Category: NCAA

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Daniels looking to get some yardage against Washington State tonight

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Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Eric Ayomanor makes a reception for a touchdown against the Washington Huskies at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Oct 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 How tough is it that the Stanford Cardinal (2-6) have their last two road games against the Washington State Cougars (4-4) tonight and Oregon State next week both on the road.

#2 These will be the last two Pac 12 road games that Stanford will have as the break of up of the Pac 12 starts next season. Stanford head coach Troy Taylor said it’s painful and disappointing that it’s ending this way.

#3 The Cougars were 4-0 in September but have cooled off immensely having lost four straight games all in the month of October.

#4 The Cougars have won the last six games against the Stanford. Last season the Cougars clobbered the Cardinal 52-14 at Stanford Stadium. The weather forecast for tonight in Pullman calls for rain.

#5 Michael, with the field being wet and the ball being wet as well how do you see the Cardinal quarterback Anthony Daniels getting a good grip on the ball for quick passes.

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oregon Ducks Sting Cal Bears 63-19; Nix, Oregon score an avalanche of touchdowns in Cal loss

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Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) gets a pass away under pressure from the Cal Bears linebacker Xavier Carlton (right) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Sat Nov 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

It was a tough afternoon for the California Bears up in Oregon as they got trounced by the Ducks to the tune of 63-19 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. They hung in the game for the opening quarter but going into the second quarter the Ducks turned it on and never looked back.

Saturday afternoon the California Bears (3-5) traveled up north to take on the Oregon Ducks (7-1). The two teams took the field amid threat of precipitation as the Bears faced not only inclement weather but dealing with an offensive giant in the Ducks.

The Ducks got a quick start in the opening quarter scoring two touchdowns taking a 14-0 lead. Oregon’s first strike was a 48 yard pass from quarterback Bo Nix to Tez Johnson. Minutes later the Ducks struck again when Nix took the ball into the end zone for one yard and the second score of the day for Oregon.

The Bears answered with a field goal with 1:39 left in the first quarter. Mateen Bhaghani sent a 48 yard kick through the uprights. On the very next Oregon possession the Ducks fumbled and the ball was recovered by Cal’s Nohl Williams for a sixteen yard romp into the end zone for six. Cal had made a nice comeback trailing by the score of 14-10 and were within striking distance.

Cal would draw even closer when they kicked a second field goal in the early minutes of the second quarter. Bhaghani kicked a 27 yard field goal and California trailed by a single point 14-13. The rest of the second quarter was all Oregon.

The sleeping giant woke up with a vengeance scoring three touchdowns in the quarter. Bo Nix rushed for his second touchdown of the game at 5:21. Nix went on to hit Tez Johnson for his second touchdown of the game, this one for 14 yards at 1:39 left before the half.

With six seconds left in the quarter Nix went to work again thanks to a Bears fumble hitting Troy Franklin for 7 yards extending their lead to 35-13 at halftime.

Cal made up some ground to start the third quarter scoring a 20 yard Jayden Ott rushing touchdown. The Bears went for the two point conversion which failed and California trialed 35-19. The Ducks would add to their lead mid-way through the quarter. Bucky Irving rushed for 6 yards extending the Oregon lead to 42-19.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Ducks as they continued to pile on the points scoring three touchdowns in the quarter. Bo Nix threw his fourth touchdown pass in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, a four yard strike to Terrance Ferguson.

Jordan James would rush for 16 yards and another Oregon touchdown. With the score 56-19 Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was finished for the day. He threw for 386 yards and was 29 of 38 passes with four touchdowns.

Ty Thompson took over under center and finished off the game with yet another Oregon touchdown, a six yard pass to Traeshon Holden for the final score of 63-19.

California quarterback finished with 177 yards and was 18 of 34 with no touchdowns and one interception. Cal had 109 rushing yards with Jayden Ott finishing the game with 93 yards.

Next Saturday the Bears will take on the Washington State Cougars at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

San Jose State Spartans Beat CSU East Bay 77-61 in an Exhibition Game

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The floor of Provident Credit Union Event Center in San Jose. The San Jose State Spartans hosted Cal State East Bay in an exhibition game on Sat Nov 4, 2023 (file photo from Sports Illustrated)

Saturday, November 4th, 2023

By Troy Ewers 

San Jose, CA – In the Event Center at San Jose State University it’s the SJSU Spartans against Cal State East Bay in an exhibition game and these two teams are ready to showcase their skills before this long basketball season. The Spartans won it 77-61 defeating visiting CSU East Bay at Provident Credit Union Event Center in San Jose.

