Honolulu, Hawaii----- The San Jose State University defense came up with a key fourth quarter takeaway and kept Hawaii out of the end zone after its second drive of the game as the Spartans started their Mountain West schedule with a 17-13 win over the Rainbow Warriors at the T.C. Ching Athletic Complex.
San Jose State (2-1, 1-0 Mountain West) was ably supported by special teams play throughout the game. The Spartans' first blocked punt in four years led to a 13-yard touchdown pass from Nick Starkel to Isaiah Hamilton seven plays later tying the score at 7-7 with 5:26 to go before halftime.
And, kicker Matt Mercurio got back on track converting a 26-yard field goal with 1:19 remaining in the game forcing Hawaii (1-3, 0-1 Mountain West) to go the length of the field for a touchdown and the win in its final possession. Mercurio had missed a 28-yard field goal try at USC two weeks earlier.
Mercurio's field goal was set up by the first takeaway of the season by the Spartan defense. Linebackers Jordan Cobbs and Rico Tolefree combined to sandwich Hawaii wide receiver Jared Smart after a catch creating a fumble recovered by Tolefree at the Hawaii 27-yard line. Seven plays later, it was Mercurio coming through for the Spartans.
San Jose State's game-winning touchdown turned out to be a 1-yard toss from Starkel to Jermaine Braddock in the front left corner of the end zone on the possession after Hamilton's scoring grab giving the Spartans a 14-7 lead with 2:23 before halftime. Tight end Dominick Mazotti's 46-yard reception, the longest play of the night, to the Hawaii 1-yard line, was the big play in the 3-play, 55-yard drive.
Hawaii inched closer in the third quarter on Matthew Shipley's 25 and 23-yard field goals, but was denied a chance at the win when quarterback Chevan Cordeiro's pass into the back of the end zone from the 21-yard line was incomplete.
Both quarterbacks took advantage of a 20-mile an hour breeze blowing from left to right to lead their teams to scores. Hawaii's points came in the first and third quarters; San Jose State's, in the second and fourth.
Starkel finished 23-of-50 with an interception that led to one of Shpley's short third-quarter field goals. Cordeiro was 18-of-39 for 242 yards. Hawaii's one touchdown in the game came on a 1-yard run by Calvin Turner around right end concluding a 10-play, 71-yard drive.
In a battle of perseverance amidst frustration and missed opportunities, both teams punted 11 times each as San Jose State retained the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy named after the former head coach of both teams. Tomey coached Hawaii from 1977 through 1986 and the Spartans from 2005 through 2009.
San Jose State has a short week to prepare for another 5,000-mile round trip to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face Western Michigan in a non-conference contest. Game time is 2:00 p.m. (ET)/11:00 a.m. (PT).