Sept. 3, 2016
San Jose State postgame quotes
Tulsa, Okla.----- San Jose State's mistakes and Tulsa's big plays punctuated a day that started with one of the most significant earthquakes in Oklahoma state history and ended in the Spartans losing their season-opening football game, 45-10.
A 5.6 magnitude tremblor lasting 58 seconds was centered 50 miles northwest of the team headquarters and awakened the travel party at 7:02 a.m. (CT).
The Golden Hurricane explosion was a result of a San Jose State (0-1) implosion. Tulsa scored 21 of its 38 first-half points on a Jesse Brubaker 24-yard interception return, a McKinley Whitfield fumble recovery in the end zone on a muffed punt by Tim Crawley and turned a Deontae Cooper fumble at the Tulsa-24 yard line into a 76-yard touchdown drive.
On top of that, Golden Hurricane running back D'Angelo Brewer rushed for 134 yards on 14 carries and scored on touchdown runs of 38 and 5 in the first half. The Golden Hurricane's top rusher in 2015 finished with career highs 164 yards on 22 carries and three scores.
San Jose State had its chances on offense early with six first-quarter possessions, but turned only one of them into a score when quarterback Kenny Potter found wide receiver Rahshead Johnson streaking open in the middle of the field on a post route for a 64-yard touchdown play to tie the game at 7-7.
Tulsa (1-0) finished the season's opening quarter with a bang scoring 17 points in 2:38 on Redford Jones' 34-yard field goal, Brewer's 5-yard run and Brubaker's interception return.
The Spartans gave up 335 yards in the first half and 512 for the game. Tulsa found ways to get the big play early. Brewer had runs of 38 and 40 yards and quarterback Dane Evans completed passes of 46 and 33 yards before halftime. Evans, who passed for 4,332 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2015, threw for 198 yards and one TD on the night.
San Jose State did show some offensive spark in the second half but had drives stall on the Tulsa 1 and 19 yard lines. All the Spartans could show for the two possessions was Bryce Crawford's 36-yard field goal for the final points of the game.
San Jose State managed only 287 yards on offense. The Spartans had just 13 first downs and punter Michael Carrizosa was forced to punt seven times.
The Golden Hurricane rushed for 205 yards to the Spartans' 53. Potter had the team's longest run of the game on a 10-yard scramble. New running back Deontae Cooper made his San Jose State debut with a career-high 19 carries for 43 yards.
The Spartans have a week to regroup before hosting Portland State, Saturday, September 10, in a 1:30 p.m. game inside CEFCU Stadium - home of the Spartans.