San Jose, Calif. - The San Jose State University football team scored 21 unanswered points to defeat Utah State University, 21-14, on Saturday, October 14, in improving to 4-1 on the year with its fourth victory in a row.
A three-yard touchdown run by Patrick Perry with 3:56 left in the game broke the 14-14 deadlock, leaving it up to the Spartan defense the rest of the way.
San Jose State moves to 1-0 in the WAC and is 4-1 overall for the first time since the 1987 season, SJSU has now won four straight games for the first time since 1991, and six straight at home dating back to the 2005 season.
The teams were each forced to punt on their opening possessions of the game, with the second Utah State (1-6, 1-2 WAC) drive also stalling. The Aggie punt was fumbled, however, by SJSU’s James Jones, and recovered by Terrance Washington at the Spartan 10. After getting stopped on a third-and-goal play from the 1, with Demetrius Jones and Jarron Gilbert in on the tackle, Utah State went for it on fourth and inches. Quarterback Riley Nelson faked the handoff up the middle and threw short to the left side of the end zone for an open Lynwood Johnson and the afternoon’s first score. Bryan Shields’ point after gave the visitors a 7-0 lead with 3:47 left in the period.
Utah State extended its advantage to 14-0 at the 8:55 mark of the second quarter, when Nelson found wideout Kevin Robinson for a 14-yard touchdown down the center of the field, with Shields tacking on the extra point. The Aggies again converted a fourth-down opportunity on the 14-play, 80-yard drive that took up 6:38 and featured 10 running plays, as Nelson went nine yards on a keeper on fourth and four from the SJSU 28. Robinson had scored all three Utah State touchdowns in a 24-17 victory over the Spartans in Logan, Utah, in last year’s meeting.
DAVIS MAKES FIRST TOUCHDOWN CATCH AS A SPARTAN
San Jose State got on the board with its next possession, a five-play, 67-yard drive ending with Adam Tafralis finding Yonus Davis for a 33-yard touchdown down the left sideline. Davis came back a step to catch the throw, sidestepped his defender to the inside and crossed the goal-line for his first career touchdown reception.
The Spartans got the ball right back as the Aggies went three-and-out after Christopher Owens sacked Nelson for an eight-yard loss on third and four. San Jose State looked poised to tie the contest with its ensuing possession, Tafralis producing runs of 15 yards on third and eight and 11 yards on third and 10 to put his team at the Utah State 35. With 1:18 to go, however, Tafralis’ pass attempt was picked off by the Aggies’ Devon Hall, sending the teams into their locker rooms at halftime with the score at 14-7.
TAFRALIS TO JONES FOR 14-14 IN THIRD
San Jose State knotted the game in spectacular fashion late in the third quarter. Following the fair catch of a Utah State punt at the 50-yard line by James Jones, Tafralis found Jones down the middle of the field on the very first play of the drive for a 50-yard touchdown. Jones tapped the ball up with one hand and made a tough grab before running into the end zone. Strubeck tied it at 14-14 with 2:01 left in the third.
The teams traded turnovers in a wild fourth quarter leading up to the winning score. On the first Spartan drive of the fourth quarter, Utah State’s Caleb Taylor forced Perry to fumble deep inside Aggie territory. Hall registered his second individual takeaway of the afternoon with the recovery at the Utah State 6. SJSU had moved the ball down the field via catches of 18 and 12 yards by Jones, and a 17-yard Perry run to set up first and goal.
Utah State gave the ball right back in two plays. Riley Nelson completed a pass to Otis Nelson, who was hit by Damaja Jones after a gain of 15 yards down the left sideline, with Dwight Lowery there to collect his second fumble recovery and ninth takeaway of the season at the Aggie 34.
McCUTCHEON COMES UP BIG IN FIRST ACTION OF 2006
Once again, the ball was turned over, as Tafralis’ throw was intercepted by Taylor at the USU 1 and returned to the 11-yard line. Utah State drove to the SJSU 40, but had to punt after Freddy McCutcheon, a senior defensive tackle appearing in his first game of the 2006 season, stuffed Marcus Cross on a third-and-one play for a two-yard loss.
That set up the 11-play, 81-yard drive that took 3:09 off the clock and resulted in Perry’s game-winner. John Broussard had back-to-back catches of 10 and 24 yards just ahead of the touchdown.
Still with 3:56 remaining in the game, Utah State began its final drive at its own 24. Nelson found Robinson for a 23-yard gain to the SJSU 30. Four plays later, on fourth and three, Nelson completed a throwback pass to Rob Myers on the right side, only for Myers to get met for a three-yard loss by McCutcheon and Owens, sealing the Spartan victory with 1:16 remaining.
For the game, Tafralis was 15-of-28 passing for 252 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 33 yards on four carries. James Jones finished with eight catches for 134 yards and the touchdown, while Broussard had four grabs for 64 yards. Davis led the ground game with 65 yards on 12 carries. Perry added 43 yards rushing the football.
DEFENSE PUTS TOGETHER FOURTH SCORELESS HALF OF SEASON
San Jose State committed just a fourth-quarter penalty on the afternoon. Defensively, Matt Castelo turned in the top single-game performance in the conference so far this season with 20 combined tackles. Damaja Jones and Lowery had 13 and 11, respectively.
The second half was the fourth shutout half of football that the San Jose State defense has produced in 2006, and the second straight second half after the Spartans held San Diego State without a point following the halftime break on September 30. The only second-half points that SJSU has relinquished over the past four games, all at home, was a touchdown and extra point scored by Cal Poly on September 23 with 38 seconds left in the contest.
Having concluded a stretch of four straight home games over six weeks, San Jose State hits the road next weekend for the first time since its September 2 season opener at Washington. The Spartans travel to Nevada for an October 21 game that will be televised regionally on ABC-TV beginning at 4:00 p.m. PST.