Reno, Nev.-----Wide receiver David Richmond caught third-quarter touchdown passes of 11 and 10 yards from quarterback Kyle Reed in San Jose State's 41-17 loss at the University of Nevada in a Western Athletic Conference football game.
The Spartans (6-4, 4-3 WAC) had their second most productive passing game of the season throwing for 301 yards. Reed was 15-of-27 for 215 yards. Sean Flynn came in for Reed in the second series of the fourth quarter and passed for 86 more yards.
Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vai Taua each rushed for more than 100 yards and combined for three touchdowns leading the Wolf Pack to their second win in as many weeks. The Wolf Pack (6-4, 4-2 WAC), the number-one rushing team in the country, gained 333 yards on 49 carries and scored four of their five touchdowns on the ground.
For the Spartans (6-5, 4-3 WAC), it was the first time this season losing back-to-back games. San Jose State dropped into a fourth place tie with Hawaii in the conference standings. Nevada and Louisiana Tech, the two teams that knocked off the Spartans the last two weeks, are tied for second place behind WAC leader Boise State.
Kaepernick rushed 16 times for 147 yards and scored on runs of 7 and 6 yards. The Nevada quarterback crossed the 1,000 rushing yards plateau for the season and threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marko Mitchell in third quarter.
A play of 30 or more yards figured prominently in each of Nevada’s first five scoring drives. Two of those long plays came on 3rd-and-long situations in the second quarter and helped the Wolf Pack build a 17-3 half-time lead.
Kaepernick’s 34-yard run on the Wolf Pack’s first play of their second possession set up a 35-yard Brett Jaekle to open the game’s scoring. A 44-yard pass on 3rd-and-17 to wide receiver Chris Wellington who was open at the 15-yard line straddling the left hash mark preceded Kaepernick’s first score of the game to extend the Nevada lead to 10-0.
Taua, who gained 125 yards on 18 carries, added the final Nevada score of the first half on a 3rd-and-6 breaking through the San Jose State line, cutting to the right sideline at the Spartan 40-yard line and racing down the sideline for a 57-yard touchdown run.
The Spartans got on the scoreboard with a 44-yard field goal by Jared Strubeck. Reed’s 39-yard pass to Richmond set up San Jose State’s first score.
The two teams traded touchdowns twice in the third quarter. The Spartans found a rhythm in their passing game with 6-foot-4 Richmond and 6-foot-5 Terrance Williams taking advantage of their size against the Nevada defensive backs. Richmond finished with nine receptions for 91 yards. Williams had his first 100-yard receiving game of his career with 101 yards on four catches.
San Jose State was stymied on the ground by Nevada, number-two nationally in rushing defense. The Spartans had minus-23 yards rushing on 16 attempts.
The regular season ends, Friday, November 21, with the Spartans hosting Fresno State in Spartan Stadium. Game time is 6:30 p.m.