DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 27 points and Michael Porter Jr. had 20 as the Denver Nuggets used a third-quarter offensive surge to beat the Utah Jazz 129-103 on Saturday night for their first home win of the season.

Julian Strawther added 19 points and Christian Braun 17 for the Nuggets, who sent the winless Jazz to their sixth consecutive loss to start the season. Jokic also had 16 rebounds and nine assists.

Utah was led by Walker Kessler with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Johnny Juzang with 17 points.

Both teams were dealing with injuries. Russell Westbrook started in place of Nuggets star Jamal Murray, who remained in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in a collision with Julius Randle at Minnesota on Friday.

Utah has been leaning on rookies Cody Williams and Kyle Filipowski, who were in the starting lineup, in the absence of Lauri Markkanen (back spasms) and Taylor Hendricks (broken leg).

Utah committed 24 turnovers that the Nuggets turned into 39 points.

Takeaways

Jazz: Utah kept it fairly close in the first half but wore down in the third quarter, when it fell behind by 24 points.

Nuggets: Denver began its home campaign with losses to the Thunder and the Clippers before defeating Utah. The victory was in keeping with their home record against sub-.500 teams at home last season, when they were 15-0.

Key moment

Utah fought back from a 17-point first-quarter deficit to tie the game at 42-all midway through the second quarter. But Denver responded with a 14-0 run that featured 3-pointers by Braun and Porter, helping the Nuggets go on top 65-56 at halftime.

Key stat

Jokic scored 18 of his 27 points in the third quarter, helping the Nuggets outscore the Jazz 34-19.

Up next

The Jazz continue their four-game road trip Monday night in Chicago while the Nuggets host the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

Josi and Stamkos lead Predators to 5-2 win over Avalanche

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Roman Josi and Steven Stamkos and Gustav Nyquist each had a goal and added an assist, and the Nashville Predators beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Saturday night.

Colton Sissons and Filip Forsberg also a scored, and Juuse Saros made 28 saves as Nashville snapped a two-game skid.

Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon each had a goal and an assist, and Justus Annunen made 20 saves for Colorado, which has lost three straight.

Makar started the scoring as he connected on a 4-on-3 power play at 2:54 of the second. Nashville has trailed in three of their four wins this season.

Josi’s goal was his first of the season. His 23 goals in 2023-24 led all NHL defensemen.

Takeaways

Avalanche: Colorado came in with the NHL’s 25th ranked penalty-kill with a 73.3% success rate. Nashville connected on both of their opportunities with the man-advantage, dropping Colorado’s PK below 70%.

Predators: Sissons’ goal was his first point of the season in 11 games played. The Predators desperately need to find some reliable secondary goal scorers as they aim to climb out of the Central Division and Western Conference basement.

Key moment

Sissons’ goal with 1:20 remaining in the middle period sent the Predators into the second intermission with a lead for just the second time this season.

Key stat

MacKinnon assisted on Makar’s goal in the second period. Both players have at least one point in each of Colorado’s 12 games this season. The duo has the second-longest streak for a forward-defenseman pair to start a season in NHL history, only trailing Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr of the 1973-74 Boston Bruins, who had points in 15-straight to start that season.

Up Next

Avalanche host Seattle on Tuesday, while Predators host Los Angeles on Monday.

Morrow runs for 2 TDs, Noyes kicks 60-yard FG as Colorado State beats Nevada 38-21

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Avery Morrow ran for two touchdowns, Justin Marshall also had a rushing TD and the Colorado State special teams starred Saturday night as the Rams beat Nevada 38-21.

Colorado State (6-3, 4-0 Mountain West Conference) has won four games in a row and five of its last six.

Morrow ran for a 7-yard touchdown with 10:40 left in the first quarter and, after a Nevada punt, Marshall capped a seven-play, 80-yard drive with an 8-yard TD run to give the Rams a 14-0 lead with 2:20 remaining in the first quarter.

Jordan Noyes kicked a career-long 60-yard field goal (tied for second longest in school history) to make it 17-0 at halftime. On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Ayden Hector forced a fumble that was recovered by Gabe Kirschke to eventually set up a 21-yard field goal by Noyes with 11:30 to go in the third.

On the ensuing kickoff, a miscommunication led to Nevada failing to field the ball. Sophomore wide receiver Caleb Goodie raced down field and, inside the 1, met returner Sean Dollars at the ball and knocked it into the end zone where Jace Bellah covered it. Jamari Person caught a pass for the 2-point conversion to make it 28-0 with 11:17 remaining in the third quarter.

Brendon Lewis was 20-of-28 passing for 252 yards and a touchdown and added a game-high 109 yards rushing on 14 carries, including two 3-yard TDs, for the Wolf Pack. Cortez Braham Jr. had 141 yards receiving on nine catches.

Noyes made a 35-yarder to cap the scoring with 1:11 to play.

Nevada (3-7, 0-4) has lost three games is a row and four of its last five.

Hastings, Larison combine for 6 TDs, lead UC Davis in 59-7 rout over Northern Colorado

DAVIS, Calif. (AP) — Miles Hastings threw three touchdown passes, Lan Larison added 143 yards rushing and three scores and UC Davis routed Northern Colorado 59-7 on Saturday for its eighth straight win.

