Quarterback fights through injury to lead Wolf Pack

Shortly after receiving his team's Most Valuable Player Award of the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick was getting an air cast put on his severely sprained right ankle.

Kaepernick threw for an H-Bowl record 370 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, but it wasn't enough as the Wolf Pack lost to Maryland 42-35 on Tuesday in Bronco Stadium.

Kaepernick did throw two interceptions - one in the end zone and another in Maryland territory - and was sacked three times. He left the game for a series in the third quarter after two empty drives, a move Nevada coach Chris Ault said was because of the injury.

Teammate Vai Taua knew Kaepernick, who also set an H-Bowl record with 385 yards of total offense, would return.

"The guy has tremendous heart," Taua said. "He went down and coach tried to pull him out, but he still wanted to play. No matter what the injury was he was still going to try to be on the field and do his best."

Kaepernick was not made available for interviews because he was receiving treatment on his ankle, but did release a statement through Nevada's media relations department.

"I think that the two picks were the difference in the game," Kaepernick said. "Those are tough mistakes. I was proud of the way we stepped up and got back into it, but we came up short."

Kaepernick was hobbled by a first-half sack. He limped off the field at halftime after being hit several times in the first half by Maryland's defense.

"That was one of our goals -to make him not be 100 percent," Maryland defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre said. "He's a skinny kid, but he's fast. We wanted to hit him as many times as we could and just pay a toll. We got after it."

Kaepernick, who rushed for 1,115 yards in the regular season, was limited to a season-low 15 net yards on nine attempts against the Terps. Limiting Kaepernick on the option play was a focus for Maryland, which would rather have the sophomore beat them with his arm than his legs.

He almost did.

"We came in with the mindset that if they were going to beat us, they were going to have to throw the ball," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "They threw the ball very well. Kaepernick threw the ball better than I anticipated. ... If you watched their tape, that's not how they make their living."

It was Kaepernick's second 300-plus-yard passing game in a row. He threw for 397 in the season finale against Louisiana Tech. Kaepernick's top targets Tuesday were Mike McCoy (13 catches, 172 yards) and Marko Mitchell (5-130).

Nick Jezierny: 377-6420