RENO, Nev. -- Against Georgia Southern Saturday, Nevada-Reno faced an option offense for the first time this season -- and the last.
Tracy Ham threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more to lead Georgia Southern to a 48-38 victory over previously undefeated Nevada-Reno in the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals.
'The biggest thing we had going for us is they've never seen an option team,' Ham said. 'When you've never seen an option team, it's a lot different from practice.
Georgia Southern improved to 12-2 while the Wolf Pack finished 13-1. Georgia Southern, the defending I-AA champion, advanced to the final Dec. 19 at Tacoma, Wash., against Arkansas State, which defeated Eastern Kentucky 24-10.
Eagles coach Erskine Russell called Ham 'a real clutch player' and called his team's offensive performances its best of the season.
Wolf Pack Coach Chris Ault said Ham 'kept our defense off balance - he's truly an All-America.'
The Eagles rushed for 440 yards. Ham carried26 times for 163 yards and completed 8 of 16 passes for 147 yards. Running back Gerald Harris also ran for 163 yards and running back Ricky Harris rushed for 107.
Quarterback Eric Beavers threw for four TDs for the Wolf Pack, which lost for the first time in 20 games at home. Nevada-Reno has not advanced past the semifinals in five playoffs since 1978.
A crowd of 15,100 watched the Eagles jump out to a 17-0 lead in the first half.
The Wolf Pack pulled to within 34-24 with 58 seconds left in the third quarter on a 6-yard pass from Beavers to Calvin Sailes, his second TD catch of the game.
Nevada started another drive, but Danny Durham intercepted a Beavers pass and ran the ball back 30 yards to the Nevada 26. Seven plays later Gerald Harris ran over from the 1 to put the Eagles up 41-24.
The Wolf Pack then launched an 87-yard drive, capped by 27-yard TD pass from Beavers to Lucius Floyd with 7:20 left in the game.
The Eagles put the game out of reach with an 85-yard drive that featured a 51-yard run by Ham. Gerald Harris scored his second TD on a 1-yard run.
In the first half, Ham ran for 109 yards and passed for 79 to spark the Eagles to a 24-10 lead. The Eagle defense, porous in recent weeks, limited Nevada to 31 yards rushing in the first half.
The Eagles scoring first on a 24-yard field goal by Tim Foley. Georgia Southern then marched 53 yards in eight plays with Ham running up the middle for a 10-yard TD to give the visitors a 10-0 lead.
Ham then passed 23 yards to Delano Little, who caught his first TD pass of the season to put the Eagles ahead 17-0.
Nevada's first TD came on a 70-yard, nine-play march sparked by a 32-yard pass from Beavers to Bryan Calder to put the ball on the 9. Beavers then hit Sailes for a 7-yard TD to bring the Wolf Pack to within 17-7.
Two 15-yard penalties and a 17-yard run set up the third Eagle TD - a 22-yard pass from Ham to Tony Belser.
Nevada closed to 24-10 on a 44-yard FG on the last play of the first half by Marty Zendejas.