The first half started off with CSU East Bay taking over the momentum of the half. Forward Grady Lewis led East Bay in points with eight and his eight points were a major part of what kept the momentum up. For San Jose State they played a good game on the perimeter, but the post offense was being clamped on by this East Bay defense.

When William Humer got in the game the post offense picked up and he led the Spartans in points with seven in the first half. San Jose State’s offense really turned on when free throws gave them a rally and the Spartans went on a 9-0 run for the last 2:13 of the half and when the first half ended 31-27 SJSU Spartans with a lot of energy radiating from the offense. 

The Spartans continued running off their momentum from the first half by taking it straight to CSU East Bay as the second half started. East Bay began using a tap defense that seemed like it was going to slow the Spartans down, but it didn’t.

Even with the pressure SJSU was running with the lead, holding down a 20 point lead halfway through the second half. The offense here was led by MJ Amey Jr. who whether it was at the free throw line or the three point line, he found ways to score (15 points).

The second half pressure kicked up for East Bay with a 9-0 run at one point that lasted a minute, but the Spartans were still fighting them off. The final three minutes of the game was a tad sloppy for the Spartans, but wasn’t sloppy enough to detour the lead they had. Latrell Davis, who only had three points in the first half, went crazy in the second half, getting to the line to keep SJSU up (13 points).

The final buzzer sounded and the final score was 77-61 San Jose State and this exhibition game was great practice for what the Spartans have ahead. The three standout stars for SJSU were MJ Amey Jr., William Humer, and Latrell Davis

Next game for SJSU is their season opener against UC Irvine on November 7th and it will be a home game for the Spartans.

Spartans spoil Rainbow Warriors’ Homecoming with 35-0 drubbing

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San Jose State Spartans Kairee Robinson (32) scores a first half touchdown against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu on Sat Oct 28, 2023 (AP News)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ October 28, 2023 

It was a homecoming for both sides Saturday as San Jose’s quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and kicker Kyler Halvorsen made their playing returns to The Aloha State, after transferring to the mainland team in 2022.

 The rivalry Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy remained with the Spartans in this Mountain West matchup. Both continued in their respective losing and winning streaks. It was a double loss for Hawai’i as they were held scoreless for the first time in 25 years and their Homecoming streak was snapped at five. 

Cordeiro passed 16/26 with two touchdowns for 251 yards. Running back Kairee Robinson rushed 17 times for 146 yards. averaging 8.6 yards per carry.

The game definitely did not go the way it started, with Cordeiro recovering his beginning fumble the only positive play. Halvorsen capped the drive by missing the field goal attempt.

The Warriors’ second drive did not look much better, but had a net positive two yards after third down.  Furthermore, Jalen Smith incurred an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which the Spartans took advantage of. San Jose converted nine straight times, twice on third down, with Quali Conley running through a wide open path thanks to his teammate’s blocking with 4:07 left. 

Hawai’i’s Isaiah Tufaga was able to force a fumble in between, but the Spartans recovered the next drive, scoring off four third-down conversions this time in the second quarter. Nick Nash made it 14-0 with 5:16 left as he caught the ball next to the left end line. At this point, San Jose had more than triple the time of the Warriors’ possession. 

In this one multi-touchdown quarter, the 21-0 scoring drive used a 35-yard pass to Charles Ross on third down to the red zone and two rushes by Robinson. Robinson’s second run ended with 38 seconds left as he entered the end zone easily. 

The Spartans just needed to convert once to light up the third quarter scoreboard, as they scored within the first five minutes this time. Robinson scored his second touchdown with a 52-yard run, as a multitude of black jerseys were unable to catch up, quadrupling San Jose’s lead.  

The Warriors’ had their best chance to put points on the board with 12:15 left in the third, when punter Matthew Shipley ended up his teams’ leading rusher. He converted a fake punt 17 yards on 4th-and-14 to put Hawai’i on the SJSU 33, after Kejuan Bullard Jr. was charged with a late hit penalty.  Nevertheless, after a play in between, Brayden Schager’s throw sailed past his receivers into the Spartans’  hands. 

San Jose converted their first fourth down with a 16-yard pass from Cordeiro to Nash. Hawai’i’s defense stepped up from this 13-yard line, preventing the Spartans from venturing outside of the red zone. 

However, the same could not be said for the Warriors’ following offensive drive. They converted six straight plays, but then Schager was called for intentional grounding and sacked by Soane Toia to end the third.  

