Tag: San Jose State

San Jose State football earns more than just a win over Arkansas

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State Spartans football team earned more than just a 31-24 win over Arkansas inside Razorback Stadium last Saturday. The Spartans were also honored as Mountain West Players of the Week and the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week, respectively.

Here are the respective press releases:

Spartans Honored As Mountain West Players Of The Week
San Jose State quarterback Josh Love and defensive Bobby Brown, II were named the Mountain West Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, by the conference office.

Both players were instrumental in San Jose State’s 31-24 win at the University of Arkansas on Saturday, September 21.

Love completed a single-game career-high 32 pass on 49 attempts with one interception for 402 yards and two first-half touchdowns. With the score tied 24-24 late in the fourth quarter, Love engineered a five-play, 75-yard game-winning touchdown drive for San Jose State’s first win against a SEC opponent in school history.

Brown, II intercepted two passes and was credited with seven tackles in the team’s first road win since the 2016 season. His second interception came on Arkansas’ final offensive play of the game to ensure the Spartans’ victory.

San Jose State Named Reveal Suits National Team Of The Week
The Spartans scored on DeJon Packer’s 19-yard run with 1:13 left to break a 24-24 tie and win their first road game since 2016 and record their first non-conference road win since 2012, posting a 31-24 at Arkansas that superseded a host of other worthy candidates. For winning their first game over an SEC school, San Jose State (2-1) has earned the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 21.

The announcement came on “Full Ride” on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM. Each Monday during the season the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week will be unveiled on the network. The FWAA’s All-America Committee selects the weekly winner and all Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.

This is the first time for San Jose State to win the FWAA’s National Team of the Week honor and the first for a Mountain West conference member since Wyoming on October 29, 2016.

The Spartans never trailed and led 24-7 at halftime — their largest lead in any game dating back to the 2016 season — and broke a 26-game losing streak to teams from the Power 5 conferences that dated back to 2006 at Stanford.

San Jose State got contributions in all three phases. Quarterback Josh Love completed a career-high 32 passes in 49 attempts for 402 yards and two touchdowns, his second career 400-yard game. The Spartan defense snagged five interceptions, most since 2008 at Hawaii. Kicker Matt Mercurio hit a career-long 47-yard field goal in the second quarter to extend the lead to 17-7.

“What a night for these players, these coaches and these fans,” head coach Brent Brennan said. “Obviously, when you look at the schedule, this is one of those games that everybody talks about. Sometimes it’s hard to get your team to focus on anything else because you are going on the road to play a SEC opponent like Arkansas with its history, how special this place is, the stadium, the crowd and all that stuff. Coming off a loss two weeks ago, our players just went to work. We practiced during the bye week a lot. I’m sure the players didn’t like that, but I think now they understand why. I’m just really proud of them because this has been a team.”

Here’s the scoop on what’s going on this week:

When asked about how he’s going to prepare for Air Force, head coach Brent Brennan said, “We’re going to get an incredible test of physicality and that’s something that we have to prepare for and be ready for because of who we’re playing, the type of team that we’ll be playing, and of course, the type of football that they’ll play.”

“The difference is that you’re playing an SEC school and they’ve got a bunch of big bodies — big, long, athletic bodies. Now, you’ve come to the Air Force Academy and they have some of those, but they don’t have a team like those. What they got is a bunch of badass dudes that like to play football and they’re going to do it right every time. These guys are being trained to defend our country and I’m pretty sure they’re going to be physical. They’re violent and nasty and we got to be ready for them.”

Up Next: The Spartans open Mountain West action on Friday, September 27 at Air Force in a 5 p.m. PT conference contest.

San Jose State stuns Arkansas in 31-24 road win

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By Ana Kieu

San Jose State hit the road for the first time this season to face the Arkansas Razorbacks in a nationally televised game on SEC Network.

SJSU started on offense and got on the board first. Fifth-year senior quarterback Josh Love threw a 3-yard pass to JaQuan Blackwell for the first touchdown of the game (and on the first drive). Matt Mecurio kicked in the extra point. It was 7-0 SJSU at 12:44 of the first quarter.

