Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

Oh where do I begin? Saturday night was a time for the San Jose State Spartans to redeem themselves, which they did against the San Diego State Aztecs, but fell short 16-13 at SDCCU Stadium. The Aztecs avoided an upset, thanks to their senior kicker John Baron II, who finished with a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals, including his late, go-ahead field goal that sealed the deal for his team.

Here are my three takeaways from San Jose State’s heartbreaking 16-13 loss at San Diego State.

Second week in a row
Senior kicker Bryce Crawford helped the Spartans to an early 6-0 lead after the first quarter. Crawford converted field goals of 42 and 24 yards, respectively.

This was the second week in a row where the Spartans scored first on a Crawford field goal. The Spartans gave everything the Aztecs were able to handle, and while their record hasn’t shown dominance, Crawford’s one heck of a kicker who’s one of the bright spots on the Spartan roster.

Not a great return
Quarterback Josh Love returned to the field following a concussion sustained against the Army Black Knights at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday, October 13.

Love was intercepted once on a fourth quarter pick by the Aztecs’ sophomore safety Tariq Thompson, who returned the ball to midfield. As a result, 15-yard penalty was assessed for a horse collar tackle, which placed the ball on the Spartan 35-yard line.

Limited amount
The Spartans limited the Aztecs to just 293 yards of total offense. This was the fewest yards the Spartans have given up to a FBS opponent since their 16-14 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs to close out the 2016 season.

Even though the Aztecs had three time consuming possessions that turned into scores and squeaked out a win in the end, the Spartans had almost nothing to be ashamed of. The Spartans simply have to watch the tape and prepare to host the UNLV Rebels inside CEFCU Stadium this Saturday at 3:30 pm PT.