San Jose did not leave the fourth empty handed, as Cordeiro tossed to Nash while evading defenders. With 6:45 left in the contest, the 35-0 would be the final score.

The Warriors replied by bringing in backup quarterback Jake Farrell for his first action this season. He completed three passes for 14 yards before an interception that resulted in the Spartans’ Andrew Jenkins’ unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

San Jose’s backup Jay Butterfield was able to get in some snaps as well.

Game notes: The Spartans will next play Fresno State November 11th at 7:30pm. 

Cardinal Tree Not Enough of an Obstacle for Undefeated Huskies’ Expedition Through the Bay, 42-33

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Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (2) makes the touchdown catch and Stanford Cardinal cornerback Zahran Manley (4) can only sit in the end zone and watch at Stanford Stadium on Sat Oct 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (2-6, 1-5 Pac-12) could not slow down the #5 Washington Huskies (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12) aggressive trek South to California and up and down the Stanford Stadium field, 42-33.

Stanford opened the game on offense, but their initial drive did not lead to points.  Actually neither team did much for nearly nine minutes.

However, with a little more than six minutes left in the quarter, the visiting canines from the Great Northwest got on the scoreboard first.  Senior tight end Jack Westover scored on an unorthodox one yard rushing touchdown.  Washington went up 7-0, and held that advantage to the end of the15-minute block.

Quarter number two was a very active stanza.  The Cardinal scored within the first three minutes with a QB Keeper and scramble for a four yard touchdown by Ashton Daniels.  Stanford ties the game, 7-7.

Washington’s senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. showed why he is a frontrunner for the 2023 Heisman Trophy award by tossing two touchdown passes within four minutes of each other.  The agile lefthander hit junior wide receiver Rome Odunze for a seven yard score, then launched a 92-yard bomb to sophomore WR Ja’Lynn Polk.  That quickly, the Huskies were up, 21-7.

The ever so reliable kicker for the Cardinal, Joshua Karty, converted two kicks with one minute left in the half.  The first 23 yards from the goalpost, and the second from 47.  At intermission, Washington 21, Stanford 13.

The second half had a similar start as the first half.  This time Washington’s first drive was ineffective, resulting in 0 points for their efforts.  They still had the temporary cushion of an eight-point lead,

Five minutes into the third quarter, Stanford sophomore QB threw a 39-yard TD pass to Elic Ayomanor.  The Cardinal failed to convert the two point try, which would have tied the game at 21.  Instead they trailed 21-19 at that point.

Penix was at it again, as he casted a ten yard score to Polk for a second time.  Now the Huskies increased their lead to nine, 28-19.

Daniels had an answer for his QB counterpart, as he reached paydirt on a two yard keeper.  The Cardinal got it back to a two point deficit, but were more than likely still lamenting and trailing due to the failed two point conversion.  At the end of third quarter, Washington 28, Stanford 26.

Within the first minute of the last quarter, Penix propelled a 24-yard touchdown to senior tight end Devin Culp.  Now with a nine point advantage again, it seemed like the visitors from the Evergreen State were about to secure another win and remain perfect on the season.  However, the Cardinal had something under their bark.

As Penix was driving his fellow sled dogs down the field for an apparent touchdown, his fifth, a completed pass turned into a disaster.  Rome Odunze was stripped of the ball by Cardinal sophomore Tavarua Tafiti, and Stanford recovered the fumble.

The home team took advantage of that gift and transformed it to seven points for them.  A pivotal juncture in the game where a possible 14-point turnaround occurred in Stanford’s favor.  Even with this newfound fortune, the Cardinal still trailed by two, 35-33.

Stanford tried an onside kick to absolve the missing two points, but Washington recovered the ball with still plenty of time left on the clock.  The Cardinal had to rely on the sturdy (Tree) defense again on this very crucial possession with six minutes left in regulation.

Michael Penix Jr. had the ball on the 50-yard line with all his All-American attributes, and it was looking dim for the Cardinal faithful.  As the probable prestigious trophy winner was attempting to score his fifth touchdown on the day again, he was picked off in the end zone by fifth year senior cornerback Zahran Manley.

With fifth minutes left and the ball, the Cardinal had to be in great spirits, with an absolutely advantageous opportunity to win the Pacific – 12 Battle.  Unfortunately that event did not come to fruition.  The Cardinal attempted to traverse down the field and had an excellent first down chance, but only had a dropped pass incompletion (3:20) to show for it.

