Boise State clinches WAC crown

Kellen Moore threw for 414 yards and three touchdowns Saturday and No. 9 Boise State kept the nation’s best rushing offense in check, beating Nevada 41-34 at Reno, Nev., to remain undefeated.

Moore threw for 319 yards by halftime, when the Broncos led 24-3.

Ian Johnson broke free for a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for Boise State, which turned back a late Nevada rally to clinch its sixth WAC title in seven years. The Broncos (11-0, 7-0 WAC) close the regular season Friday at home against Fresno State.

Colin Kaepernick passed for 241 yards and a touchdown and ran for 70 yards for Nevada (6-5, 4-3 WAC), which got the ball back with 1:34 left in the game near midfield and moved to Boise’s 26 on Kaepernick’s 28-yard pass to Chris Wellington with 28 seconds remaining.

A delay of game penalty pushed Nevada back and Kaepernick’s next three passes fell incomplete. On fourth-and-13, Brandyn Thompson and Kyle Wilson knocked down his throw to Marko Mitchell in the end zone as time expired.

Trailing by 21, the Wolf Pack intercepted Moore three times in the third quarter and returned two for touchdowns. Jerome Johnson went 28 yards with one and Josh Mauga went 46 yards with another to make it 31-24.

But Wilson returned a punt 39 yards to Nevada’s 31 and three plays later Austin Pettis caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Moore to make it 38-24 with 10:11 left to play.

On the next series, Mike Williams sacked Nevada backup Nick Graziano on third down for a 9-yard loss back to his 4. Brett Jaekle’s punt only made it as far as Nevada’s 37 and Kyle Brontzman kicked a 50-yard field goal to put Boise State ahead 41-24 with 7:20 remaining.

The Wolf Pack entered the game averaging 325 yards per game on the ground, but managed only 31 in the first half and 144 on the game.

Louisiana Tech 35, New Mexico State 31: Daniel Porter ran for 130 yards on 17 carries to lead the Bulldogs (7-4, 5-2) over the Aggies (3-8, 1-6) at Las Cruces, N.M.

Phillip Livas delivered a 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 4 minutes remaining to give Louisiana Tech the final margin.