Tag: College Football

Whether or not San Jose State defeats Hawaii, former Spartans to be introduced regardless

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State Spartans started the season in FCS and Pac-12, but will start their conference slate at CEFCU Stadium versus the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors this Saturday at 4:00 pm PDT on Spectrum Sports. Even if San Jose State won’t get past Hawaii, this conference game will be worth checking out.

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s Homecoming:

SJSU’s record
0-3, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost at #20/#23-Oregon, 35-22, on September 15.

Hawaii’s record
4-1, 1-0 Mountain West. The Rainbow Warriors defeated Duquesne, 42-21, on September 22.

The Last Meeting
SJSU 26, Hawaii 37 on October 14, 2017 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Big Plays, Costly Penalties Factor Into 37-26 Loss To Hawaii
SJSU had a season-high 504 yards of total offense, another long Bryce Crawford field goal and a kickoff return for a touchdown in its 37-26 loss at Hawaii.

Tickets
sjsuspartans.com/tickets

ticketmaster.com

Athletics Ticket Office, 1393 S. 7th Street, San Jose, CA 95112, weekdays, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

For home games at CEFCU Stadium
New modern family plan.

Spartan alumni season ticket pricing in a distinct seating section.

Play-by-play radio coverage
KLIV (1590 AM, San José) originates SJSU football broadcasts. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Hawaii broadcast begins at 3:30 pm with a pregame show.

SJSU’s network affiliate is KION (1460 AM/101.1 FM, Salinas).

KSJS (90.5 FM) also will broadcast the game. The pregame show starts at 3:45 pm.

Television
Spectrum Sports will provide play-by-play coverage of the SJSU-Hawaii game. Robert Kekaula calls the play-by-play. Rich Miano provides analysis and commentary.

The game will be available on the Stadium app for those on the mainland.

Residents of Hawaii can watch the game live on a pay-per-view basis.

Series history
Hawaii leads the series, 20-19-1, with one cancellation. The Rainbow Warriors have won the last two meetings between these teams including a 37-26 decision in Honolulu last year. The Spartans’ last win in the series was a 42-23 road victory in 2015. SJSU’s last victory over Hawai’i in San Jose was on October 14, 2011 when SJSU edged Hawaii, 28-27. The one cancellation in the series was the December 16, 1941 game in Honolulu. The game was canceled following the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. The Spartans traveling party arrived in Hawaii on December 3.

Mountain West openers
SJSU seeks its first win in a Mountain West opener since joining the conference in 2013. The Spartans lost Mountain west openers to Utah State (2013, 2017), Nevada (2014), at Air Force (2015) and at New Mexico (2016). The last time SJSU won a conference opener was in 2008 when SJSU staged a second-half comeback to win at Hawaii, 20-17, when both teams were Western Athletic Conference members.

Three consecutive home games
For the first time since 2007, SJSU’s playing three consecutive games as a home team starting with Hawaii on September 29. The Spartans host Colorado State on October 6 and Army West Point at Levi’s Stadium on October 13. In 2007, SJSU hosted UC Davis, Idaho and Hawaii on consecutive weeks.

Homecoming: The Hawaii game will be SJSU’s Homecoming Game for the 2018 season. SJSU has a record of 47-32-2 in Homecoming Games. When Hawai’i was in San Jose in 2016, the Rainbow Warriors were the Homecoming opponent and emerged with a 34-17 victory.

SJSU’s 1-2 in Homecoming games when Hawaii’s the opponent. The Spartans defeated the Rainbow Warriors, 28-27, in the 2011 Homecoming contest and lost 45-38 in 2005.

Hall of Fame weekend
The Hawaii football game caps a week of SJSU Sports Hall of Fame activities. The 2018 induction ceremony is Friday, September 28. This year’s Hall of Fame class will be introduced during halftime of the football game. After this year’s class, there will be more than 380 individuals and teams enshrined in the SJSU Sports Hall of Fame.

2018 Inductees
Charlie Clark (deceased), track & field & cross country–NCAA steeplechase champion; cross country All-American.

Krazy George, cheerleader (1968-present).

James Jones, football (2003-06)–Super Bowl XLV champion; Most NFL pass receptions by a SJSU football player.

Pat Martinez, softball (1993-96)–Only four-time all-region player.

