Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005 | 7:09 a.m.
B.J. Mitchell also ran for 134 yards, his seventh 100-plus-yard game for Nevada (7-3, 6-1 WAC) this season.
The win puts Nevada in second place in the Western Athletic Conference and gives the Wolfpack an opportunity to play for the conference championship when they face Fresno State next Saturday.
Freshman Jerod Walker made his first career start for Utah State (2-8, 1-6) and threw for 226 yards, completing 19 of 26 passes. Walker threw two touchdown passes and had one pass intercepted with eight seconds remaining in the game. Walker became the Utah State quarterback after Leon Jackson suffered a shoulder injury in a 50-23 loss at Hawaii one week earlier.
Trailing 14-3 at halftime, USU was able to stay close to Nevada thanks to two kickoff returns by Tony Pennyman. In the third quarter Pennyman returned a kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown. After a Nevada field goal, Pennyman returned a kickoff for 84 yards, setting up a three-play USU touchdown drive that ended when Walker connected with Kevin Robinson on an 11-yard touchdown pass.
Nevada was able to control the fourth quarter with Mitchell taking care of the ball and running for 86 yards in the second half.
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