Wolf Pack fall to Spartans in showdown
Wood grad Strong, Vaca grad Talton star for Nevada
LAS VEGAS >> Will C. Wood High grad Carson Strong threw for 260 yards and a touchdown but Nevada fell to San Jose State 3020 on Friday as the Spartans clinched the program’s first berth in the Mountain West Conference Championship game.
Strong was 33 of 48 with a touchdown and no interceptions. The Wolf Pack (6-2, 6-2) led 20-7 at halftime. His touchdown was a 2-yarder to Cole Turner in the first quarter to give Nevada a 10-7 lead.
The sophomore quarterback finished the regular season with 2,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Vacaville High grad Brandon Talton connected on two field goals, from 42 and 43 yards in the first half. The first gave Nevada a 3- 0 lead and the second gave his team a 13-7 edge. Talton was 15 of 17 on field goals during the regular season.
Talton moved up to ninth alltime at Nevada in career kick scoring with 161 points and remains seventh in career field goals made with 36.
San Jose State’s Tyler Nevens had 12 carries for a career-high 184 yards, including an explosive 69-yard touchdown burst for the Spartans (6- 0, 6- 0).
San Jose State is off to its best start since the Spartans went 13-0 in 1939 and now plays Boise State in the conference title game on Dec. 18.
Freshman Shamar Garrett caught the opening kickoff of the second half at the 2, ran up the right hashmark to about the 25 and broke left before racing along the sideline to trim SJSU’s deficit to 20-14. On its ensuing drive, the Wolf Pack moved to San Jose State’s 1 before, on second-andgoal, Jay Kavika forced a fumble by Toa Taua that was recovered by Jay Lenard. Derrick Deese Jr.’s 5-yard touchdown catch capped a 12-play, 99-yard drive with 2:34 left in the third quarter and Nevens’ scoring run gave the Spartans a 27-20 lead about two minutes later.
Taua had 11 carries for 96 yards for Nevada.
Junior Cade Hall had 2 1/2 sacks, including a pair on back-to-back plays on Nevada’s final offensive possession. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive end has eight sacks this season, tied for eighth most in the country.
SJSU had 196 of its 200 yards rushing in the second half and finished with 506 totals yards.
Along with the rejuvenated run game, San Jose State’s pass rush figured out how to get to Strong, who had plenty of time to throw in the first half. In the second half, however, San Jose State’s pass rush, headlined by Cade Hall, put pressure on Strong play after play.
Hall finished with 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tacklesfor- loss, including backto-back sacks late in the fourth quarter.
Nevada, which turnover the ball in the first half, lost four fumbles after halftime. The Wolf Pack will wait to find out its fate for a possible bowl game berth.
The Wolf Pack still leads the all-time series 22-10-2 as the Spartans snapped a three- game losing streak in the series.