Juliet Moss, women’s water polo (2006-09)–First Spartan selected to the USA National Team.

Gerardo Padilla, judo (1979-82)–Three-time Olympian representing Mexico.

Lisa Walton, women’s golf (1991-94)–Three-time All-American; 1992 NCAA championship team member.

1971 men’s water polo team–NCAA Championship runner-up with a 20-1 record.

Crawford’s kicks
Senior Bryce Crawford is listed among the top-50 kickers in three categories for the second week in a row. He ranks 33rd in both field goals per game (1.33/game) and field goal accuracy (80.0 percent) and 35th in punting (43.0/punt).

No other FBS kicker is listed in the top-50 in those three categories.

Third in the nation
Senior Dakari Monroe ranks third nationally in passes defended heading into this week’s action. Monroe has a 2.67 per game average with two interceptions, one vs. UC Davis and his second at Oregon, and six pass break ups.

SJSU’s Homecoming is going to be lit, so you should come on down and cheer for the Blue and Gold. The Spartans need more than just luck to snap the three-game losing skid and get their first conference win of the season.

Brent Brennan talks San Jose State homecoming vs. Hawaii in Monday’s presser

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — This week, San Jose State’s goal is to beat Hawaii for the first time since 2015. The Spartans haven’t defeated the Rainbow Warriors since Nick Rolovich was sworn in as Hawaii’s head coach in 2016. But, of course, that’s easier said than done. The Spartans can’t take the 2018 Homecoming game with a grain of salt.

Here’s my Q&A with Spartans head coach Brent Brennan. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading.

1. I saw this past weekend the Spartans’ coaching staff went on the road to find more Spartans from the state of California. How did that search go and were there any players worth noting?
Brennan was unable to talk about the players worth noting, but reassured everybody there were a lot of players worth noting.

Brennan added, “I, and our coaching staff went all over California–Northern California, Sacramento, Southern California, San Diego, Inland Empire and Los Angeles–and we found a lot of talented, hard-working players in the state of California.”

2. Boogie Roberts and Demanuel Talauati earned spots on the PFF College Team of the Week as the two highest-graded defensive linemen in the Mountain West. What could the younger defensive players learn from these two?
For your information, Demanuel Talauati is a true freshman who is learning every time he steps on the field, whether it’s a practice or a game; but he’s a talented young man.

Brennan spoke of Boogie Roberts, saying, “Boogie has been a great leader for us. He has been playing his tail off and I’m really proud of him. And, that defensive front, that group is playing really hard. Bryson Bridges, Sailosi Latu…there are lots of young guys playing there. Obviously, D-Man (Demanuel Talaluati), but there’s also Cameron Alexander, E.J. Ane and many other guys. … I’m encouraged by their play and I’m really proud of Boogie (Roberts).”

3. Beyond Football partnered with Brenda Tracy for a Set The Expectation game on October 6th. What are a few things the fans should know about this upcoming game?
Brennan said, “So that’s going to be our game versus Colorado State in two weeks or 10 days. … Brenda Tracy came and spoke with our team last spring and it was just a really powerful message for everyone who has ever heard it or was in the room that day. … It’s really important for young men, young women, everybody, including adults. … Her story is incredibly compelling. … Partnering with her and Set The Expectation is going to be a really exciting step for our program. I’m excited for our players to be involved with something this proactive and this healthy. … Society–how men and women interact and get along–needs a better step in the right direction.”

Brennan emphasized, “The most important thing…The coaches’ wives are going to be selling t-shirts at the game with Set The Expectation and all the proceeds will be going to Tracy’s program.”

4. SJSU has to heal after back-to-back games against the Pac-12. How prepared are the Spartans coming into Homecoming and how can they get their first conference win of the season?
Brennan said, “We had a good week of practice last week during the bye and we need to have another good week of practice this week. The only way for us to get better is to put in the work and keep taking the steps in the right direction everyday–whether that’s academically, off-the-field, weight room or in the practice environment. The thing I love about this team is that they come to work everyday and they really enjoy being around each other. We got an awesome day today with the San Jose Police Department and they were totally engaged with the lessons and were into the moments. They just enjoyed being around each other.”

