Fremont Cannon: Battle For Nevada Saturday In Reno

RENO, NV - The UNLV football team is looking to finish off a strong final month of the season with a win against rival University of Nevada on Saturday in Reno. The Rebels (5-6) have won three of their last four games and a win on Saturday would make them bowl eligible.

This year's Battle for the Fremont Cannon doesn't feature a whole lot of wins, the Wolf Pack have struggled themselves and are just 2-9 on the season. However they lead the series 25-17, which included an 8-game win streak from 2005-2012. Since then, the two rivals have alternated wins in the annual rivalry game. The Rebels are seeking to avenge last year's game when UNR beat UNLV 45-10 in Las Vegas.

The in-state rivals annually do battle for the Fremont Cannon--college football's biggest trophy. The cannon weighs 545 pounds and cost $10,000 to build in 1969. The winning team not only wins bragging rights, but also the right to paint the cannon in the school's colors. A website, www.whatcoloristhefremontcannon.com, depicts this tradition in the simplest possible form. If you visit the website right now, you'll see nothing except a blank screen with a backdrop Wolf Pack blue.

A win on Saturday would go a long way towards ensuring the Rebels' first bowl appearance since the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl, which they lost to North Texas 36-14. The Rebels have improved their win total in each season of head coach Tony Sanchez's three-year tenure.

Quarterback Armani Rogers returned to the lineup last week in a 38-35 win over New Mexico and had a huge game. The redshirt freshman passed for 211 yards and a touchdown while rushing for an additional 193 yards and a touchdown.

Kickoff is at noon on Saturday from Mackay Stadium in Reno.

Image via Isaac Brekken/Associated Press