Oct. 17, 2009

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LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's frenzied rally came up short, losing 35-32 to Nevada Saturday in USU's Western Athletic Conference home opener at a clear and sunny Romney Stadium.

USU is now 1-5 overall and 0-2 in WAC action on the season, with both losses by three points after last Saturday's 20-17 loss at New Mexico State on a last-second field goal. Nevada improves to 2-0 in league play and evening its overall mark at 3-3. The Aggies are now 4-16 against the Wolf Pack, losing the last five in a row.

Junior quarterback Diondre Borel threw for a career-high 353 yards on 25-of-42 passing with three TD's, his second three TD outing this season. Four of his passes went to senior wide receiver Nnamdi Gwacham for a career-high 140 yards, including a career-long 77-yard reception in the first quarter to set up USU's first TD of the game.

The Aggies had a total of 427 yards of total offense, while the Wolf Pack tallied 502 yards, including 313 on the ground, with Vai Taua (147) and Luke Lippincott (104) combining for 251 of that with one TD each. Lippincott's 69-yard scamper with 4:08 left proved to be the winning score as it gave Nevada a 35-24 lead.

USU cut it to 35-32 with 2:35 to go on a 14-yard pass from Borel to Gwacham, followed by a two-point conversion from Borel to sophomore running back Robert Turbin. The Aggies went for the on-side kick and initially recovered it, but were called for offsides. On the re-kick, Nevada recovered and ran out the clock for the win.

Senior safety James Brindley led USU with a game-high nine tackles, including one for a loss and snared his team-leading third interception of the season. It was also his ninth of his career as he needs one more to reach USU's career top 10 list. The sophomore linebacker tandem of Bobby Wagner and Kyle Gallagher had eight stops each.

The Aggies opened the scoring with a 1-yard plunge from Turbin at the 6:41 mark of the first quarter and USU went ahead 14-0 with 12:25 to go in the second stanza after an 8-yard pass from Borel to sophomore wide receiver Eric Moats, for Moats' first career TD catch.

Nevada sandwiched a pair of TD passes from Colin Kaepernick, the first an 11-yarder to Lippincott, and a 44-yarder to Virgil Green around a 32-yard scoring strike from Borel to Turbin to make it 21-14 in USU's favor at halftime. Kaepernick finished the game 10-of-24 passing for 189 yards with three TD tosses, while also rushing for 77 yards.

On the Aggies' opening possession of the second half, junior punter Peter Caldwell's punt bounced off Nevada's returner Jonathon Amaya and USU sophomore wide receiver Stanley Morrison recovered at the Nevada 13-yard line. A penalty and sack stalled USU's drive and senior kicker Chris Ulinski booted a season-long 48-yard field goal for a 24-14 USU lead with 10:23 in the third quarter.

The Wolf Pack reeled off 21-straight points on a Taua 5-yard run, a 49-yard TD pass from Kaepernick to Brandon Wimberly, and Lippincott's 69-yard run to open its 35-24 lead that USU couldn't counter.

Utah State continues its two-game homestand by hosting Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Oct. 24 in a 1 p.m. kickoff from Romney Stadium.

For season and single-game ticket information, contact the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305, or online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the "buy/renew tickets" under the "tickets" drop down menu.

-USU-