Brennan added, “I honestly believe if we continue to work and continue to do things the right way, it’s going to pay off for us. And, in order to beat Hawaii, we need to do a lot of things right. We gotta start by not turning it over. We need to hold up against their offense. Obviously, our offense needs a tune up. We need to do a great job finding and moving the football on the field.”

SJSU has the rest of the week to gear up to host Hawaii this Saturday at 4:00 pm PDT.

NCAAFB podcast with Michelle Richardson: Old Dominion shocked No. 13 Virginia Tech 49-35; Michigan walk-ons carved out own niches; Some teams honored late loved ones

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Photo credit: @oxygencdcom

On the NCAAFB podcast with Michelle:

1. The Old Dominion Monarchs shocked the visiting No. 13 Virginia Tech with a 49-35 upset. Old Dominion quarterback Blake LaRussa came off the bench to throw for 495 yards and four touchdowns.

2. So far, 18 walk-ons have taken Michigan in the first two games of the season. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has been pleased with the walk-ons. After all, these guys took the toughest path possible for life-changing opportunities.

3. Once again, college football has proved that it’s more than a game. Iowa State honored the late female golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena (1996-2018) before their game versus Akron, who they defeated 26-13. Also, University of Maryland sported special helmet decals to honor the late offensive lineman Jordan McNair, who was 19 years old and reportedly didn’t get the best care for his heat stroke over the offseason. In addition, four BYU players had jerseys with the last name Kaufusi to honor their paternal grandfather, Petelo Kaufusi, who passed away last week at the age of 79. Seven of Kaufusi’s eight children played college football for BYU or Utah.

Michelle does the NCAAFB podcasts each Sunday for SportsRadioService.com!

Cardinal pull off come-from-behind win 38-31 to knock off Oregon

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Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, September 22, 2018

The No. 7 Stanford Cardinal used a dramatic, late comeback Saturday to upend the No. 20 Oregon Ducks 38-31 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. The Cardinal overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half.

Colby Parkinson hauled in what became the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime, beating numerous Duck defenders to tip a 23-yard scoring pass to himself from K.J. Costello at the goal line.

On fourth-and-goal to send the game into a second overtime, a pass by Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert was tipped and intercepted by Lameen Murphy in the end zone to wrap up the Cardinal’s victory.

After Stanford recovered a fumble on its own 43-yard line with 51 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Jet Toner connected on a 32-yard field goal as time expired in regulation play, sending the game into overtime.

Costello threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns for the Cardinal (4-0).

It was Oregon’s first loss after three victories.

Oregon jumped to a 24-7 lead, but the momentum shifted when the Cardinal’s Joey Alfieri returned a fumble 80 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

Bryce Love, who sat out last week’s game against UC-Davis to convalesce, ran for 89 yards and a 22-yard touchdown late in the third quarter that cut the Ducks’ lead to 24-21.

Cyrus Habibi-Likio’s 1-yard touchdown run extended the Ducks’ lead to 31-21 with 4:39 to play. Stanford then answered with a 15-yard TD pass from Costello to JJ Arcega-Whiteside making it 31-28 before Sean Barton’s fumble recovery set up the game-tying field goal.

No. 7 Stanford visits No. 8 Notre Dame next Saturday at 4:30 pm PDT.

San Jose State football kept busy during bye week

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State football team went back to work during the much-needed bye week. There was nearly a week of football practices along with two rest days for the players, especially the out-of-town freshmen, to return home and see their friends and families.

Spartans head coach Brent Brennan will address the media members in his weekly press conference at Simpkins Stadium Center on Monday afternoon. But, in the meantime, let’s take a look at what you need to know before the the Spartans’ much-anticipated homecoming game versus the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

Game #4
Upcoming game
San Jose State vs. Hawaii
Saturday, September 29, 2018
CEFCU Stadium, San Jose, Calif., 4:00 p.m. (PT) Spectrum Sports/Stadium

SJSU record
0-3, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost at No. 20/No. 23 Oregon, 35-22, on September 15th.

Hawaii record
3-1, 1-0 Mountain West. The Rainbow Warriors lost at Army West Point, 28-21, on September 15th.

Tickets
sjsuspartans.com/tickets or ticketmaster.com.

