WAC roundup: Wolf Pack takes home a piece of the prize

RUSTON, La. — Leave it to Colin Kaepernick to tie the NCAA record for touchdowns rushing by a quarterback on a designed pass play, all while leading Nevada to a conference title and its sixth consecutive bowl game.

Kaepernick ran for three scores, including a dazzling 28-yard scramble on fourth-and-9, and the No. 14 Wolf Pack earned a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship with a 35-17 victory over Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

Nevada athletic director Cary Groth said afterward the Broncos have accepted an invitation to play in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Sunday, Jan. 9, against a team to be determined from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

With the bowl game still to play, Kaepernick now has 59 career TDs on the ground, tying the mark held by Nebraska's Eric Crouch.

"He is the leader of our team; there is no question about it," Nevada coach Chris Ault said. "That last touchdown run he made when he scrambled on fourth down was unbelievable. That is what he does for us. He makes plays. That's what his legs do for us. He has done that throughout his career here. He is a pretty special guy."

On Kaepernick's fourth-down score, Ault called for a screen pass to Vai Taua, who tripped over a defender. Kaepernick, whose elusiveness gave the Bulldogs fits all afternoon, rolled away from pressure and sprinted into the open along the sideline. Just when it looked like he'd dart out of bounds, he cut inside and outran the pursuit to make it 28-17 in the fourth quarter.

IDAHO 26, SAN JOSE STATE 23: At Moscow, Idaho, Nathan Enderle threw to Eric Greenwood for the game-winning touchdown. The touchdown came after the Vandals (6-7, 3-5 WAC) blocked a field goal attempt by the Spartans' Harrison Waid as time ran out in regulation to send the game into extra play. Waid kicked a 39-yard field goal to give the Spartans (1-12, 0-8) a 23-20 lead in the OT period but the Vandals responded with the TD.