The Spartan defense held the Razorbacks to a 3-and-out on their first possession. Arkansas went for it on 4th and 2 from the 4-yard line and “stuffed” so the Spartans took over on downs with 6:02 left in the first.

With his first reception as a Spartan true freshman, Isaiah Holiness went for 32 yards to the 50-yard line. However, Mercurio’s 46-yard field goal attempt was no good.

After that, Arkansas took over as they scored on a 62-yard pass play to tie the game 7-7 with 1:07 left in the first. Nick Starkel threw a 62-yard pass to Mike Woods for the touchdown. Connor Limpert kicked in the extra point.

Love attempted to hit Isaiah Hamilton on the deep ball, but it was intercepted by Arkansas, who took over at the 34-yard line with 32 seconds left in the first.

The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the first.

SJSU went on a bursting run in the second quarter. Ethan Aguayo recorded his first interception of the season and the Spartans took it back on the first play of the second. Two plays later, freshman quarterback Nick Nash ran for a 15-yard touchdown to help the Spartans regain the lead 14-7 at 14:18 of the second. Mercurio kicked in the extra point.

Mercurio hit a career-long 47-yard field goal to give the Spartans a 17-7 lead with 6:09 left in the second. Love then threw a 26-yard pass to Holiness for the touchdown. Mercurio kicked in the extra point. The Spartans led 24-7 with 1:06 left in the second and carried a 24-7 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Arkansas pulled within 14 on Limpert’s 48-yard field goal with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

SJSU led 24-10 at the end of the third.

Arkansas continued to pull closer. Starkel threw a 30-yard pass to Tyson Morris for the touchdown. Limpert kicked in the extra point. Arkansas, however, still trailed 24-17 at 13:10 of the fourth quarter.

The Spartan defense made a big stop on the third down. As a result, SJSU got the ball back on their own 44 with 9:09 left in the fourth.

The Spartans were concerned for a bit as the Razorbacks tied the game 24-24 with 2:56 left in the fourth. Starkel threw a 8-yard pass to Trey Knox for the touchdown. Limpert kicked in the extra point. But the Spartans came through at the right time when DeJon Packer ran for 19 yards for the final touchdown and Mercurio kicked in the final extra point for a 31-24 lead with 1:13 left in the fourth.

SJSU (2-1) defeated Arkansas (2-2) by a final of 31-24.

SJSU heads to Falcon Stadium to take on the Air Force Falcons on Friday, September 27 at 5 p.m. PT.

New Spartan Club targets young San Jose State alumni

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By Ana Kieu

Young San Jose State University alumni and Spartan fans now have an exclusive new way to connect and engage with San Jose State Athletics through the launch of the New Spartan Club.

Alumni and fans ages 32 and under who give $50.00 or more to the Spartan Athletics Fund will be enrolled in the New Spartan Club.

Join the New Spartan Club and check your email for invitations to exclusive events and game day experiences. When signing up online, please include “New Spartan Club” in the Special Instructions field.

The New Spartan Club will open doors to some of San Jose State’s best game day experiences while supporting Spartan student-athletes.

Join now and register for the New Spartan Club’s launch event — a watch-party for the September 27 San Jose State at Air Force football game — at Fourth Street Pizza in downtown San Jose located at the corner of Fourth & San Carlos Streets. Kickoff and the watch party starts at 5:00 p.m. PT.

In addition to the upcoming watch-party, hospitality benefits of the New Spartan Club include: An exclusive 2019 Homecoming football experience on October 19, New Spartan Club night at the Hardwood Lounge during basketball season, and networking events in downtown San Jose.

The New Spartan Club benefits the Spartan Athletics Fund, which provides resources for student-athletes and coaches in San Jose State’s 22 NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics programs. For questions regarding the New Spartan Club or the Spartan Athletics Fund, dial (408) 924-1450 or email spartanathleticsfund@sjsu.edu.

SJSU football returns to action on Saturday at Arkansas

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By Ana Kieu

As the bye week comes to an end, San Jose State football will return to action at Arkansas on Saturday. In preparation for the upcoming road game, SJSU has been watching tape and holding practices, but we’ll see how things pan out since this is the Spartans we’re talking about.

Anywho, here are the details on Saturday’s game.

