Spartans Cruise To Season-Opening Victory Over Southern UtahSpartans Cruise To Season-Opening Victory Over Southern Utah
Terrell Lloyd

Spartans Cruise To Season-Opening Victory Over Southern Utah

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose State quarterback Nick Starkel picked up right where he left off from a season ago, accounting for five touchdowns to lead the Spartans to a 45-14 opening-weekend victory over Southern Utah. The product of Argyle, Texas threw for 394 yards with four touchdown strikes, including a career-long 70-yard score to tight end Sam Olson that broke the game wide open early on in the second quarter. 


The Spartans (1-0) scored early and often in the lopsided affair, reaching the endzone on their first five offensive possessions in the opening half. It was Starkel's legs that accounted for the first score as the graduate student scored from a yard out to cap a seven-play, 80-yard opening drive. He then connected on his first of four touchdown passes, all to different receivers, with a 23-yard strike to Jermaine Braddock. Starkel padded on to the stat sheet with the 70-yard strike to Olson followed by a 65-yard catch and run by Charles Ross and a 14-yard strike to Derrick Deese, Jr. 
 


 

San Jose State was propelled to victory thanks to an outstanding turnout by the Spartan Faithful with an announced attendance of 16,204, the most in a home-opener since 2011 vs. Nevada. 

First And 10 

  • Starkel's 394 yards passing was his third-highest total as a Spartan following a 467-yard performance against New Mexico and 453 yards in the Mountain West Championship last season. 
  • The one-yard score to open the contest was Starkel's first-career rushing touchdown at SJSU. 
  • Starkel became the first quarterback to connect on two passes of 60 yards or more since 2013 when David Fales achieved the feat vs. Wyoming. 
  • Nine different receivers made at least one reception in the win. Freshman Charles Ross tied for the team lead with three catches for 77 yards and a score in his collegiate debut. 
  • Three Spartans - Olson, Deese, Jr., and Ross - made their longest receptions in a Spartan uniform. 
  • Senior running back Tyler Nevens finished the night with a game-high 91 yards on 11 carries and scored the the Spartans' third touchdown of the evening on a 12-yard rush. 
  • The Spartan defense held Southern Utah to 250 total yards of offense (139 pass, 111 rush)
  • Linebacker Kyle Harmon made nine tackles, including a stop for loss, to lead the defensive effort. 
  • The Spartans out-gained the Thunderbirds, 534-250
  • San Jose State was 9-of-13 on third down attempts (64.3 percent) and scored on seven of 10 offensive possessions.

The Spartans will now hit the road for the first of three-straight road games beginning with a trip to Los Angeles to take on USC next Saturday, Sept. 4. 
 

 

 

Gallery: (8-28-2021) Football vs. Southern Utah