Nevada Sports Net columnist Chris Murray is known for being a little wordy, so every Friday we give him 1,000 words (but no more) to share his thoughts on the past week in the world of sports.

* THE ULTIMATE MEASURE of a team is its win-loss record, but that can be misleading at times, especially in the first season under a new boss. That’s the case for Nevada football in 2024, when Jeff Choate takes over arguably the worst roster in the FBS while facing one of the toughest schedules in program history. That starts Saturday as a 27-point underdog against SMU, with Choate saying the following at his press conference Monday: “I really don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of this game. The only thing I care about is how we play, how we represent the University of Nevada, how hard we play, how disciplined we play, how we show resilience and mental toughness and then physically come through. That’s the only thing that matters.”

* Some thought this was an admission that Nevada will lose. I didn’t. It was an admission that the Wolfpack can’t be judged on wins and losses alone yet. That day will come. But in year one, that’s not fair. The immediate goals are to create a culture and grow game by game. That’s how Nevada’s 2024 season will be judged. But fans care about wins and losses, as they should. So here are my game-by-game predictions for Nevada’s 2024 football season.

* WEEK 1: SMU 38, Nevada 20 – The Wolfpack opens the season against its toughest opponent of the year, SMU, a well-oiled offensive machine that shouldn’t have too much trouble rolling over Nevada.

* WEEK 2:Troy 27, Nevada 20 – Troy has won 23 games over the past two seasons, but has a new coach, Gerad Parker (former Notre Dame offensive coordinator), and a lot of talent lost through the transfer portal. This game has the potential to be an upset.

* WEEK 3: Nevada 30, Georgia Southern 24 – Former USC coach Clay Helton has led the Eagles to two consecutive 6-7 seasons, but we’ll count this as the first win of the Choate era (and revenge for Nevada’s FCS title game loss to Georgia Southern in 1990).

* WEEK 4: Minnesota 31, Nevada 20 – Since becoming Minnesota’s coach in 2017, PJ Fleck has a 21-2 record in non-league games. The Gophers were picked to finish 12th in the 18-team Big Ten in the preseason poll, so this is a beatable Power 5 opponent. Either way, Nevada will receive $1.3 million for its effort.

* WEEK 5: Nevada 40, Eastern Washington 17 – Nevada has lost its last two games against FCS opponents, but both games came against the top five teams in that division (Incarnate Word in 2022 and Idaho in 2023). This should be a win for the Wolfpack, as EWU went 4-7 last season.

* WEEK 6: Nevada 24, San Jose State 23 – The Wolf Pack has a bye before its Mountain West opener, and SJSU also begins what should be a rebuilding year with Nevada winning its conference opener on the road.

* WEEK 7: Oregon State 32, Nevada 17 – The Beavers have a new head coach and starting quarterback, although Ben Gulbranson was 7-1 at quarterback in 2022. He’s back and Oregon State still has a power-conference roster.

* WEEK 8: Fresno State 30, Nevada 20 – The Bulldogs have an enviable amount of returning offensive talent, although there are question marks at the quarterback position after coach Jeff Tedford resigned due to health reasons (Tim Skipper is interim coach).

* WEEK 9: Hawaii 27, Nevada 26 – In what should have been a game of chance, I think Nevada tries a 2-point attempt late instead of sending the game to overtime with the extra point attempt, only to fail. The Wolfpack have been shockingly beaten by Hawaii the last two years.

* WEEK 10: Colorado State 30, Nevada 24 – Jay Norvell returns to Mackay Stadium for the second time since leaving Nevada. The first was the worst offensive game in NCAA history. There will be more points in this game. But CSU comes out on top.

* WEEK 11: Boise State 27, Nevada 24 – Choate will be eager to return to the school where he was once an assistant (and aspired to be the Broncos’ head coach). I think that will make the game closer than it should be. But Nevada has rarely won against the Blue.

* WEEK 12: Nevada 35, Air Force 34 – Nevada has lost five games in a row and the Pack has a 2-5 record overall against the Falcons, allowing 42 points per game, but we’re betting on Nevada in the shootout (five of the seven games in this series have been decided by a field goal or less/overtime).

* WEEK 13: Nevada 28, UNLV 24 – The regular season ends with the Battle of the Fremont Cannon. Nevada will be playing on the road and will likely be a huge underdog. But Choate is 4-0 against rival Montana as Montana State’s head coach, and this will be the Wolf Pack’s bowl game. Expect Nevada to step up and play its best game of the season.

* THAT LEAVES US a projected Wolf Pack record of 5-8 overall and 3-4 in the MW. While that’s not enough to get Nevada to a bowl game, it’s well above the projected 2.5-win betting odds at Vegas sportsbooks. Five wins would be a successful first step in Choate’s rebuild. It may not be the “start” he’s hoping for. But this situation doesn’t feel like a one-year turnaround. Either way, the time for talk is over. Choate was hired 263 days ago. And on Saturday, he’ll lead Nevada onto the field for a game for the first time. I can’t wait.

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight into Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.