Logan, Utah-----San Jose State and Utah State are accustomed to playing close games. The last five games have been decided by seven points or less, including Saturday night’s 23-20 win by the Spartans in the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
Adam Tafralis threw for a career-best 426 yards and three touchdowns and led an 83-yard, six-play scoring drive in the final two minutes for San Jose State’s first win of the season.
Tafralis, 35-of-48 for the game, was 4-of-6 on the deciding drive. Twice, he found Kyle Flynn over the middle for first downs. Jalal Beauchman raced out of bounds on a 24-yard play in between Flynn's receptions. Then Tafralis and Richmond connected on a 31-yard corner route, with Richmond eluding a Utah State defender and sprinting into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game with 53 seconds left in regulation play.
The Spartans still gave Utah State a last chance due to a 15-yard penalty for celebrating Richmond’s go-ahead touchdown. San Jose State had problems the entire game with the kickoff return tandem of Kevin Robinson and Aaron Lesue, and were faced with the possibility of the Aggies (0-4, 0-1 WAC) starting their final fourth-quarter drive with great field position. Jared Strubeck’s kickoff from the 15-yard line into the wind only reached midfield and landed untouched until Jacob French recovered the ball.
Tafralis then ran out the clock with three rushing plays.
San Jose State (1-3, 1-0 WAC) led 16-13 going into the fourth quarter with its best three quarters of play this season on offense and defense. The Spartans gained a season-high 524 yards and had a semblance of a ground game with 98 yards on 32 carries. Two interceptions and three key third-down stops in the first half kept Utah State’s offense out of the end zone.
A 2-yard reception by James Callier, Jr., and a 31-yard field goal by Jared Strubeck gave San Jose State a 9-0 lead with 13:37 left in the second quarter.
Utah State’s Robinson, who has thrived in games against the Spartans, followed Strubeck’s field goal with an 82-yard touchdown return as San Jose State tried to change its kickoff coverage with a pop-up kickoff. Robinson accounted for 223 return yards and averaged nearly 24 yards every time he touched the ball.
San Jose State retaliated later in the second quarter, taking advantage of a pair of Utah State pass interference penalties. The Spartans strung together the first of two 83-yard drives capped by a Tafralis to Richmond touchdown pass. A 24-yard play along the Utah State sideline was a prelude to the game-winner by Richmond, who finished with 10 receptions for 180 yards - the most yards gained by a San Jose State receiver in a game since Edell Shepherd gained 264 yards on eight receptions at Fresno State in 2001.
The big plays on defense included interceptions by Matt Castelo and Jonathan Harris deep in San Jose State territory. Harris added a tackle for loss on a third-and-goal play from the 1-yard line that led to the first of two Peter Caldwell field goals over the final three minutes of the second quarter. Caldwell converted kicks of 22 and 37 yards for the Aggies.
Utah State took its only lead of the game with 6:12 remaining as Derrvin Speight rushed one yard to cap an 18-play, 92-yard drive. The Aggies ran the ball on 17 of those plays, including 10 times by Speight, Utah State's number-three tailback and most effective rusher in the game with 99 yards on 22 carries.
San Jose State returns to action Saturday, September 29, in its home opener against UC Davis. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. Comcast Sports Net will televise the game live.