Las Vegas, Nev.----- The ways and means San Jose State University used to win its four football games in September and October deserted them in the Nevada desert in its Mountain West contest against UNLV.
The Spartans (4-7, 1-6 Mountain West) had had thrown just four interceptions in the first 10 games, but were victims of an equal number in 60 minutes and a lost fumble for five turnovers in a 38-35 conference loss to the Rebels (3-8, 1-6 Mountain West). It was the final regular-season college football game played at Sam Boyd Stadium on the city's eastern end.
San Jose State wasted a season-high 564 yards of total offense and a comeback from a 21-6 halftime deficit. The Spartans overcame passes bouncing off receivers' hands and had one bounce their way to take leads of 28-24 at the end of the third quarter and 35-31 with 6:17 to go in the game, but could not complete the comeback and suffered their third consecutive loss in four weeks despite scoring at least 35 points.
Even with UNLV scoring the game's final touchdown with 1:15 remaining on Charles Williams' third rushing touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run and San Jose State mishandling the following kickoff, the Spartans still put themselves in position to tie the score with a field goal or win with a touchdown in the final 30 seconds.
From the San Jose State 8-yard line, Josh Love connected with wide receiver Isaiah Hamilton on a deep route that resulted in an 80-yard pass play to the UNLV 12-yard line. But an unsportsmanlike penalty at the end of the play, one of a season-high 12 penalties, pushed the Spartans back to their 27-yard line. Three Love completions moved the ball to the UNLV 5-yard line. But on 3rd-and-goal, UNLV's Kolo Uasike was in the right place at the right time to come up with an interception on another deflected Love pass near the goal line for the Rebels' win.
Love finished the game completing a personal single-game best 37 passes on 56 attempts for 465 yards and three touchdowns. All three touchdown passes came in the second half. DeJon Packer got the Spartans to 21-13 taking a short pass from Love and turned it into a 65-yard scoring play with 10:07 left in the third quarter trimming the deficit to 21-14 after a two-point conversion pass play from Love to running back Isaiah Holiness.
San Jose State would inch even closer when the Spartans' turned a Tre Webb interception into a Love lateral pass to offensive tackle Jack Snyder for a 4-yard TD play and a 24-21 deficit.
The loss ended the Spartans hopes to become bowl eligible with six wins. Still, San Jose State will close out the season, Saturday, November 30, hosting Fresno State for the Valley Trophy on Senior Night. Game time is 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 will televise the game.
The deflected pass would work in the Spartans favor for their first lead of the game when a pass intended for Bailey Gaither near the goal line bounced off his hands and into the arms of tight end Brett Foley who finished the play by running a yard into the end zone and a 28-24 advantage going into the fourth quarter.