RENO, Nev. (Sports Network) - Vai Taua rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns, as 21st-ranked Nevada blew out San Jose State, 35-13, in the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
Taua is riding a streak of five straight 100-yard games and he leads the nation (active players) with 22 career games in which he's topped the century mark.
Colin Kaepernick completed 20-of-27 passes for 273 yards and was picked off once, but he did rush for a pair of scores for the Wolf Pack (6-0, 1-0 WAC), who have beaten the Spartans in nine of the last 10 meetings.
"As a team we had mistakes where we kept hurting ourselves," Kaepernick said. "All around, those are things we need to improve on."
Jordan La Secla ended 14-of-33 for 145 yards with two interceptions for the Spartans (1-5, 0-1), who have been outscored 138-37 in the last three games against Nevada. Lamon Muldrow rushed 21 times for 77 yards in defeat.
Kaepernick rushed 13 yards for a TD to cap the game's opening possession, but Brandon Rutley darted into the end zone from 13 yards out on San Jose State's first time with the ball.
Kaepernick added a 20-yard TD run with three minutes left in the opening quarter, but the Spartans got a 28-yard field goal from Harrison Waid later in the period.
The Wolf Pack capitalized off a Muldrow fumble, as Taua scored from a yard out early in the second.
Anthony Martinez missed a 25-yard field goal for Nevada later in the second, and Waid's 42-yarder in the dying seconds had the Spartans within 21-13 at the break.
Taua scored on a 73-yard run early in the third and on a four-yard plunge in the fourth. Nevada then sealed the win when Brandon Marshall picked off La Secla inside the Wolf Pack five late in the final period.