UC Davis (8-1, 5-0), ranked fourth in the FCS coaches poll, kept pace with No. 2 Montana State (9-0, 5-0) atop the Big Sky Conference standings. The Aggies play at Montana next Saturday before hosting the Bobcats on Nov. 16.

Hastings was 20-of-26 passing for 285 yards and hit three receivers for scores. Larison ran for a 49-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter and scored on a 3-yard run halfway through the second. Larison's 8-yard touchdown run stretched the Aggies' lead to 31-0 early in the third quarter.

Caden Meis scored on a 2-yard run with 7:41 left for Northern Colorado (1-8, 1-4).

UC Davis had 29 first downs and finished with 622 yards of offense.

The Aggies have won four straight against the Bears and lead the series 10-4.

Kanye Udoh scores two touchdowns and leads No. 21 Army over Air Force 20-3

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Kanye Udoh rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns Saturday to help No. 21 Army to a 20-3 victory over Air Force and the Black Knights’ nation-leading 12th straight victory.

Playing without starting quarterback Bryson Daily, who missed the game for unexplained reasons, Udoh fulfilled a promise to his captain.

The sophomore running back told Daily, who missed the last Air Force game, that the team was going to play for him and keep Army’s undefeated season alive.

Udoh backed it up, setting career highs in rushing yards (158) and carries (22) while recording his third multiple touchdown game this season.

“I felt like I had a responsibility to fill the shoes of Bryson and go out there and play my best game,” said Udoh, who accounted for 76% of Army’s 207 rushing yards.

Udoh ran seven times for 48 yards on Army’s opening drive of the second half. The sophomore finished the possession off with a 12-yard touchdown run, his eighth of the season.

Army (8-0), the defending Commander in Chief’s champions, defeated Air Force for the fourth time in the last five meetings. The victory sets up a winner-take-all for the CIC trophy with Navy on Dec. 14 at Northwest Stadium.

Army’s defense limited Air Force to only three red-zone plays on the day and picked off three Falcons’ passes in the fourth quarter.

Senior safety Max DiDomenico’s interception sealed the victory for Army with 1:51 left. DiDomenico returned the interception 69 yards to Air Force’s 25. Udoh scored his second touchdown on the next play.

Daily missed practice this week with either injury or illness, per a statement from the academy. Junior Dewayne Coleman made his first start for the Black Knights in Daily’s place. Coleman finished with 42 rushing yards, completed 5 of 8 passes for 48 yards and didn’t turn the ball over.

Army struggled in the first half, settling for Trey Gronotte’s 30-yard field goal on its first drive. It was the first time the Black Knights did not score a touchdown on its opening possession. Gronotte added a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter.

The loss was the seventh straight for Air Force (1-7) after a season-opening win over Merrimack.

“It (stinks),” Air Force wide receiver Cade Harris said. “Obviously, you want to beat these guys real bad. We missed some opportunities to make sure plays.

Up in the air

Army safety Casey Larkin intercepted his third pass of the season on the Black Knights’ 7 to end an Air Force threat with 13:24 left in the game. Jaydan Mayes picked off his third pass of season with 36 seconds remaining.

Air Force quarterback Quentin Harris was sacked six times and threw an interception.

Takeaways

Air Force: The defense kept the Falcons close in the first half. The Falcons stumbled on offense with only one red-zone drive that ended with Matthew Dapore’s 32-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining in the first half.

Army: The Black Knights found a way without Daily at quarterback. The Black Knights’ defense stepped up with important stops and Larkin’s interception. Army has allowed only 40 points in the last five meetings against Air Force.

Poll implications

Army could move up in the AP Top 25 poll after another dominant home win.

Up next

Air Force: Hosts Fresno State on Saturday.

Army: Travels to North Texas on Saturday.

Anderson, Waylee help Wyoming outscore New Mexico 49-45

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Kaden Anderson made his first career start at quarterback, running back Harrison Waylee saw his first action of the season and the pair combined to lead Wyoming to a 49-45 win over New Mexico on Saturday.

Anderson hit Justin Stevenson with a 27-yard touchdown pass with under five minutes left one play after Stevenson was called for offensive pass interference after making a catch in the end zone.

Tyce Westland recovered a fumble at the New Mexico 48-yard line off his own strip-sack of Devon Dampier with 2:48 to go and the Cowboys (2-7, 2-3 Mountain West Conference) ran out the clock.

Anderson finished 20-of-29 passing for 342 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Waylee, who gained nearly 1,000 yards last season, returned from injury and gained 170 yards with a touchdown on 27 carries. Jaylen Sargent had 186 yards receiving with a TD.

Dampier rushed for 207 yards and Eli Sanders 205, the first time in Lobos (3-6, 2-3) history that two rushers went for 200 yards in the same game. Dampier scored three TDs on the ground and threw for another but had a pick-6 that Wrook Brown returned 29 yards to cut the Lobos' lead to 45-42 early in the fourth quarter.

Dampier had an 85-yard touchdown run two plays after Anderson was intercepted off a flea flicker by Noah Avinger for the Lobos' last points.

The game was tied at 35-all at halftime.

The teams combined for 1,180 yards offense, 604 from the Cowboys.

Place-kicker John Hoyland set a Wyoming career points record at 345.