Game #3
San Jose State at Arkansas
Saturday, September 21, 2019,
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
6:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. PT, SEC Network

SJSU record: 1-1, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost a non-conference contest to Tulsa, 34-16, on September 7.

Arkansas record: 2-1, 0-1 SEC. The Razorbacks downed Colorado State, 55-34, on September 14.

Series history: This will be the first meeting between these teams.

Play-by-play radio coverage: KKSF (910 AM, Oakland), RealTalk 910, is the new flagship radio station for San Jose State football. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Tim Crawley provides commentary.

The Arkansas broadcast begins at 4:00 p.m. PT before game time with a pregame show.

Network affiliates: KION (1460 AM/101.1 FM, Salinas), KFIV (1360 AM, Modesto), KWSX (1280 AM, Stockton).

The SJSU-Arkansas broadcast with Allegri and Crawley calling the action also will be carried on www.siriusxm.com Channel 986.

Television: The SEC Network will provide broadcast coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT/4;30 p.m. PT. Dave Neal calls the play-by-play. D.J. Shockley provides commentary. Dawn Davenport is the sideline reporter. The SEC Network is available on AT&T U-Verse Channel 607, Comcast Channel 421, DirecTV Channel 611, DISH Network Channel 404 and on Watch ESPN.

SJSU & Arkansas’ Super Bowl head coaching history: SJSU and Arkansas are two of the six colleges and universities claiming two alums as Super Bowl-winning head coaches.

For SJSU, Bill Walsh coached the San Francisco 49ers to victories in Super Bowls XVI (1982), XIX (1985) and XXIII (1989) and Dick Vermeil led the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV (2000).

For Arkansas, Jimmy Johnson coached the Dallas Cowboys to Super Bowl XXVII (1993) and XXVIII (1994) wins. Barry Switzer took over for Johnson and coached Dallas to a Super Bowl XXX (1996) title.

The other four schools with two alums coaching teams to Super Bowl victories are Dayton (Chuck Noll and Jon Gruden), Miami (Ohio) (Weeb Ewbank and John Harbaugh), Eastern Illinois (Mike Shanahan and Sean Payton) and the University of the Pacific, 70 miles east of SJSU and an institution that no longer has football (Tom Flores and Pete Carroll).

Arkansas ties: Current Arkansas assistant coach Barry Lunney, Jr., was SJSU’s quarterbacks coach during the 2003 and 2004 seasons and co-offensive coordinator in 2004. The Spartans’ starting quarterback in 2003 was Scott Rislov, who went on to play three seasons of ARENA and one season of ARENA2 football.

Lunney coached three different starting quarterbacks in 2004, all of whom played in the October 2 NCAA record-setting contest for most points scored by two teams in a regulation four-quarter game won by SJSU, 70-63, over Rice. The Spartans trailed, 34-7, and took their first lead of the game with their final touchdown in the fourth quarter. The FBS two-team scoring record for a regulation game lasted until Pitt defeated Syracuse, 76-61, on November 26, 2016.

Former Razorbacks assistant coach Dr. Fitz Hill (1992-00) was SJSU’s head coach for four seasons (2001-04). He compiled a win-loss head coaching record of 14-33. The Spartans’ best season was in 2002 with a 6-7 record playing 13 games, nine of them on the road, in 13 weeks.

Arkansas graduate Keith Burns was an assistant coach at SJSU during the 2004 through 2009 seasons primarily as the defensive coordinator.

Former Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson (2010-11) was a SJSU graduate assistant in 1979 coaching linebackers.

Aguayo has himself another week: For the second consecutive week, SJSU linebacker Ethan Aguayo is the FBS national leader in tackles per game at 17.0.

Aguayo opened the season matching a single-game career best 20 tackles in the Northern Colorado victory on August 29. He added a game-high 14 stops in the September 7 game vs. Tulsa.

SJSU’s Aguayo is FBS National Leader in Tackles per Game

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By Ana Kieu

For the second consecutive week, San Jose State linebacker Ethan Aguayo is the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) national leader in tackles per game.

Aguayo, a senior and three-year starter opened the 2019 season matching a single-game career best 20 tackles in the Northern Colorado win on August 29. He followed up with a game-high 14 stops against Tulsa on September 7 for national-leading 17.0 tackles per game average.