The Huskies were eager to finally slam the barn door on the Farm on this drive.  With a little over a minute and a half left in the fourth, Washington did indeed slam the proverbial door.  Junior running back Dillon Johnson scurried for 13 yards and past the goal line for the last touchdown of the contest.  Washington was up by nine once again, 42-33.

Stanford did get the ball back, but turned it over on downs.  All that was left was for the Huskies to take collective “Knee,” maybe two Knees, since they have four legs.  At the final whistle, and 60 minutes of action, the still undefeated Washington Huskies win 42-33 over the Stanford Cardinal.

Stanford coincidentally next travels to the Northwest in Pullman, WA to take on the Washington State Cougars, Saturday, November 4 at 6PM PDT.  Washington stays in California, but heads South to Los Angeles, as they battle the Trojans of USC on the same date at 4:30 pm PDT (ABC).

NOTE: Ashton Daniels had another Outstanding game: 31-50 367 passing yards & a TD.  He also rushed for 85 yards and scored two rushing TDs.

Elic Ayomanor also continues to play well.  He had nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Heisman Watch:  Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. added to his already impressive resume, by this stat line: 21-38 369 yards passing, four TDs & an interception.

USC Escapes Berkeley Barely Beating Cal In A Tight 50-49 Game

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USC Trojans running back Austin Jones (6) is airborne for a touchdown over the Cal Bears defensive back Jeremiah Earby (6) in first half action at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley (AP News photo)

Saturday, October 28th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Berkeley, CA – It’s another PAC-12 matchup for the Cal Bears, but this time it’s against the USC Trojans and their Heisman winning QB, Caleb Williams. This game may be “meaningless” as far as rankings and record, but a win for Cal would be a major example of bragging rights. There was no bragging after this game except the Bears did play a tight game against the Trojans in a 50-49 loss.

The Trojans started off the drive and Caleb Williams showcased real early why he was such a threat. On foot and in the air Williams had USC completely in-sync. After a 69 yard drive the Trojans couldn’t get a touchdown, but they settled for a field goal to get the game’s first points 3-0 USC.

Now a major thing about USC’s first drive is Cal put them in a third down scenario three times and even a fourth down scenario, Caleb still got out of it, until USC got in the red zone and the box was too small to convert. Cal began their first drive, but on their second play, QB Fernando Mendoza fumbled the ball and USC recovered in amazing field position.

Caleb Williams and the Trojans went right back on their assault, this time looking to get than three points and they would get that after five quick plays with a Marshawn Llyod two yard punch in making the game now 10-0 USC.

Ten minutes into this first quarter the Trojans already had 116 total yards, 78 of those yards were passing and 38 were rushing, meaning they were perfectly balanced as an offense in this first quarter immediately putting Cal on notice.

The Bears wouldn’t go down that easy though as they came out swinging the next drive and it was none other than their knockout specialist running back Jadyn Ott who would score on a big 43 yard run. This is Ott’s sixth rushing TD and he really has showcased why he’s PAC-12 and national leader in rushing coming into this game as far as yards per game (100), rushing yards (603), rushing TDs (5), all purpose yards per game (114), and total TDs (6). 10-7.

USC didn’t slow their game down after that Cal touchdown as they went 80 yards in six plays the very next drive and scored on a pass from Williams to Austin Jones and now it was 17-7 USC and there was still a minute to go in the first quarter.

We were in for a thrill ride. The next drive Cal adapted to USC’s fast pace and they adapted quickly feeding off the home crowd as on a three play drive, Ott would score another rushing TD, but this time going 61 yards to the end zone and the place erupted. 17-14. 

The second quarter was underway and the first punt of the game is what followed as USC had to punt for the first time in this game and now it was Cal’s chance to strike while the iron was hot and they did exactly in just eight plays and it was highlighted with another Jaydn Ott touchdown, his third rushing TD of the game, putting his current total to eight rushing touchdowns on the season and this touchdown from Ott put Cal in the lead for the first time in the game. Making it 21-17 Bears.

The Bears knew that if they didn’t keep striking the Trojans would stay on their neck, but Cal kept striking and Mendoza got his first passing touchdown of the game to Trond Grizzell and they scored after only three plays, but they went half the field and now halfway through the second quarter it was 28-17 Cal Bears.

Cal’s defense was just as much a key to this lead as the offense as they forced another punt from USC to give this Bears offense another chance to extend their lead. The Bears couldn’t extend in that drive, but now it was USC’s turn and at this point in the second quarter it was the defenses playing a game of who can mess up first.

