Ruston, La.-----Throughout the week, Dick Tomey pointed out the similarities between San Jose State and Louisiana Tech.
Each team had one half of very good football at Joe Aillet Stadium. The Bulldogs were superior in the first half and the Spartans were better in the second, but Louisiana Tech survived a San Jose State second-half comeback for a 27-23 win.
There were several spectacular individual performance for the Spartans (4-7, 3-4 WAC). Linebacker Matt Castelo seemingly was in on every play with a single-game career best 21 tackles including 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 quarterback sacks.
Quarterback Adam Tafralis and wide receiver Kevin Jurovich were a dynamic duo for the second week in a row. Tafralis broke the school record for career passing yardage completing 28-of-47 for 369 yards and one touchdown and rushed for the Spartans’ other touchdown on a 4-yard third-quarter dash to the end zone. Jurovich caught 11 passes for 156 yards.
San Jose State (4-7, 3-4 WAC) started the game trading field goals to Louisiana Tech’s touchdowns in the first quarter. Jared Strubeck, who made three field goals for the second straight Saturday, converted tries of 28 and 20 yards on San Jose State’s first two possessions. In between, the Bulldogs turned three plays of 40 yards or more into 21 first-quarter points. A 46-yard run by running back William Griffin preceded quarterback Zac Champion completing a 3-yard pass to Shane Womack for his first of three touchdown passes.
After Strubeck’s second field goal, Champion found a streaking Philip Livas wide open in the middle of the field on a 3-and-20 from the San Jose State 49-yard line for Louisiana Tech’s second touchdown. Then, a 52-yard punt return by Philip Beck led to the Buldogs’ final six-pointer of the game when Champion found Beck in the back of the end zone on a 3-and-goal from the 6-yard line. The Louisiana Tech quarterback finished 22-of-36 with one interception for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
Danny Hornwedel’s 20-yard field goal was the only scoring in the second quarter giving Louisiana Tech a 24-6 halftime advantage.
San Jose State came out in the second half with the same offensive firepower Louisiana Tech (5-6, 4-3 WAC) had in the first quarter. The Spartans scored touchdowns on their first two possessions. James T. Callier had a pair of 23 yard receptions, one to right sideline and the second down the middle of a wide open field to trim the deficit to 24-13.
After forcing a Louisiana Tech punt, the Spartans marched 69 yards on 11 plays capped by a 4-yard roll out by Tafralis. Two third-down receptions by Jurovich, a 39-yarder on a 3-and-17 and an 18-yard catch near the San Jose State sideline on a 3-and-9 kept the drive alive.
Strubeck's third field goal, a 22-yarder, left San Jose State trailing, 24-23, but it was the third time in the game the Spartans got to the Louisiana Tech 10-yard line without a touchdown.
The Bulldogs slowed down the Spartans with Hornwedel’s second field goal of the game, a 41-yard kick, following an exchange of turnovers by each team. Defensive tackle Jerome Pulu caught a Jarron Gilbert deflection of a Champion pass. One play later, Tafralis lost the ball on a sack by Mark Dillard at the Bulldogs’ 46-yard line.
San Jose State’s chance to win the game came about after stopping Louisiana Tech at midfield and getting the ball at its own 20-yard line on a punt that went into the end zone. Tafralis connected once with David Richmond and Jurovich, each for first downs. Two pass interference penalties moved the ball to the Louisiana Tech 22-yard line. After the Spartans’ quarterback ran for six yards on third down, he looked to connect with running back Jacob French in the end zone on fourth down, but the pass went incomplete.
The Spartans close out the 2007 season hosting Nevada, Saturday, November 24, in a 1:00 p.m. game in Spartan Stadium.