The Athletics Ticket Office is located on 1393 S. 7th Street, San José, CA 95112 on weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

What’s new at CEFCU Stadium? 
• New modern family plan
• Spartan alumni season ticket pricing in a distinct seating section

Radio Coverage
KLIV, 1590 AM, San Jose originates SJSU football broadcasts. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Hawaii broadcast begins at 3:30 pm PDT with a pregame show.

SJSU’s network affiliate is KION, 1460 AM/101.1 FM, Salinas.

Television Coverage
Spectrum Sports will provide play-by-play coverage of the SJSU vs. Hawaii game. Robert Kekaula calls the play-by-play. Rich Miano provides analysis and commentary.

Series History
Hawaii leads the series, 20-19-1, with one cancellation. The Rainbow Warriors have won the last two meetings between these teams, including a 37-26 decision in Honolulu last year.

The Spartans’ last win in the series was a 42-23 road victory in 2015. SJSU’s last victory over Hawaii in San Jose was on October 14, 2011 when SJSU edged Hawaii, 28-27.

The one cancellation in the series was the December 16, 1941 game in Honolulu. The game was canceled following the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor. The Spartans’ traveling party arrived in Hawaii on December 3rd.

Three Consecutive Home Games
For the first time since 2007, SJSU’s playing three consecutive games as a home team starting with Hawaii on September 29th. The Spartans host Colorado State on October 6 and Army West Point at Levi’s Stadium in nearby Santa Clara, Calif., on October 13. In 2007, SJSU hosted UC Davis, Idaho and Hawaii on consecutive weeks.

Homecoming
The Hawaii game will be SJSU’s Homecoming Game for the 2018 season. SJSU has a record of 47-32-2 in Homecoming Games.

When Hawaii was in San Jose in 2016, the Rainbow Warriors were the Homecoming opponent and emerged with a 34-17 victory.

SJSU’s 1-2 in Homecoming games when Hawaii is the opponent. The Spartans defeated the Rainbow Warriors, 28-27, in the 2011 Homecoming contest and lost 45-38 in 2005.

Spartans Match 2017 Interception Total
Only three games into the season, SJSU’s six interceptions matches its season total for 2017. The Spartans presently rank seventh nationally with their six interceptions heading into the action the week ending September 22nd. Dakari Monroe and Jesse Osuna share the team lead with two interceptions each and rank tied for 10th nationally in pass interceptions.

A National Co-Leader
Dakari Monroe is one of three players sharing the national lead in passes defended. Monroe has a 2.67 per game average with two interceptions, one vs. UC Davis and his second at Oregon, and six pass break ups.

Tops At His Position
For the second consecutive week, Josh Oliver is the leading pass receiver among FBS tight ends. After three games, Oliver is averaging 6.33 receptions a game and has 19 catches for the season.

Oliver’s the only tight end listed among the FBS’ top 50 pass receivers in games played through September 15th. His 178 receiving yards is second among FBS TEs. USF TE Mitchell Wilcox is first with 182 yards on 14 receptions. Oliver caught a single-game career best eight passes for 86 yards in the opener vs. UC Davis, six at Oregon, including his first touchdown of the season, and five balls for 51 yards at Washington State. 13 of his 19 receptions this season resulted in a SJSU first down.

A High Five For Bryce Crawford 
Bryce Crawford kicked three field goals in a game for the fifth time in his career in the Oregon game. Crawford converted his three attempts of 31, 28 and 25 yards. For the season, he’s 4-of-5 in field goal kicking. His only miss this season is from 53 yards.

San Jose sports podcast with Ana Kieu: Both Earthquakes and Spartans can use paper bags

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes and @SJSUSpartanFB

On the San Jose sports podcast with Ana:

1. The San Jose Earthquakes returned to Avaya Stadium…only to lose to Sporting Kansas City 5-1.

2. Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski put the Native American community first before the match vs. Sporting KC at Avaya Stadium. Wondo is half Native American through his mother, Janis Hoyt, who was born into the Kiowa tribe from Oklahoma. Wondo is also a member of the Kiowa tribe.

3. The Quakes host the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta United at Avaya Stadium tonight. Do you think the Quakes will get blown out again?