When Aguayo first stepped foot on campus in 2015, he had no idea the kind of impact he was going to make for the Spartans’ football program. A walk-on that played receiver and defensive back in high school at JSerra Catholic High in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., he joined the team for fall preseason drills prior to the 2015 season and impressed the coaches enough to earn a spot on the scout team. Still, he had a long way to go to achieve his goal of becoming a starter.

Fast forward to the start of the 2019 season. Aguayo, now standing 6’2″ and weighing 228 pounds, is no longer an undersized wide receiver and defensive back. He’s the Spartans’ top returning linebacker with 277 career tackles to his name and a chance to earn a spot in the school’s top 10 all-time in career tackles before the season comes to an end.

So what was the catalyst for Ethan in his transformation from receiver to linebacker, his ability to earn a scholarship and become a leader of the program? In his words, it’s all about consistency. He strived for consistency in all aspects of his game back in 2015 and continues to do the same things to do this day.

“Being in the situation I am now, I look back and still fall back on the same things that I was doing as a walk-on,” Aguayo said. “That means staying consistent on the field, staying mentally locked in, go to the meetings and just give a full effort every day.”

IMPROVING EVERY YEAR: After redshirting that first season, Aguayo immediately began to make a bigger impact as a redshirt freshman in 2016, appearing in 12 games and making 10 starts. The following season, he started nine more games and was ninth in the conference with 8.4 tackles per game.

Last season was when Aguayo put everything together. He earned an honorable mention All-Mountain West nod after finishing fifth in the conference and 29th nationally with 9.6 tackles per game while making 11 starts. He posted a team-high 106 total tackles and had a game to remember in front of the home crowd of CEFCU Stadium on November 17 against Nevada. He racked up 20 tackles against the Wolf Pack — the first Spartan to do so since Keith Smith in 2013 at Minnesota.

“That was a game that sticks out to me,” Aguayo said. “I had always imagined what 20 tackles would be like, so that was a cool experience to get that in my pocket.”

READY TO LEAD: Despite his success on the field, Aguayo remains one of the most humble members of the Spartan football team. He knows his role and wants to excel at it, but at the end of the day, he’s just there to help the team win. He has grown throughout the years and is a clear-cut leader on the defense — another role that he relishes in.

“I just want to be consistent on the field, stay locked in and do my job in getting everybody right,” Aguayo said. “When things start to go sideways, being able to draw everyone back together and let them know that it is a four-quarter game not to panic. I want to be that voice for our defense.”

As you look back over Aguayo’s career, it’s easy to imagine anyone pulling for the guy to succeed. His consistency since his first day in a Spartan uniform has led the way and it shows on paper. His tackle total has increased each season and jumped from 53 as a freshman to 106 as a junior. He overcame adversity, rose to every challenge and is the leader of the defense. He believes that if he can do it then anyone can and encourages players in similar situations to follow in his footsteps.

“People love to see consistency whether it’s on the football field, in life or in the work space,” Aguayo said. “Consistency is what is going to get you to the top. For me personally, being consistent is what got me to where I am now. Now, I tell some of that guys that are currently walk-ons that it is consistency that will get them where they want to go.

“It doesn’t matter where you start on the depth chart. All that matters is that you’re willing to give that effort and have that consistency every day,” Aguayo added.

Talk about consistency, Aguayo picked up right where he left off in 2018. In the 35-18 win over Northern Colorado in the season opener, he was in on 20 tackles, a quarterback sack, and 2.0 tackles for loss. If that sounds familiar, his 20 tackles matches his career-high 20 tackles in last year’s game vs. Nevada.

HIKING WITH “NOODLES”: With a nose for the ball and a tenacious personality on the field, it surprises some to learn that off the field, he’s a quiet, reserved young man that has a heart of gold. He’s a huge dog lover and met his best friend, Noodles, back in 2017. The two have formed a bond that has made them inseparable.

“I adopted Noodles from the San Jose Animal Shelter,” Aguayo said. “He loves to go on hikes. He’s pretty friendly, but when he gets tested he will fight back a little bit. He’s small but he’s aggressive. He and I like to hang out. We both like to nap together. Whatever I do, he’ll do. He’s kind of my best friend.”

