San Jose, Calif. - Two long touchdown catches by John Broussard and another stellar day by its Dwight Lowery-led defense sent the San Jose State University football team to a 31-10 victory over San Diego State University at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, September 30. The announced paid attendance for the contest was 14,361.
San Jose State’s third win in a row and fifth straight at home dating back to 2005, moves its record to 3-1 for the first time since the 1987 season. Visiting San Diego State remains winless in 2006 at 0-4. The defeat snapped SDSU’s seven-game win streak over SJSU.
Broussard produced the second two-touchdown game of his career, making five catches for a career-high 167 yards. Lowery, meanwhile, intercepted a pass for the fourth game in a row, picking off a pair of Aztec passes to give him seven on the season, a total which leads the nation. He also added a fumble recovery. Lowery has accounted for all seven Spartan interceptions on the season. As a whole, the Spartan defense allowed 10 points or less for the second week in a row since shutting out Stanford during the second half of a 35-34 victory back on September 9.
TURNOVERS TRADED IN FIRST QUARTER
After the Aztecs went three plays and out on their opening possession, the Spartans began their first drive of the afternoon at their own 46. San Jose State was unable to take advantage of the good field position, however, with SDSU forcing a Waylon Prather punt that went for a touchback.
On its second possession, San Diego State’s Brett Swain fumbled at the end of a 20-yard reception, with Christopher Vedder gaining credit for the force. The loose ball was eventually recovered by Lowery at the SDSU 48.
The ensuing Spartan drive ended with a fumble as well, as quarterback Adam Tafralis lost the handle, with Nick Osborn covering the ball for San Diego State. On the very next play, Darren Mougey’s long pass was perfectly trailed down the center of the field and intercepted by Lowery at the SJSU 38.
Following a 15-yard Aztec face mask penalty on a Tafralis incompletion, a 47-yard touchdown pass to Broussard from the other member of the Spartans’ starting senior wideout tandem, James Jones, gave the Spartans the lead. Jared Strubeck’s extra point made it a 7-0 game with less than six minutes to go in the first quarter.
San Jose State’s next drive began at its own 36-yard line. Nine plays and 64 yards later, Patrick Perry ran one yard for a Spartan touchdown and, with a Strubeck kick, a 14-0 SJSU advantage. Key points of the possession included a pair of 15-yard penalties against San Diego State, and a 15-yard run by Tafralis to the SDSU six.
The first half ended on a pair of San Diego State scores. Garrett Palmer’s 30-yard field goal at the end of a 15-play, 52-yard drive that took over eight and a half minutes, put the Aztecs on the board at 14-3. Having regained the ball on a Broussard fumble at the SJSU 27, San Diego State closed the gap further on a one-yard touchdown plunge by Tyler Campbell. Palmer’s point-after pulled the Aztecs to within four at 14-10 with 1:54 remaining in the first half. The score stayed intact as the teams headed into the break.
BROUSSARD CONTINUES BIG DAY IN SECOND HALF
Coming out of the locker room, Tafralis hit Yonus Davis for 21 yards and Broussard on a 36-yard pass to the SDSU 17, en route to a 32-yard field goal attempt by Strubeck that hit the right upright and was no good. The attempt snapped his string of eight consecutive made field goals, dating back to the 2005 season.
Later in the frame, the Spartans went 85 yards on four plays to add to their lead, the drive capped by a 68-yard pass, the longest of the season for SJSU, from Tafralis to Broussard for the touchdown. The score stood at 21-10 in favor of the Spartans on Strubeck’s kick.
A failed attempt at a fake punt by San Diego State gave San Jose State the ball back. On fourth down and seven, the Aztecs snapped the ball directly to the up back, but Brett Sturm was stopped one yard short of the first down marker, putting the Spartans at the Aztec 31.
It took four plays for SJSU to find the end zone from there. Davis rushed first for 15 yards, then again for five more. A one-yard loss by Jones preceded a 12-yard Tafralis-to-Chester Coleman touchdown. Strubeck’s point put the Spartans in control at 28-10 with just six ticks left in the third.
With under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Perry broke a tackle and ran around the left side for a seven-yard gain and a first down on a fourth-and-one play from the SDSU 26. Strubeck’s 32-yard field goal ended the scoring on the afternoon. The 13-play, 58-yard drive took 6:19 off the clock, San Jose State’s longest possession of the season in terms of time elapsed.
SPARTANS HOLD ONTO SECOND-HALF SHUTOUT AND DECISIVE WIN
On the first play of the Aztecs’ next drive, Lowery helped to insure a third scoreless half by the Spartan defense in as many games, with his second interception of the afternoon, this time off of Kevin Craft, who had replaced an injured Mougey in the third quarter. SJSU had held Stanford scoreless during the second half of a 35-34 win on September 9, and Cal Poly scoreless during the first half of a 17-7 triumph on September 16.
Tafralis finished 17-of-21 for 234 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Myles Eden, a redshirt freshman, relieved Tafralis late in the fourth quarter, completing his only pass attempt for one yard while rushing for a 12-yard gain.
Perry led the Spartan running attack with 60 yards on 12 carries, his third straight game with at least 60 yards on the ground. In addition to Broussard’s performance, Coleman and Jones grabbed five balls apiece for 47 and 21 yards, respectively.
Atiyyah Henderson ran for 100 yards on 24 carries. Mougey was just seven-of-nine for 69 yards and one interception. The Aztecs gained 76 yards in the air. San Diego State helped the Spartans by committing 11 penalties for a total of 103 yards.
Following a second and final bye for the season next week, San Jose State will conclude a stretch of four straight home games over six weeks, on Saturday, October 14, hosting Utah State University in its 2006 Western Athletic Conference opener. Kick-off at Spartan Stadium is set for 3:00 p.m.