A victory in Saturday's game puts No. 21 UNLV (No. 22 in the College Football Playoff rankings) in the Mountain West title game a week later at Boise State, which is 11th in the AP and CFP rankings. Which means the Rebels (9-2, 5-1 MW) have a path to the first 12-team playoff field.

UNLV will make the Mountain West championship with a victory and play at No. 11 Boise State with a potential shot at the College Football Playoff. The Rebels could lose and still make the conference title game, but it becomes more complicated and their chances to make the playoffs would almost be nil.

Nevada coach Jeff Choate called it “a meaningful game for the state of Nevada” because there is so much more on the line than state bragging rights and which team gets to paint the Fremont Cannon.