Moscow, Idaho-----Quarterback Myles Eden and wide receiver David Richmond connected on two long touchdown plays and placekicker Jared Strubeck set one school record and tied another with three field goals, leading San Jose State University to a 30-24 victory over the University of Idaho in a Western Athletic Conference game.
The Spartans (6-3, 4-1 WAC) picked up their third win on the road in conference play this season and became bowl eligible for the second time in the last three seasons.
Eden, the Spartans’ starting quarterback in the season-opening game against UC Davis, replaced Kyle Reed who was bothered by a bruised tail bone. Reed had been the starter for seven games before Eden, who was 23-for-31 for a career-high 295 yards and his first two touchdown passes of the season, stepped in against Idaho (2-8, 1-5 WAC).
Richmond had his biggest game in 2008 with eight receptions for 138 yards and two scores.
Strubeck made field goals of 30, 37 and 41 yards to tie a single-game school record for most field goals in a game. He also established the Spartans’ career field goal mark with 41, eclipsing the old mark of 39 set by Joe Nedney during the 1991 through 1994 seasons.
The Spartans piled up 401 yards of total offense, the first time in three games they had more than 300 yards and needed all of it in the win.
Both teams scored on their first possession of the game, each driving 80 yards. Lee Smith caught a 19-yard pass over Christopher Owens in the front right corner of the end zone for Idaho to open the scoring. Yonus Davis answered for San Jose State with a 1-yard run on 4th down. Smith’s touchdown catch was reviewed when it appeared he lost possession of the ball as he fell out of bounds, but the call on the field was upheld.
A pair of 30-yard field goals by the Spartans’ Jared Strubeck and the Vandals’ Tino Amancio left the score tied at 10-10 with 4:33 to go before halftime.
San Jose State closed out the first half with 10 points in 2:31. Myles Eden connected on his first touchdown pass of the season hitting wide receiver David Richmond on a 63-yard play. Richmond split two Idaho defenders in the middle of the field, caught the ball at the Vandal 20-yard line and raced into the end zone for a 17-10 Spartan lead.
Then a bizarre sequence occurred in the final 8 seconds of the second quarter. Vandal quarterback Nathan Enderle completed a 17-yard pass to Max Komar in bounds to the Idaho 37. After spotting the ball, the clock stayed at 0:08. Idaho’s offense stood over the ball, then was called for a false start. When the Vandals finally executed a snap, center Adam Korby's snap was short of Enderle who was in the shotgun formation. Reserve defensive end Vincent Abbott picked up the ball at the Vandal 20 and ran the ball into the end zone, but was ruled down with 0:00.4 on the clock. Strubeck came on the field and converted from 37 yards for this second field goal of the game.
San Jose State scored the first two times it had the ball after intermission. Strubeck connected on his longest field goal of the game, a 41-yarder. Then, Eden and Richmond hooked up again from 35-yards out putting the Spartans ahead, 30-10 with 3:11 to go in the third quarter.
Idaho closed out the scoring with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns on a 14-yard run by Princeton McCarty and a 3-yard pass from Enderle to H-back Eddie Williams with 2:39 in the game.
San Jose State tight end Jeff Clark recovered Idaho’s ensuing onside kick try and a first-down run by reserve running back Chris Reese allowed the Spartans to run out the clock for the win.
San Jose State returns to action Saturday, November 8, hosting Louisiana Tech in a 5:00 p.m. game at Spartan Stadium.
Football Posts 30-24 Win At Idaho; Now 6-3
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