4. Despite the 35-22 loss, the San Jose State Spartans put on quite a show against No. 20 Oregon at Autzen Stadium.

5. After the bye week, the Spartans will welcome the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors for this year’s Homecoming game on September 29th. Coach Nick Rolovich and his Rainbow Warriors have proved they weren’t the same team they were last year. What should coach Brent Brennan and his Spartans do in order to prepare for this Mountain West contest? Also, do you think the Spartans can beat Hawaii?

Ana does the San Jose sports podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com!

What’s new with San Jose State football on this much-needed bye week?

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Photo credit: @mercnews

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — While other college football teams will play this weekend, San Jose State got a bye week at a much-needed time. The winless Spartans knew they were in for a long season this year. Although the Spartans’ 0-3, 0-0 MW record doesn’t show their progress, SJSU has been making strides from Washington State to No. 20 Oregon.

This bye week should help the Spartans recuperate, regroup and reevaluate their ways. The Spartans will be facing an improved Hawaii Rainbow Warriors team at SJSU’s Homecoming game on September 29th. And, if you’re a Spartan alumni, don’t forget to RSVP for the Fire on the Fountain Alumni Social by September 24th.

As usual, Spartans head coach Brent Brennan held his weekly press conference at Simpkins Stadium Center on Monday. Here’s my Q&A with Brennan.

1. How are you going to make sure the Spartans will build on their most recent performance for a win versus the Rainbow Warriors?
The greatest thing is that we have this bye week so this will give us the chance to prepare with an extra few days of practice. When we went on that trip last week, we had 75 guys on the plane–50 of them were first or second year players. The traveling team was pretty young, but when they were on the field that was loud and rowdy, they were able to handle it well. The team needs time to develop. They need to practice this week so we’ll get a week of practice. We’re going to have a really good week of practice today, Tuesday and Wednesday, and we’re going to let them have two days off, and hopefully, we get a little bit refreshed. … Some of those young guys need to go home and see their families as they haven’t seen them in a couple of months and maybe go watch their high school teams play or something like that and then we get back to work Sunday. We got a big week of work and I’m excited to put in the work and get ready to go.

2. How are you going to get a more effective run game?
We’re going to work on it this week and I think that hopefully the work the offensive line has been doing is kind of going to show that we’ve come together. Obviously, that’s a really important piece for us. When you’re going against a front like Oregon, you know it’s going to be a tough battle running the football against that group. It’s just with their size and their length. I thought there were a couple more runs there that we just missed or kind of got out of a gap. … But the forefront is what we’re talking about offensively right now. We gotta find a way to run the football.

3. What did Army do to hand Hawaii their first loss on the season and how are you going to help the Spartans stifle the Rainbow Warrior offense?
I’d say stifling the Rainbow Warrior offense is an incredible challenge. They did really, really good. Their quarterback is an excellent player. They got great guys on the skill positions. They looked really good and their offensive line…we know a lot of guys from that coaching staff, a lot of good offensive minds on that staff starting with their head coach Nick Rolovich. Our team, our defensive staff has a real challenge getting into dialed into what they do. … The Army game against Hawaii–the biggest thing is that they controlled the possession of the ball and did a really nice job.

This morning, Dr. Harry Edwards talked to the Spartans and told them that the shortcut was hard work and there was no actual shortcut, which were some wise words coming from an even wiser man.

“That’s what this week is all about,” Brennan said. “The physical practices, a lot of focus on fundamentals, a lot of focus on getting our young guys more up to speed and closer to being game ready. … As we get into our conference games, it’s going to be a long stretch and these guys got to be ready to play.”

Three takeaways from SJSU at Oregon

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

After thousands of folks predicted that the San Jose State Spartans would suffer a blowout from the No. 20 Oregon Ducks, SJSU proved those folks wrong. No, SJSU didn’t pull off an upset over Oregon (though, that would’ve been one of the biggest storylines in the college football world), but they lost by just 13 points, 35-22, at Autzen Stadium.

Here are three takeaways from SJSU at Oregon. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

3. Underdogs, maybe? 
The Spartans came into Autzen Stadium as 41.5-point underdogs. Not even the Spartan fans were confident in the Spartans coming close to the Ducks, but the Spartans managed to beat the spread, which was a step in the right direction.

