The Fremont Canon- History of the Battle for Nevada Rivalry

The day of the Nevada Wolf Pack-UNLV Rebels game is like a holiday to the students of the State of Nevada. Nevada students wearing blue FUNLV shirts and UNLV students wearing red FUNR shirts. Nevada views UNLV as the annoying red headed step child of the state, while UNLV views Nevada as northern hilljacks from an uncultured part of the state. UNLV constantly calls us UNR or Nevada-Reno, never just Nevada, Coach Ault hates this and so does every Nevada fan. Nevada sometimes calls UNLV "Nevada Southern" as it was their original name.

From PackBall.blogspot.com

“Our university began in 1874. We are the University of Nevada. For some reason in the mid-70s, this UNR, University of Nevada, Reno deal came in. When I came back to coach, this is the first thing we started on. In '92, we put a major campaign on. We are the Nevada Wolf Pack. That’s what we are.”
- Coach Ault

The Fremont Canon

• Is the largest and most expensive college trophy in the country. Weighing over 500 lbs.
• Built in 1970 the idea of the canon is credited to Bill Ireland. A 1952 Nevada alumni and UNLV very first head coach, contacted both boosters to donate money for the building of the Canon. The canon cost $10,000 dollars which is a lot more now days.
  
• The winner of the annual game gets to paint the canon of their school colors. Nevada- Blue and Silver and UNLV- Red and Gray.
• The canon was fired every time a side scored until 2000 when UNLV finally won the canon back and the crowd pick the canon up in celebration and then dropped the canon making it unfireable.
• Cost UNLV $1,500 to repair the canon. While repairing officials noticed several engravings inside the canon including "University of Notta Lot of Victories" in it.

History of the Rivalry

• Nevada and UNLV met for the first time in 1969, while the canon wasn;t award till the following year. Nevada won the very first match up while UNLV won in the following year claiming the canon for the very first time. The teams has met 35 times. Nevada currently leads the series 20-15.
  
• During the 80s UNLV only won the canon twice but kept canon for 7 years because UNLV pushed to drop the series resulting the game only being played 4 times. The Nevada Board of Regents led by Chairman Bob Cashell (now Reno's Mayor) made it a state law that teams have to play each other every year in 1989.
• Mackay and Sam Boyd stadiums are one of the few college stadiums that sell beer at the games. Resulting in some nasty brawls in the stands and several arrests.
• In 1978 Coach Ault won the canon for the first time in Vegas. At the Air Port, the team convince the officials to let the team disassemble the canon and take it with them on the air plane. The players had a hard time trying to figure out how to disassemble the canon and Coach Ault said it was one of his favorite memories.

" Now boarding: After the Pack won the 1978 game as 20-point underdogs, the Nevada players disassembled the cannon and talked McCarran Airport officials into letting them carry small pieces of it onto the plane to bring it back to Reno. "It was total chaos, an amazing memory, but it was one of those moments — we were flying so high, we didn’t need a plane to get home," Ault said.

• In 1993 It was Coach Ault first year of retirement, Coach Jeff Horton after one year of coaching left Nevada for UNLV forcing Coach Ault to come back. This was known as the "Red Defection" In 1994 Coach Horton gave UNLV their only win over Nevada during the 90s.
• The following year on 1995 in Reno resulted in 25 ejections, 6 arrests, 2 on-field brawls, fighting mascots and one flying helmet. 45 minutes prior to game during pregame warm ups, several UNLV players provoked Nevada players and resulted in a on-field brawl. This causes Nevada to run up the score 52-32 victory. During the frustration, UNLV DB Quincy Sanders threw his helmet in the direction of Coach Ault causing the 2nd brawl of the game. This game highlights went on ESPN and became the talk for several days. Story from Reno Gazette Journal
• In 2000, after 5 years, UNLV won the canon. The students and players rushed to the canon. They decided to pick the canon up and carry it but ended up dropping the canon and breaking it. UNLV would win the next 4 times. After the 2004 lost, Coach Ault step down from being AD and fired Chris Tormey, and returned for his 3rd stint of being head coach.
• Coach Ault has played in 23 out of 35 games between Nevada and UNLV. 15 of Nevada's 20 wins came while Coach Ault was coaching.

Some funny blogs

Ron Kantowski of the Las Vegas Review Journal and Dan Hinkman of Reno-Gazette Journal had a blog war on whose City is better.

Ron Kantowski Reno is tired of playing second fiddle to Las Vegas

Dan  Hinxman Depraved Vegas can't hold onto a candle to historic Reno