San Jose State extended its losing streak at Reno’s Mackay Stadium that began 24 years ago, falling to Nevada 28-13 in a crucial Mountain West matchup on Saturday afternoon.

Leading just 7-3 at halftime, Nevada began separating from the Spartans late in the third quarter, extending its lead to 14-3 when third-string quarterback Luke Duncan found Trace Estes for a 25-yard touchdown pass to cap a nine-play, 84-yard drive.

Duncan started for the Wolf Pack (3-4, 2-2) after quarterbacks Carter Jones and AJ Bianco weren’t available to play due to injury. This was Duncan’s third career start.

SJSU’s offense failed to capitalize on much of anything, ending the first half with six straight three-and-outs and six punts. After the second three-and-out, the Spartans benched starting quarterback Daniel Rolovich, who was making his second straight start. Robert McDaniel replaced Rolovich and Luke Weaver entered the game in the fourth quarter.

Weaver, who started the first six games, led the Spartans’ offense to 10 points in the game’s final two drives. Weaver finished with 91 passing yards compared to Rolovich and McDaniel’s combined 48.

SJSU (4-4, 2-2 Mountain West), which suffered its 12th consecutive loss in Reno, struggled offensively ending with 2-4 total yards going just 1-for-14 third downs. At the end of the third quarter, the Spartans had 70 total yards, three first downs and were 0 for 10 on third-down conversions.

“We got to look at everything. How we’re practicing, what we’re doing about what we’ve been struggling with. We got to look back at the tape,” Spartans head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. ”Everything is on the table.”

The Spartans’ only touchdown came Viliami Teu had an 11-yard rushing touchdown with 7:16 left in the game. Trajan Sinatra kicked field goals of 38 yards just before halftime and 41 yards with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter.

After SJSU went three-and-out on the game’s first possession, Nevada opened the scoring on its first drive, converting on five third downs and finishing the drive with a 4-yard receiving touchdown to Marshaun Brown. The drive lasted nearly nine minutes.

Nevada’s Dominic Kelley, a former De La Salle High star, had 82 yards rushing and a touchdown on 24 carries. Duncan finished 18-of-29 passing for 178 yards with no interceptions.

SJSU’s earliest first down came late in the first half as time wound down on the two-minute warning. The Spartans concluded that drive with a 38-yard field goal. Running back Jabari Bates led the drive with 18 rushing yards. The Spartans’ offense finished the first half with 29 total yards.

After Nevada’s opening touchdown, SJSU held the Wolf Pack’s offense to a three-and-out or an interception on the next four drives. The Spartans’ Jayden Robertson had an interception with 1:38 left in the first quarter. SJSU ended the game allowing a total of 324 yards, including 210 yards through the air and 114 on the ground.

“You try to tell the defense to just keep fighting but it’s hard to get mad at your defense for giving up some of those third downs when they’re on the field all the time, Niumatalolo said. “They wore us down.”

Nevada won for just the second time since a 49-14 home win over Western Kentucky in the season opener.