The second half came to a close with no change in the score and that’s a testament to the defense having a true stalemate the last three minutes of the half. The USC fans were stunned, but Cal was the talk of the college football world with this 28-17 lead at halftime. 

In a wild way to start the half they replayed a down that was messed up clockwise before the half with one second left on the clock and USC tried to knock down a field goal to chorus of boos and they missed. So the official third quarter started with Cal having the ball like they were going to do anyways, but after the missed field goal the energy and momentum was in Cal’s favor.

The Trojans recovered and got the ball back from Cal and Caleb Williams took matters into his own hands and scored using his feet, but their attempt at a two point conversion failed and now it was 28-23. After another failed drive for Cal, USC was in the driver’s seat, but forced to punt after Cal’s defense contained Caleb Williams.

USC’s defense responded with an interception on Cal’s second play of that drive and now USC had great field position and they used it to perfection. Williams on the first play of the drive threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Brendan Rice, but missed an extra point and now the Trojans regained the lead 29-28.

On Cal’s next drive it was a true battle and a couple pass interference calls put them in a great spot which was followed by a big Mendoza QB keeper that put them in the red zone. Mendoza ended up scoring a big touchdown when he couldn’t find an open receiver and took it in himself, but on top of that the Bears converted on two point conversion and got the lead back 36-29.

The stadium became rambunctious after Williams was sacked for 23 yards and almost fumbled the ball and now they were forced to punt. Cal went three and out and was forced to punt and now with a minute left in the quarter it was a battle now. Caleb Williams went three and out and the Trojans were back on defense as the quarter ended. 

Fourth quarter started and Cal had the chance to make or break everything in this drive and capitalized with a Mendoza rushing touchdown and the score was now 43-29 which was the biggest lead of the game. Caleb Williams and the Trojans pushed down the field thanks to a 53 yard catch by Marshawn Llyod put them in the red zone and Williams rushed for a one yard touchdown and they got the extra point.

43-36 was the score here and with 11 minutes left in the game this game had a whole crowd at attention. The Bears had big attempts to try to move downfield, but the clamps were put on them and they punted the ball, but the punt was right on the seven yard line and Williams had to go all the way down the field to potentially tie this game up.

When the Trojans were forced to punt Cal returner Jeremiah Hunter received the punt and got a little too crafty trying to shake the Trojans defense, but fumbled and USC recovered in the red zone now with a chance to even the score.

A touchdown was scored when Llyod punched in a rushing touchdown and the score was now tied after a successful extra point, 43-43. The Bears needed to close out this game strong, but one thing you don’t do when trying to close out a game like this is fumble which both teams did on back to back plays.

Cal fumbled and USC recovered, but USC fumbled and Cal recovered right after and this game was more than even it was a “who will make the mistake that closes this out” game. The Bears went four downs, but no luck and they turned it over on downs, now it was USC’s chance.

The first play of this new Trojans drive was a 56 yard run by Lloyd that put them in the red zone and was followed by a touchdown run by Austin Jones and the lead was in USC’s grasp with 3:33 left. 50-43 USC. Fernando Mendoza had to lead this team down the field and it was an unsportsmanlike conduct that saved them and Mendoza was back in the mix.

A third down pass from Mendoza to Hunter kept the drive alive, then followed it with a 23 yard run by Justin Thomas that put them in the red zone and now there was a little over a minute left.

Cal finally got into the end zone with a pass to Jaivian Thomas and then they went for two, but was unsuccessful and the game was deemed over as USC was gonna receive the ball with 58 seconds left. The score was 50-49 and after the onside kick was recovered by the Trojans, the game was over as USC ran the clock out and escaped Berkeley with an extremely close victory.

Cardinal Homecoming Spoiled by Visiting Bruins, 42-7; No Mojo from Previous PAC-12 Comeback Upset Win

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The UCLA Bruins running back Carson Steele (33) breaks through the Stanford Cardinal defensive line for one of his three touchdowns at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Oct 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (2-5, 1-4 Pac-12) hosted their Pacific – 12 Conference foe from southern California for Homecoming after an amazing victory eight days prior in Boulder, CO; however, the #25 UCLA Bruins (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) did not care and disrupted the annual celebration on the Farm, 42-7.

Stanford got themselves into a familiar hole as they did last week in the Mile High State, being down big at the midway point of the game. This time a little less of a deficit, 21 points, compared to 29 last game. Essentially all the damage was done by one player.