Whether he’s spending time with Noodles or spending time in the opponent’s backfield, Aguayo’s poised to have a big career ahead of him, whether that career will be in the NFL or elsewhere. Either way, he’s prepared for it.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, of course,” Aguayo said. “I think that anyone that has played football dreams about getting to that next level. But I also know that football doesn’t last forever. So while I’m interested in the NFL, I’m interested in the rest of my life, too.”

San Jose State MBB announces 2019-20 TV schedule and tip-off times

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By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For the first time since 2011, San Jose State men’s basketball will play a home game that will be broadcast to a national audience on the ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. SJSU will host Utah State on Dec. 4 in a game that will be broadcast on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.

The game is one of eight nationally televised games the Spartans will play as part of their 2019-20 schedule. SJSU will also play on ESPN2 or ESPNU when they visit Logan, Utah for their contest with USU.

The fans’ first chance to catch the Spartans on television will be on Nov. 27 when SJSU and Oregon State face off on FS1 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.

The Spartans then return to the Event Center for the big matchup versus USU. The game will be the first since Feb. 23, 2011 that SJSU will host ESPN2 or ESPNU at their home court.

CBS Sports Network will carry the Dec. 14, game against Stanford at 4:00 p.m. PT in the second of three televised home games.

AT&T SportsNet will carry three road games and the regular season finale at home versus UNLV on Saturday, Feb. 29.

All other SJSU men’s basketball games will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

Season and single game tickets for all men’s and women’s basketball games go on sale Oct. 1.

San Jose State men’s basketball Director of Basketball Operations, Trent Miyagishima, is a new favorite

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By Ana Kieu

Every successful men’s basketball program has the same key ingredients – a great coach and coaching staff, great players and great support. Well, at least those are the ingredients that the fans see on the surface. Beneath the surface, there are plenty of other components that go into making (and sustaining) a successful program. There’s scheduling team travel, making hotel reservations, overseeing day-to-day duties to ensure that all the little things run smoothly, and analyzing the stats on the bench to help the staff make game adjustments — just to name a few.

All of these crucial yet overlooked details fall on the shoulders of the Director of Basketball Operations, and at San Jose State we have one of the best in the business – Trent Miyagishima.

Miyagishima joined the San Jose State men’s basketball program back in 2011 as a Team Manager and has stuck around ever since. He has been on staff longer than any of the current coaches and has climbed his way up the ladder, taking on new responsibilities and challenges each season.

Beginning in 2015, Miyagishima, who graduated from San Jose State with a degree in Communication Studies in 2017, became the Head Manager and in 2017, he took over the role of Video Coordinator. In the role, he was responsible for shooting, editing and analyzing video from all practices and all games.

Prior to last season, Miyagishima took the next step in his professional career as he was promoted to the Director of Operations. Tasked with overseeing all the day-to-day functions of the San Jose State men’s basketball program, while continuing to handle the Video Coordinator duties, he has excelled in the role and is one of the most important members of the Spartan program.

San Jose State heads into first of two bye weeks

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By Ana Kieu

San Jose State headed into the first of two bye weeks. The first began on Monday, September 9th and the second will take place on Sunday, November 10th following the Spartans’ road game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in Halawa, Hawaii Saturday, November 9th.

Here are the details on SJSU’s next game.

Game #3
SJSU at Arkansas
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
6:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. PT, SEC Network

SJSU record: 1-1, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, SJSU lost a non-conference contest to Tulsa, 34-16, on September 7.

Arkansas record: 1-1, 0-1 SEC. The Razorbacks lost at Ole Miss, 31-17, on September 7. Arkansas hosts Colorado State on September 14 before facing SJSU.

Series history: This is the first meeting between these teams.

Aiming for a road victory: SJSU plays its first road game of the season at Arkansas. The Spartans are seeking their first road win in 14 games since leaving Fresno State with a 16-14 triumph on November 26, 2016.

The last time SJSU won a road game in Central Time Zone was a 52-24 victory over UTSA in the Alamodome on October 20, 2012. Since then, the Spartans are 0-6 in games played in the Central Time Zone with losses to Auburn and Minnesota, twice each, and Tulsa and Iowa State, once each.