The Spartans shook off a slow start after trailing the Ducks 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. SJSU scored six points in the second and third quarters and 10 in the fourth quarter. Oregon held on for a 35-22 win for a 3-0 record. Yes, SJSU’s record fell to 0-3, but the hapless Spartans put up a gutsy show against a talented Ducks team. The Spartans just need to refresh themselves during the bye week and build momentum for the SJSU Homecoming game vs. Hawaii on September 29th.

2. Solid Spartan defense
The solid Spartan defense looked good–if not, great–against the high-octane Duck offense. Also, the Spartans’ kicking game looked spectacular. Bryce Crawford went 3-for-3 on field goals. Two of Crawford’s field goals came in the second quarter–a 31-yarder and 28-yarder–and the latter came in the fourth quarter–a 25-yarder.

Also, the Spartans’ special teams caught the eyes of Spartan fans everywhere. Of course, there was the blocked field goal; but there was also Thai Cotrell’s amazing return game. Cotrell had two kick returns for 121 yards, However, one of Cotrell’s stood out and that was his 96-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter. Cotrell’s kickoff return was a career-long (and the longest kickoff return) by a Spartan player without scoring a touchdown in school history.

1. Struggling Spartan offense
The struggling Spartan offense needs a tune up in the bye week. So the bye week couldn’t have come at a better team for the Spartans, whose wide receivers were tormented by the Ducks’ substantial secondary.

Sure, Josh Oliver and Bailey Gaither were the bright spots when it came to Spartans’ wide receivers, but this past Saturday proved to be too much for the Spartan offense. The Ducks’ aggressive pass rush was another factor that stifled the Spartan offense.

Although the Spartans had offensive struggles, they still had a lot to be happy about their most recent road performance. There’s nowhere to look, but up.

Before I hit the publish button, I’d just like to wish Jeremy Kelly and Duane Tuitasi their respective belated birthdays. Have a great bye week, guys.

SJSU shows improvement, despite 35-22 loss to Oregon

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Photo credit: @lawrencefansjsu

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans had a tough customer in the No. 20 Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Autzen Stadium is one of the best stadiums in the country. Both Ducks and Spartans fans flocked to Eugene, Ore. to watch their favorite teams go head-to-head with each other. Though, the latter lacked in quantity in the Pacific Northwest. Still, this FBS and Pac-12 matchup was a sight to see.

Turnovers have been an issue for the Spartans, who suffered from another mishap Saturday. Josh Love’s pass was intercepted by Jevon Holland early in the first quarter. Then, the Ducks took a 7-0 lead at the 11:18 mark after four plays over 23 yards in a 1:36 span. Cyrus Habibi-Likio scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown. Zach Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

The Spartans have struggled with moving the ball and the deficiencies showed when the Ducks took a 14-0 lead with 7:10 left in the first quarter. Jacob Breeman scored a 66-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Justin Herbert. Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

The Ducks led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Spartans finally got on the board at the 10:56 mark of the second quarter. Bryce Crawford kicked in a 31-yard field goal to reduce the SJSU deficit to 14-3.

The Spartans worked some more magic into the scoreboard. Crawford kicked in a 28-yard field goal to cut the SJSU deficit to 14-6 with 2:58 left in the second quarter.

The Ducks, however, extended its lead to 21-6 just 30 seconds later. Johnny Johnson III scored a 39-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Herbert. Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

The Spartans shocked most of the 54,000 fans in attendance as Tre Webb tipped the ball to Dakari Monroe with only seven seconds left in the second quarter. This was Monroe’s second interception of the season.

The Spartans trailed the Ducks 21-6 at halftime. But SJSU’s offense has started to wake up and that was a good thing.

Josh Oliver made a flawless catch off a pass from Josh Love for a 7-yard passing touchdown with five minutes left in the third quarter. The Ducks challenged the Spartans’ play, but the call on the field stood. The Spartans then went for the two-point conversion, but it was overturned as Bailey Gaither was unable to slide his foot. The score stood at 28-12 in favor of the Ducks.

The Spartans trailed the Ducks 28-12 at the end of the third quarter.

The Ducks expanded its lead to 35-12 at the 14:49 mark of the fourth quarter. Johnson III scored his second touchdown of the game–a 22-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Herbert–and Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

Crawford kicked his third field goal of the game–a 25-yard field goal–just 1:07 later to bring the Spartans within 20. The Ducks held on to a 35-15 lead.

