San Jose, Calif. - San Jose State University suffered a 17-10 overtime defeat to the University of Hawai'i in a Western Athletic Conference football game at Spartan Stadium on Saturday night, November 21.
With the loss, the Spartans drop to 1-9 overall and 0-6 in the WAC. Hawai'i improves to 5-6 overall and 3-5 in conference play with a third successive victory. The game marked the second straight meeting to go to overtime between the teams in San Jose, with the previous result the same, a seven-point Warrior triumph, back on October 12, 2007.
Hawai'i took the first possession of the opening overtime session, and got a five-yard touchdown run by Leon Wright-Jackson. Kyle Reed, the Spartan senior who took over at quarterback in the first quarter, had his throw on fourth and 9 to the left sideline defended well by the opposing corner to secure the UH victory.
On a third-and-10 play from the SJSU 48 on the game's first possession, senior defensive end Justin Cole reached sophomore Warrior quarterback Shane Austin on his blind side for the sack while simultaneously jarring the ball loose for freshman teammate Travis Johnson to run after and recover at the UH 32. The ensuing first Spartan possession ultimately ended with an interception thrown by Jordan La Secla to UH cornerback Lametrius Davis at the UH 16.
Hawai'i moved the football to the SJSU 18 and opted to go for it on fourth and five, but sophomore cornerback Peyton Thompson was in perfect position to swat away an Austin throw into the right corner of the end zone intended for Jovonte Taylor, as San Jose State took over.
A second Davis pick-off of a La Secla pass led to the game's first score, a three-yard touchdown on a keeper around right end by Austin. The kick by Scott Enos made it 7-0 with 2:46 left.
Reed entered the fray on the third offensive possession, but the Spartans went three and out. The Spartan defense eventually forced another fourth-down play for the Warriors the next time down the field, this time with 16 yards to go from the SJSU 27, and Austin again failed to hook up with Taylor as Johnson hurried him. The drive stalled in large part due to a play two snaps prior as the ball was fumbled and recovered by Austin, who was then tackled by junior linebacker Pompey Festejo for a big 11-yard loss.
Two plays after a third interception for the half, Reed's first, to safety Mana Silva, the Warriors faced third and 1 from the SJSU 44. Senior tackle Kalvin Cressel stopped Wright-Jackson for a one-yard loss, however, and UH was forced to punt for a touchback.
That triggered San Jose State's first scoring drive of the night, an eight-play 80-yard sequence that took 3:04 off the clock. Reed capped it by faking the handoff and plunging up the middle for a two-yard touchdown on third and 1 with just 15 ticks remaining in the second period, reversing a recent trend that had seen the Spartans allow points late in the first half in multiple contests. Reed's 17-yard run opened the drive, which continued with a 14-yard toss to senior tight end Terrance Williams across midfield to the UH 49. San Jose State went back to the ground attack for gains of six, 18, 14, eight and one by Patrick Perry, Lamon Muldrow, Perry, Reed and Muldrow, respectively, ahead of the scoring play.
The teams came out of the locker room and traded possessions for much of the third quarter. On third and 10 late in the period, Austin rolled right and threw across the grain to Taylor for a new set of downs. Moments later, he found Taylor open again down the right sideline for 20 more yards, to the SJSU 29, as sophomore safety Tanner Burns pushed Taylor out of bounds. Greg Salas made a tough catch down the middle in traffic on the next play for another 12 yards, as the game headed into the final quarter.
Each team managed a field goal in the fourth, with the Warriors' Enos even missing one from close range late, as the game headed into overtime.
San Jose State concludes the home portion of its 2009 schedule next Saturday, November 28, hosting New Mexico State. Kick-off inside Spartan Stadium is slated for approximately 5:00 p.m. The game will mark the final home appearances on Senior Night of 26 Spartan seniors, as well as head coach Dick Tomey, who announced his retirement last Monday, November 16.