San Diego, Calif.----- A 51-yard field goal by San Diego State University kicker John Baron, II, with 4:36 remaining in the game was the difference on the scoreboard in the Aztecs' 16-13 win over San Jose State University in a Mountain West game.
Running back Malike Roberson tied the game with a 1-yard touchdown run with 0:50 remaining in the third quarter before Baron booted his third field goal which hit the crossbar and caromed over for the final three points in the game.
Bryce Crawford gave the Spartans a 6-0 lead in the first quarter converting field goals of 42 and 24 yards.
Josh Love returned to action at quarterback and completed 26-of-36 passes for 215 yards. He was intercepted once in the game, a fourth-quarter pick by San Diego State's Tariq Thompson who returned the ball to midfield. A 15-yard penalty for a horse-collar tackle placed the ball on the San Jose State 35-yard line.
The Aztecs were only able to gain a yard on the subsequent possession, but it was the one yard needed for Baron to come up with the winner for the Aztecs (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West).
San Jose State was ready at the start to prove the October 13 loss to Army West Point was an anomaly. San Diego State did nothing its first two possessions of the game. Even though the Aztecs had three time-consuming possessions that turned into scores, San Jose State limited San Diego State to just 293 yards of total offense, the fewest yards the Spartans have given up in a game to a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since the 16-14 win at Fresno State to close out the 2016 season.
The Spartans marched down the field the first time they had the ball with a variety of short pass completions before Crawford's first field goal of the game.
A Kaegun Williams fumble recovered by linebacker Jesse Osuna on the Aztecs' 35-yard line would turn out to be the Spartans' one takeaway defensively. San Jose State would drive the ball all the way to the goal line, but could not score. Tyler Nevens lost a yard on 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line. It appeared the Spartans would go for six, but settled for three when a false start penalty pushed them back to the San Diego State 7-yard line.
San Diego State took its first lead when Chase Jasmin's 1-yard run capped a 17-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 8:14 of game time. A 13-play drive culminated with Baron, II's first field goal of the game and a 10-6 San Diego State lead going into halftime.
After the Spartans punted on their first second half possession, the Aztecs used 4:32 of game time to put Baron, II, in position for a 22-yard field goal and a 13-6 lead.
Then it was San Jose State's turn to methodically move the ball down field on a 14-play, 65-yard drive for its first touchdown since Thai Cottrell scored on a 1-yard pass against Colorado State on October 6. Six Josh Love pass completions and four runs by Nevens preceded Roberson finding the end zone to tie the score.
San Jose State had two real chances to take the lead in the fourth quarter and were on San Diego State's side of the field each time, but came away empty.
The Spartans will be home Saturday, October 27 hosting UNLV in a 3:30 p.m. game in CEFCU Stadium.