SAN JOSE, Calif. - On opening day for the San Jose State University football team, the high temperature was a sweltering 98 degrees. There was some concern about the Bay Area's air quality index due to the Northern California fires combining with the heat felt by many.
The Spartans were just as hot as the sun set on the largest opening CEFCU Stadium game crowd in 10 years as quarterback Nick Starkel opened the scoring with his first San Jose State rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run and then threw four touchdown passes in a 45-14 win over Southern Utah.
More than 16,000 partisan Spartan spectators watched San Jose State (1-0) score the first five times it had the ball on drives of 65 or more yards. The offensive precision was as sharp as the sun cutting through the clear skies of earlier in the day.
Starkel played the first three quarters completing 16-of-27 passes with an interception for 394 yards and his second four-touchdown game in his nine San Jose State appearances since the 2020 season. Playing the role of the distributor, the Spartans' quarterback connected with eight different receivers – four of them with plays of 40 or more yards. At least for one night, San Jose State answered the questions about the potency of a passing game that lost a pair of all-conference receivers in Tre Walker and Bailey Gaither.
There was tight end Derrick Deese, Jr., establishing his role on the team with a 38-yard pass play three plays before Starkel's score with 12:22 in the first quarter.
A nice move by Braddock on a defender in front of him capped a 23-yard scoring play and a 79-yard drive for a 14-0 lead less than 5:00 later. San Jose State made its 3-for-3 on touchdown scoring drives in the first quarter on a Nevens 12-yard burst into the end zone.
The Spartan senior continued to show the form that made him one of the most productive Mountain West running backs at the end of the 2020 season leading all players with 91 yards rushing on only 11 carries.
Southern Utah (0-1) scored its first touchdown of the season on an 8-yard pass from wide receiver Judd Cockett to quarterback Justin Miller to trim its deficit to 21-7.
San Jose State left no doubt about its focus to win its third consecutive season opener as Starkel connected with tight Sam Olson who turned on his after burners for a 75-yard touchdown. By the time University of Nevada transfer Charles Ross matched Olson in the breakaway department for a 65-yard pass play, San Jose State built a 35-7 lead with 7:45 to go before halftime.
Then, it was a matter of playing sound football in all three phases as the night skies cooled off the enthusiastic crowd seeing the Spartans in person for the first time since reclaiming the Valley Trophy from Fresno State at the end of the 2019 season.
Kicker Matt Mercurio started his season converting his six PAT attempts and a 41-yard field goal and Deese, Jr. capped the scoring of the game early in the third quarter with a catch near the left sideline of the end zone from 14 yards away.
The Spartan defense had its share of highlights, too, shuttling players in and out of the lineup with a four-down stop in the red zone and limiting the Thunderbirds and Football Championship Subdivision returning All-America quarterback Miller to 250 yards of total offense and two plays between 25 to 30 yards out of the 62 snaps on the night.
Southern Utah was just 4-of-14 on third down while San Jose State converted 9-of-13 chances in the win.
Winners of nine of their last 10 games dating back to 2019, the Spartans head to nationally-ranked USC for a September 4 non-conference contest in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Game time is 2:00 p.m. with television coverage on the Pac-12 Network and the radio call of Justin Allegri and Kevin Richardson on the KDOW (1220 AM, Palo Alto).