San Jose, Calif. - San Jose State University was unable to get its offense going all night, suffering a 21-0 defeat to Louisiana Tech University in Western Athletic Conference football action at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, November 8.
With its second straight loss at home after 15 wins over its previous 17 games there, San Jose State falls to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the WAC. Louisiana Tech improves to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in league play, winning its second straight.
Sophomore Phillip Livas returned the opening kick 96 yards for a touchdown, only for it to be called back due to a holding penalty, with the Bulldogs starting at their own 19-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Livas was upended by a hard hit by sophomore safety Devin Newsome at the end of a nine-yard run up the middle. Following a 21-yard gainer on the ground by Daniel Porter toward the left on the next snap, the Louisiana Tech drive stalled.
On its second possession, Louisiana Tech converted on a third-and-one play, with Patrick Jackson running for 10 yards across midfield. Three plays later, a screen pass to a wide-open Porter on the left flank netted 27 yards to the SJSU 25 on third and 13. Senior defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert then stopped Livas for a five-yard loss. Two plays later on third and 12, Livas bobbled and ultimately dropped a pass attempt by sophomore quarterback Ross Jenkins. That set up a 45-yard field goal attempt that Brad Oestriecher pushed wide to the right.
After each team went three-and-out on its next sequence, junior quarterback Myles Eden found redshirt freshman wide receiver Michael Avila on the right side for a six-yard gain and a new set of downs on third and two. The Spartans would only net one more yard, however, on their next three plays. The end of the first quarter featured an 80-yard punt return by Livas, again for a touchdown, but that effort was also flagged, and the score negated, for an illegal block.
On back-to-back plays on that same drive early in the second period, Adonis Davis tackled Porter for a two-yard loss and Gilbert got to Jenkins for a six-yard sack, which ultimately forced another Tech punt, with the game still scoreless at the 11:47 mark.
Eden, making his third start of the season and second straight, was intercepted by Weldon Brown on the first play of the ensuing San Jose State drive, with the Bulldogs taking over at the SJSU 21. It took one play for the visitors to be the first ones on the scoreboard, as Jackson rushed up the middle, carrying a veritable pile into the end zone. Oestriecher’s kick made it 7-0.
Eden was picked off again on the next Spartan possession, this time by Terry Carter, and this time for a touchdown, as the cornerback raced 50 yards down the left sideline. With the point after, the Bulldogs suddenly had a 14-0 advantage within 80 seconds at the 10:04 mark.
That play brought Kyle Reed, a junior who had missed the previous week’s victory at Idaho through injury after starting seven straight, into the contest at quarterback for San Jose State. The move didn’t have the immediate desired effect, as Reed’s initial drive did not garner a first down. San Jose State produced just two first downs in the first half, with 52 yards of total offense, to 157 yards and seven first downs by the Bulldogs.
Louisiana Tech did waste an opportunity to add to its lead late, with Oestriecher’s 42-yard field goal attempt hitting the right upright and falling away with seven ticks showing. Gilbert provided his second sack of the half earlier in the sequence.
With just 11 yards of passing offense in the entire first half, the Spartans eclipsed that on the third play of the second, as Reed hit senior tight end Jeff Clark down the middle for a 12-yard gain on third and eight. Philip Zavala would punt for the seventh time on the night soon after.
The Spartans finally found a ray of hope on the first play of its first drive in the fourth quarter, as Reed connected in stride with senior wideout David Richmond down the right sideline for 62 yards, putting the Spartans first-and-goal at the Tech 7. On third and goal from the 16, Reed again had Richmond open, but the ball went off his hands and out of the back of the end zone. San Jose State went for it on fourth, but could not convert and turned the ball over on downs.
Gaining possession at its own 16, Louisiana Tech got a 41-yard run down the right sideline by Porter across midfield to the SJSU 43. Going for it a short time later on fourth and two, Jenkins threw to an open Dustin Mitchell down the middle for a 35-yard touchdown. With Oestriecher’s kick, the score was 21-0 in favor of Louisiana Tech, as a sudden thunderstorm sent fans scurrying for cover.
There was no further scoring in the game, as senior Sean Flynn finished the game at quarterback for San Jose State.
San Jose State plays one last road game for the 2008 regular season next week, traveling to Reno, Nev., to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack (5-4, 3-2 WAC) on Saturday, November 15. Kick-off at Mackay Stadium is set for 1:05 p.m.