Another chance for 2-1: SJSU has its next opportunity to have a 2-1 win-loss record after three games when it plays Arkansas.

The last time the Spartans had a 2-1 record after three games was in 2012 when SJSU topped Colorado State, 40-20, in its third game of the season en route to an 11-2 overall record and a #21-ranking in the final AP poll.

Since then, the Spartans had chances in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

Play-by-play radio coverage: KKSF (910 AM, Oakland), RealTalk 910, is the new flagship radio station for SJSU football. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Tim Crawley provides commentary. The Arkansas broadcast begins at 4:00 p.m. PT before game time with a pregame show.

Network affiliates are KION (1460 AM/101.1 FM, Salinas), KFIV (1360 AM, Modesto), KWSX (1280 AM, Stockton).

Television: The SEC Network will provide broadcast coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT/4;30 p.m. PT. The SEC Network is available on AT&T U-Verse Channel 607, Comcast Channel 421, DirecTV Channel 611, DISH Network Channel 404 and on Watch ESPN.

Aiming for a road win: SJSU plays its first road game of the season at Arkansas. The Spartans are seeking their first road win in 14 games since leaving Fresno State with a 16-14 triumph on November 26, 2016.

Returning to Arkansas: SJSU has the opportunity to play in its third different football venue when it plays Arkansas on September 21.

Previously, the Spartans won their 2002 season opener against Arkansas State at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, 33-18, on August 31.

SJSU’s first trip to Arkansas resulted in a 21-7 loss to Arkansas State at Indian Stadium, now known as Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro.

Spartans break onside trend: For the first time since the November 1, 2014 Colorado State game, SJSU recovered an onside kick when Christian Webb came up with the football in a successful attempt in the Tulsa game.

The Spartans had gone 0-for-10 in onside kick attempts during the 2015 through 2018 seasons.

Two games, no pass interceptions thrown: After two games, SJSU hasn’t given up the football via a pass interception. In comparison to the 2018 season, Spartan passers three interceptions.

The last time SJSU did not have a pass intercepted after the first two games was in the 2004 season. The Spartans played their first three games without an interception in 67 pass attempts and were intercepted on their third pass attempt in the 70-63 comeback win over Rice.

Tulsa hands San Jose State first loss of the season, 34-16

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By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State hoped to wrap up the back end of a two-game home-and-home series with a win over Tulsa at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday night. The Spartans beat Tulsa for the first time since November 16, 2002. But that didn’t happen.

Shamari Brooks ran for a nine-yard rushing touchdown to help the Golden Hurricane open the scoring. Jacob Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 7-0 with 7:48 left in the first quarter.

Tulsa stopped the touchdown, but Matt Mercurio kicked a 22-yard field goal — his first collegiate field goal — to get the Spartans back within four with 3:59 left in the first.

San Jose State trailed 7-3 at the end of the first.

Zach Smith cashed in with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Carter, who scored an eight-yard passing touchdown to extend the lead. Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 14-3 at 14:53 of the second quarter.

Josh Love found a wide-open Jermaine Braddock for a 23-yard touchdown. The Spartans got within four with 6:31 left in the second. Love also had a 17-yard completion alongside Bailey Gaither.

The Spartans held the Golden Hurricane to a field goal late in the first half. Rainey kicked a 27-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-10 with 2:50 left in the second.

San Jose State trailed 17-10 at the halftime break.

The Spartans stopped the touchdown, but Rainey kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 20-10 with 3:03 left in the third quarter.

San Jose State trailed 20-10 at the end of the third.

The Spartans continued to struggle with stifling the Golden Hurricane offense in the fourth quarter. TK Wilkerson ran for a three-yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead. Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 27-10 at 13:21 of the fourth.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Wilkerson scored his second touchdown of the game–a 17-yard rushing touchdown–to extend the lead. Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 34-10 at 10:12 of the fourth.

Nick Nash scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown to pull the Spartans within 18 with 2:37 left in the fourth. However, it sparked some controversy as the Spartans went for the onside kick and recovered it, the play was under review and the call stood. It was a San Jose State ball.

The Golden Hurricane ran out the clock and the Spartans called it a night. San Jose State (1-1) lost to Tulsa (1-1) by a final of 34-16.