Spartan fans breathed a sigh of relief as the Spartans scored its first touchdown of the game to pull within 13. Malik Roberson scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown for his first of the season. Crawford’s PAT kick was good. The Ducks held on to a 35-22 lead with 4:03 left in the fourth quarter.

There weren’t any brownie points in college football, but the Spartans put on a much-better show at Autzen Stadium, despite the 35-22 loss to No. 20 Oregon.

Notes
Spartans’ starters
Offense: Montel Aaron, Justin Holmes, JaQuan Blackwell, Malik Roberson, Jackson Snyder, Trevor Robbins, Jake Colman, Deano Motes, Troy Kowalski, Bailey Gaither and Josh Oliver.

Defense: Jesse Osuna, John Toussaint, Tre Webb, Sailosi Latu, Boogie Roberts, Bryson Bridges, Dakari Monroe, Jonathan Lenard Jr., Tysyn Parker and Ethan Aguayo.

Up Next 
The Spartans have a much-needed bye week and then return to CEFCU Stadium to host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday, September 29 at 4:00 pm PDT.

Stanford survives slow start to down UC Davis 30-10

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Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By Jeremy Harness

STANFORD, Calif. – It’s a good thing that the scoreboard doesn’t have pictures or game film.

The quality of play left a lot to be desired from both teams. Saturday morning’s game at Stanford Stadium featured shanked punts, botched fake punts, scratch-your-head interceptions, late hits that were not called, and just overall bad football.

However, the Stanford Cardinal pushed through all of that to get their third straight win to start the season and keep its No. 9 national ranking intact with a (30-3) win over UC Davis. What was much more deceiving than the score was the official attendance on Saturday, which was announced as 31,772. Looking into the stands, which were more than half empty, a four-digit number would have been much more accurate.

Getting past all of that, one thing is abundantly clear going forward: Stanford will have to play a lot better if they are going to beat a much-improved Oregon team, which will be waiting for the Cardinal upon their arrival in Eugene next Saturday.

Quarterback K.J Costello overcame a horrific start to lead the Cardinal to victory. He completed 17 of his 30 throws for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He was visibly off target in the early going, as he also threw two interceptions, both coming in the first quarter. Although he completed his first pass of the game for a first down, that momentum quickly fizzled, and the Cardinal’s opening drive resulted in a punt.

Stanford’s second possession ended up abruptly when Costello’s pass over the middle was intercepted, giving UC Davis the ball on Stanford’s 12-yard line. The Aggies converted that into a field goal to give them an early 3-0 lead.

Stanford averted disaster on its third drive when Costello appeared to have thrown an inadvertent backward pass and was ruled a live ball, which linebacker Nas Anesi scooped up and jaunted into the end zone untouched to give the Aggies a shocking 9-0 lead.

That play was reviewed, and it was then determined that the ball was thrown forward, therefore an incomplete pass, and the touchdown was taken off the board.

That good fortune vanished into the wind on the very next play, however, as Costello sailed another pass over the middle and had it picked off by sophomore defensive back Isaiah Thomas (not to be confused with the point guard for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets).

The defense held up remarkably well during that stretch, and the offense eventually got itself together in the second quarter. That’s when the Cardinal drove deep into UC Davis territory and took the lead, as J.J Arcega-Whiteside posted up cornerback Vincent White in the end zone, giving Costello a relatively easy 9-yard touchdown pass.

Late in the quarter, Stanford got into the red zone and Arcega-Whiteside got position in the end zone again, this time on cornerback Jordan Perryman. Costello found him once more, and the 8-yard score capped off a seven-play, 62-yard drive and gave the Cardinal a 17-3 lead, which stood at halftime.

A botched fake punt gave the Cardinal the ball on the Aggies’ 19-yard line for its first possession of the second half. After a three-and-out, Stanford settled for a field goal, increasing its lead to 20-3.

Following a Stanford touchdown, UC Davis had another crack at a score, pushing into the red zone. However, that hope was dashed when freshman Thomas Booker picked off a tipped pass.

That was, until UC Davis converted a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown, which was rather meaningless – college fantasy football does not exist, folks – but it changed the overall score nonetheless.

The No. 9 Cardinal head to Autzen Stadium next Saturday, September 22 to take on the No. 20 Oregon Ducks at 5:00 pm PDT on ABC.