margin
12.9 points; 8 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Nevada
3–⁠4 Nevada’s record at home
At San Diego State
6–⁠3 San Diego State’s record at home
Shutouts
2

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

Games that tell the story

  1. Nevada’s biggest win1946: Nevada 26, San Diego State 0by 26 points
  2. San Diego State’s biggest win2025: San Diego State 44, Nevada 10by 34 points
  3. Upset2023: Nevada 6, San Diego State 0Nevada had a 19% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset2019: Nevada 17, San Diego State 13Nevada had a 23% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset2012: San Diego State 39, Nevada 38San Diego State had a 28% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsNevadaSeriesSan Diego State
2013–⁠2016Brian Polian1–⁠3Rocky Long
2017–⁠2019Jay Norvell2–⁠1Rocky Long

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Nevada’s side (Polian 1–⁠3 against Long). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Nevada and San Diego State, 1946 on13001500170019501960197019801990200020102020

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

Brendan O’Leary-Orange Nevada11 catches, 214 yards, 3 TD2017 Receiving
Rashaad Penny San Diego State24 carries, 222 yards, 2 TD2017 Rushing
Cameron Thomas San Diego State10 tackles, 3 sacks, 3.5 for loss2021 Defense

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

Photos

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Oct 11, 2025San Diego State 44, Nevada 10at Nevada
Oct 21, 2023Nevada 6, San Diego State 0at San Diego State
Oct 22, 2022San Diego State 23, Nevada 7at Nevada
Nov 13, 2021San Diego State 23, Nevada 21at San Diego State
Nov 21, 2020Nevada 26, San Diego State 21at Nevada
Nov 9, 2019Nevada 17, 24San Diego State 13at San Diego State
Oct 27, 2018Nevada 28, San Diego State 24at Nevada
Nov 18, 2017San Diego State 42, Nevada 23at San Diego State
Nov 12, 2016San Diego State 46, Nevada 16at Nevada
Nov 28, 2015San Diego State 31, Nevada 14at San Diego State
Nov 1, 2014Nevada 30, San Diego State 14at Nevada
Oct 4, 2013San Diego State 51, Nevada 44at San Diego State
Oct 20, 2012San Diego State 39, Nevada 38at Nevada
Sep 25, 2004San Diego State 27, Nevada 10at San Diego State
Sep 28, 1995San Diego State 30, Nevada 27at San Diego State
Oct 19, 1946Nevada 26, San Diego State 0at San Diego State

Every game is listed as played on the field.