The Cardinal kicked off to the Bruins to open the game. UCLA took full advantage of that gesture and capitalized on it during their first drive. They traversed 75 yards down the field to score the first points of the contest. Junior running back Carson Steele bursted through the defense for a two yard touchdown. UCLA led 7-0 within the first five minutes of the game.

Carson was not finished, as he scored again a little over three minutes later in the quarter. This time he scurried for eight yards before reaching paydirt. Halfway through period number one, UCLA was up 14-0.

Stanford found themselves committing several penalties during the 15-minute timeframe; however, as the Bruins attempted to score for the third time in the quarter, the Cardinal D (Tree) stood tall. As senior kicker R.J. Lopez attempted a 40-yard field goal to put the Bruins up by 17, but the Cardinal’s senior defensive tackle, Anthony Franklin, blocked the kick, forcing it to miss wide left. After one, UCLA managed to keep their 14-0 advantage.

After nearly 2/3 of the second quarter elapsed, you know who was in the endzone again. Yes, Steele scored for the third time in the first half. He bolted in for a three yard touchdown this go around, and the Bruins took a commanding 21-point lead into the locker room. At the end of 30 minutes of play, UCLA 21, Stanford 0.

As the second half got underway, Stanford was in a similar predicament they were in during their game against Colorado; however, the Bruins were not willing participants for a dramatic comeback against them. as the Buffaloes were and did let happen at home.

Late in the third quarter, UCLA managed to score twice again within two minutes of each other, surprisingly, neither by Carson Steele. Redshirt junior QB Ethan Garbers tossed two touchdown passes to redshirt sophomore WR J. Michael Sturdivant (8) and also R-SO TE Moliki Matavao (20) respectively. 35-0, UCLA,

With more than three minutes left in the third, the Cardinal gave the Homecoming crowd of 30,225 – although a great deal were Bruins’ fans – something to really cheer for, with a 20-yard touchdown connection with QB Ashton Daniels and freshman WR Tiger Bachmeier, getting Stanford off of the Goose Egg. 35-7 UCLA, after 45 minutes of action.

The Final quarter had the Bruins scoring in less than a minute into the stanza, as sophomore running back T.J. Harden scampered for a 22-yard “house call.” While UCLA was up 42-7, Lopez attempted to increase the already overwhelming lead by three more, but missed (42) again, salvaging some solace for the Stanford faithful.

Despite the miscues, UCLA scored enough (42-7) to secure their fifth win overall and second inside the conference. The Cardinal lost by 35 points on Homecoming Saturday.

Stanford will stay on the Farm and host the Washington State Cougars, Saturday, October 28 4pm PDT on FS1. The Bruins head back to Los Angeles to host the aforementioned Colorado Buffaloes on the same date, but at 4:30 PDT and on ABC.

Note: QB Ashton Daniels threw for 268 yards, with a touchdown pass and an interception. Wide receivers Elic Ayomanor (90) and Tiger Bachmeier (75 & touchdown) both had eight catches on double-digit targets.

UCLA’s Carson Steele scored three touchdowns on his 21st birthday in the Bay.

San Jose State Beats Utah State In A Decisive 42-21 Victory At Home

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San Jose State’s Jaime Navarro (54) helps Quali Conley celebrate the touchdown that gave the Spartans a 21-14 lead at Spartan Stadium in San Jose on Sat Oct 21, 2023 (Bay Area News Group photo)

Saturday, October 21st, 2023

By Troy Ewers

San Jose, CA – CEFCU Stadium is the setting of this Mountain West matchup between the San Jose State Spartans (3-5) and Utah State Aggies (3-5). It’s Homecoming week for San Jose State and the Spartans last week picked up their first league victory of the season against New Mexico on the backs of their running backs Kairee Robinson and Quali Conley, who each had 100 plus yards and it was the first time since 2020 two SJSU backs each had 100 yards in a game.

Utah State is coming off a close loss to Fresno State despite their QB Cooper Legas throwing 363 yards and three touchdowns. This matchup pits San Jose State’s 22nd nationally ranked pass defense against the Mountain West leading offense of Utah State. 

SJSU started with the ball and quickly marched down the field on Utah State and in seven plays went 75 yards into the end zone off a ten yard Conley rushing touchdown. 7-0 Spartans. SJSU didn’t have a third down on that drive and it was Conley’s fourth rushing touchdown of the season and on the very next kickoff the Spartans forced a fumble and recovered it in their own red zone and it was set up for them to score again.

