James Butler rushed for 189 yards to spark Nevada to a 28-23 victory over Colorado State in the inaugural Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Tuesday night.
Butler finished a breakout sophomore season in grand style. He had a 77-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and half of the Wolf Pack’s 72 yards on the winning drive, which he capped with a twisting, lunging 4-yard touchdown run with 1:06 remaining.
Nevada snapped a two-game losing streak in front of an announced crowd of 20,425 at Arizona Stadium. The Wolf Pack also ended the Rams’ four-game winning streak. Both Mountain West Conference schools finished 7-6.
Colorado State had one last possession with 59 seconds to play and no timeouts. The Rams advanced from their 12-yard line to the Wolf Pack 12. But receiver Jordon Vaden stumbled before getting the first down or getting out of bounds. Time expired before CSU could run another play. Seconds later, Nevada’s players streamed onto the field to celebrate.
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Rams quarterback Nick Stevens passed for 310 yards. CSU receiver Rashard Higgins caught nine passes for 129 yards, becoming the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards. He already held the marks for catches and receiving touchdowns.
Butler was named the game’s Offensive MVP. Nevada senior defensive end Ian Seau – who had three tackles for losses, including a fumble-causing sack, and numerous quarterback pressures – was named the Defensive MVP.
