After weeks of uncertainty, Nevada could have both its ticket to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl and its opponent, possibly Memphis with the nation's leading rusher, DeAngelo Williams, lined up Saturday.

While there are still some potential detours — including a scenario that could put Louisiana Tech in Aloha Stadium — the Wolf Pack, at 7-3 with a home game against Fresno State on Saturday, remains the favorite to represent the Western Athletic Conference in the Dec. 24 game, officials said.

Less certain is who the WAC team might play. Currently, Conference USA, which is contracted to furnish a representative, has only three bowl-eligible teams — Texas El-Paso (8-2), Central Florida (8-3) and Tulsa (7-4) — for its five bowls. None is likely to play here at this point.

But four other schools — Alabama-Birmingham (5-5), Houston (5-5), Memphis (5-5) and Southern Mississippi (5-5) — could become bowl-eligible this week.

Of them, Memphis is easily the most attractive to the bowl at this point largely because of Williams, who is averaging 177 yards a game and 6.4 yards per carry. Last year, Williams was third in the NCAA, averaging 162 yards per game.

To become bowl-eligible, the Tigers must beat Marshall (4-6) on Saturday in Memphis.

UAB and Houston played here in 2004 and '03, respectively.

The WAC is trying to place all four of its bowl-eligible teams — Fresno State (8-2), Boise State (8-3), Louisiana Tech (6-3) and Nevada. The Liberty Bowl wants Fresno State and the Boise-based MPC Computers Bowl wants to keep the Broncos home.

The WAC's bowl committee, which is comprised of the athletic directors from the four bowl-ineligible schools, including UH's Herman Frazier, is scheduled to meet this week.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said Louisiana Tech could find itself in consideration for the Hawai'i Bowl if the San Francisco-based Emerald Bowl is unable to get a Pac-10 team. Benson said the WAC "has an obligation to placing a team in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl — we just don't know who that team will be yet."

The Pac-10 has six contracted bowls but currently only four bowl-eligible teams: USC (11-0), Oregon (10-1), UCLA (9-1) and California (7-4). Stanford (5-5) must beat Notre Dame to get bowl-eligible and Arizona State (5-5) needs to beat Arizona. In addition, Oregon could play in a Bowl Championship Series game.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.