San Jose, Calif. - Chandler Jones scored three touchdowns against the University of Hawai'i Warriors, but none bigger a 37-yarder with 36 seconds to give the San Jose State Spartans a 28-27 lead and win on Friday night in Spartan Stadium.
Trailing 27-20 after a Joey Iosefa 32-yard touchdown with 11:46 to play, Travis Johnson blocked the extra point attempt. Duke Ihenacho picked up the loose ball and returned it for a defensive extra point to close the Hawai'i lead 27-22. It was the second blocked kick of the night for Johnson.
With 1:24 to play the Spartans got the ball back and marched 50 yards in six plays to the Hawai'i 37-yard line. Faulkner, who was 27-for-41 for 366 yards, hooked up with Jones for the go ahead score. A two-point conversion attempt failed. The Warriors moved the ball 24 yards to their 39, but a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game was batted down to secure the win.
San Jose State outgained Hawai'i 469-to-445 on the night. Noel Grigsby caught 12 passes for a game-high 126 yards. It was the second game in a row he has caught 10 balls. Brandon Rutley returned to the lineup after missing the Brigham Young game on OOctober 8. He ran for 70 yards on 25 carries and caught a season-high four passes for another 70 yards.
SPARTANS CONTROL FIRST HALF
The Warriors scored on a Bryant Moniz to Royce Pollard 16-yard touchdown pass with 2:53 to go in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead, but San Jose State came back in the second quarter to score 20 unanswered points.
Jones scored on a 20-yard run and a 23-yard fumble recovery sandwiched around two Jens Alvernik field goals to give San Jose State a 20-7 lead at half.
After a punt and interception to open the second half, Hawai'i scored touchdowns on three successive possessions to take a 27-20 lead in the fourth quarter.
The two teams combined for 12 turnovers, a high for a Football Bowl Subdivision game this year. Each quarterback threw three interceptions and each team fumbled the ball three times. In the first half Moniz threw two picks and Hawai'i lost the ball three times on fumbles. In the second half the Spartans returned the favor with six turnovers on their first seven possessions.
San Jose State has a bye next week before heading to Ruston, La., to take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday October 29.