That didn’t happen though when Spartans QB Chevan Cordeiro was hit by Devin Dye and the ball popped out and this time the Aggies recovered the ball in opposing territory. Utah State was on the verge of going three and out on this opportunity after the fumble, but a pass interference by DJ Harvey continued the drive.

The Spartans recovered a couple plays later and was intercepted by Jordan Pollard and now SJSU has two takeaways early in the game. Plays later, so did Utah State as SJSU committed their second turnover and it’s the fourth turnover already in the first quarter. During Utah State’s next drive, the Spartans completely stuffed the Aggies and forced them to punt, but the punt was shanked and again SJSU had great field position.

The Spartans capitalized on this field position with a 39 yard drive that was led by Cordeiro and resulted in a touchdown after he hit Kairee Robinson with a four yard pass and this is Cordeiro ninth TD pass of the season. 14-0 SJSU. 

The second quarter started with the Aggies having the ball and they converted on fourth down which kept them alive enough to score a touchdowns. The drive went 12 plays and when Rashul Faison punched in a five yard run and the extra point was good, it was 14-7.

The next drive for the Spartans was another example of their explosive offense led by Cordeiro and the two running backs Conley and Robinson, but no score for the offense, not even a field as they missed that chance as well. Capitalizing off the missed field goal, Utah State’s efficient offense went eight plays and 69 yards in under three minutes.

They wouldn’t end this drive empty handed as McCae Hillstead completed a deep 25 yard pass to Micah Davis to tie the ball game 14-14. The tied score halted momentum for SJSU and after a the third sack for Utah State on Cordeiro, it forced SJSU to punt and a little over two minutes left in the half, the Aggies had the ball and a chance to take the lead.

That chance was squashed for a three and out, which forced Utah State to punt and with 1:24 left in the half, the Spartans had the chance to take the lead. Another three and out forced the Spartans to punt, but the punt was gorgeous and pressed the Aggies in the opposing red zone with 40 seconds left and the clock would run down and that was the end of the first half. Both teams showcased great defense, but also great offense, it just that this canceled out for both teams, they were as equal as equal could be at half. 

The second half started with Utah State having the ball, but after moving the ball down the field a punt was forced and SJSU now was in the driver’s seat. Cordeiro once again was leading the charge as he marched his way down field and then the exclamation point was Conley getting his second rushing touchdown of the night to give SJSU the lead, but on top of that Kairee Robinson achieved 2,000 career rushing yards on that drive.

21-14 Spartans and the three headed monster of Cordeiro, Conley, and Robinson clicked on all cylinders to get that lead. The SJSU defense was also clicking on all cylinders after they shut down the Aggies defense and prevented them from converting on fourth down and Cordeiro was back with the ball in his hands with five minutes left in the third.

In six plays Cordeiro and the Spartans were right back in the endzone, this time after Cordeiro hits linebacker who checked in as full back, Charles Rogers for a 10 yard touchdown pass, 28-14 SJSU and the game was beginning to firmly be in SJSU’s hands as we were approaching the end of the quarter. 

The fourth started with SJSU just running the clock down, but when Utah State had the possession, the chance at a comeback went up in smoke when Jay’Vion Cole picked off Hillstead and now up two touchdowns, SJSU had the ball right outside the red zone.

Cole got his first interception against New Mexico a week ago and now earned his second interception here at such a crucial part of the game. Cordeiro was having a magnificent game already, but on this drive after the pick, he took it up a notch with a 29 yard touchdown pass to Nick Nash that was a dot and the score was now 35-14 after a successful extra point for the Spartans and to the 15,028 in attendance were able to breathe a sigh of relief as the game seemed to be well in hand.

The Aggies weren’t done though as with five and a half minutes left, Hillstead and Jalen Royals connected for a 20 yard touchdown pass and the game was 35-21. It looked like the game was put to bed, but it was up to the Spartans to tuck the Aggies in. Kairee Robinson did exactly that! The man who achieved 2 thousand career rushing yards punched in a one yard touchdown and the game was 42-21 with two minutes left, but the game was clearly over. 

The game ended and the Spartans got their third win of the season and these three wins SJSU outscored their opponents 136-62, but still with five losses and a 2-2 Mountain West record, SJSU’s season wasn’t looking like it was headed to a College Football Playoff game anytime soon. San Jose State’s next game is against Hawaii at Hawaii and the Spartans intend to have a winning conference record after next weekend.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Can Cardinal keep it going against UCLA on Saturday night?