The Spartans have a bye week then take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Razorback Stadium on Saturday, September 21. Game time TBD.

San Jose State stays home to host Tulsa, aim for 2-0 record

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By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State opened the 2019 season with a 35-18 victory over Northern Colorado at CEFCU Stadium last Thursday. In addition, fifth-year linebacker Ethan Aguayo ranked second in the nation with 20 total tackles and one sack. But can the Spartans keep up in Saturday’s home game vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane? We’ll see.

Here’s the SJSU football weekly press release!

Game #2
SJSU vs. Tulsa
Saturday, September 7, 2019
CEFCU Stadium, 6:00 p.m. PT, ESPN3

SJSU record: 1-0, 0-0 Mountain West. The Spartans opened the season with a 35-18 win over Northern Colorado.

Tulsa record: 0-1, 0-0 American Athletic Conference. The Golden Hurricane lost at Michigan State, 28-7, in their season opener.

Series history: Tulsa leads the series, 4-3. This game is the back-end of a two-game, home-and-home agreement. Most recently, Tulsa downed SJSU, 45-10, in the 2016 season opener for both teams.

Previously, the two squads faced each other annually between 1999 and 2004 when both schools were members of the Western Athletic Conference.

SJSU’s last win in the series was a 49-38 victory in Tulsa on November 16, 2002. The Spartans’ last victory against Tulsa at home was a 63-27 triumph on October 27, 2001.

Play-by-play radio coverage: KKSF (910 AM, Oakland), RealTalk 910, is the new flagship radio station for SJSU football. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Tulsa broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. PT with a pregame show.

Network affiliates are KION (1460 AM/101.1 FM, Salinas), KFIV (1360 AM, Modesto), KWSX (1280 AM, Stockton).

The SJSU-Tulsa broadcast with Justin Allegri and Kevin Richardson calling the action also will be carried on www.siriusxm.com Channel 991.

KSJS (90.5 FM, San Jose) also will broadcast the SJSU-Tulsa game starting at 5:45 p.m. PT.

Television: ESPN3 will provide broadcast coverage of the SJSU-Tulsa game. Trey Bender provides the play-by-play coverage. Al Groh offers analysis and commentary. The ESPN3 coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. (PT).

Weekly press conference: This week only, the weekly SJSU football press conference is in the Simpkins Stadium Center Gold Room on Tuesday, September 3, at 1:00 p.m. PT.

The Mountain West Network streams the press conference live through www.sjsuspartans.com/videos. The press conference also is archived at sjsuspartans.com.

Brent Brennan on KRTY FM: SJSU head coach Brent Brennan is heard weekly on KRTY (95.3 FM, San José), Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. PT during home game weeks. Gary Scott Thomas and Julie Stevens serve as co-hosts.

Brent Brennan Show on Facebook Live: The Brent Brennan Show is available weekly on Facebook. The next show is Wednesday, September 4, at 5:30 p.m. All Brent Brennan Shows originate from the Hukilau restaurant located at 230 Jackson Street in San Jose’s Japantown district.

Game promotions: The Tulsa game is First Responders’ & Band Night. Pacific Gas & Electric will be providing free tickets to “first responders.” There will be a t-shirt giveaway to the first 1,000 SJSU students at the game courtesy of the Mountain West. Band Night will consist of local high school bands joining the Spartan Marching Band for a halftime performance.

Season-opening win: SJSU’s 35-18 triumph over Northern Colorado was its first season-opening victory since defeating New Hampshire, 43-13, to open the 2015 season.

Potential 2-0 start: SJSU has an opportunity to begin a season with a 2-0 record for the first time since 1987 as a result of its 35-18 victory over Northern Colorado. In 1987, the Spartans opened the season with a home win over Eastern Illinois, 24-3, and won the following week at California, 27-25, on a 20-yard field goal by Sergio Olivarez on the final play of the game.

Since 1987, SJSU had nine opportunities to be 2-0, but ended up 1-1. The Spartans now are 42-53-4 in season-opening games since 1898.

Opening a season with two home games: Since 1946, it has been the rare occasion for SJSU to begin a season with at least two home games. In 1947, the Spartans played their first three games at home and would finish with a 9-3 win-loss record.