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Stanford Cardinal safety Alaka’i Gilman (left) picks off a pass intended for the Colorado Buffaloes Travis Hunter (12) during overtime in Boulder Col on Sat Oct 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Michael, what was it like for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders to have had an uneasy feeling at the half up 29-0 to the Stanford Cardinal last Saturday at Folsom Field in Boulder.

#2 It was not the largest collapse in Colorado history but none the less it had to be a huge disappointment for Sanders who was almost certain that this game was their best chance to get in the win column after losing three straight games.

#3 On the other hand for Stanford head coach Troy Taylor it was for Stanford the largest comeback in the school’s history as Stanford pulled it off with a three point 46-43 win.

#4 The game went two overtimes and Stanford kicker Joshua Karty kicked a game winning 31 yard field goal after booting a tying field goal in the regulation stanza of the game.

#5 The Cardinal hope to keep it going as they face the UCLA Bruins (4-2). The Cardinal will need that same type of offense against the Bruins as they had going against the Buffaloes last week. Kick off at Stanford Stadium is at 7:30pm PT.

Michael Roberson does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Robinson’s hat trick helps San Jose State defeat New Mexico 52-24

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Photo credit: @SanJoseStateFB

By Mary Anne

The San Jose State Spartans took on the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday. Thanks to Kairee Robinson’s hat trick, the Spartans snapped their three-game losing skid with a 52-24 win over the Lobos at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. San Jose State improved to 2-5, while New Mexico fell to 2-4.

The Spartans were in the house and on lock, but were unable to score first. The Lobos scored first. Luke Drzewiecki kicked a 41-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 5:06 left in the first quarter.

The Spartans trailed 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Spartans evened the score to start the second quarter. Justin Stearns scored on a seven-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown. Kyler Halvorsen kicked an extra point to tie the game 7-7 at 14:20 of the second.

The Lobos regained the lead. Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a seven-yard rushing touchdown. Luke Drzewiecki kicked an extra point to give the Lobos a 10-7 lead with 6:31 left in the second.

The Lobos’ lead was short-lived as the Spartans regained the lead. Kairee Robinson ran for a 35-yard rushing touchdown. Kyler Halvorsen kicked an extra point to help the Spartans to a 14-10 lead with 4:23 left in the second.

The Lobos regained the lead again. Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a four-yard rushing touchdown. Luke Drzewiecki kicked an extra point to make it a 17-14 game with just 31 seconds left in the second.

The Spartans trailed the Lobos 17-14 at the end of the first half.

The Spartans opened the second-half scoring. Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro threw a touchdown pass to Kairee Robinson, who ran for a 55-yard rushing touchdown. Kyler Halvorsen kicked an extra point for a 21-17 lead at 14:41 of the third quarter.

The Spartans added to their lead. Chevan Cordeiro threw a touchdown pass to Nick Nash, who ran for a 54-yard rushing touchdown. Kyler Halvorsen kicked an extra point to make it 28-17 with 7:39 left in the third quarter. Halvorsen kicked a 39-yard field goal to extend the Spartans’ lead to 31-17 with 4:16 left in the third. Kairee Robinson ran for a 19-yard rushing touchdown to expand the Spartans’ lead to 38-17 with 3:05 left in the third.

The Spartans led 38-17 at the end of three quarters.

The Spartans scored first in the fourth quarter. Kairee Robinson ran for a 19-yard rushing touchdown. Kyler Halvorsen kicked an extra point to give the Spartans a commanding 45-17 lead at 14:03 of the fourth.

The Spartans widened their lead late in the fourth quarter. Quali Conley ran for a three-yard rushing touchdown. Kyler Halvorsen kicked an extra point to make it 52-17 Spartans with 6:05 left in the fourth.

The Lobos had the last word, but it was too little, too late. D.J. Washington scored a 21-yard rushing touchdown off a pass from Lobos quarterback Devon Dampier. Luke Drzewiecki kicked an extra point to cut the Spartans’ lead to 52-24 with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans defeated the Lobos 52-24.

Notes
A close-up of the Spartans’ Saturday uniforms can be found here.

Kairee Robinson’s 35-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter was his eighth of the regular-season and 21st of his career. Robinson has now scored in every game he has played in this season. Also, Robinson’s 19-yard rushing touchdown was his third of the game for the hat trick.

Up Next
The Spartans will return home to host the Utah State Aggies on Saturday, October 21, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific.