By Richy Zajic — Executive Editor
Four quarters and two overtime periods of hard-nosed, defensive football all came screeching to an unsatisfying end for the Spartans on Friday as the Aztecs rushed the field in celebration.
The table was set for a dramatic conclusion, as San Jose State football (3-4, 1-2 MW) was deadlocked at just six points a-piece with No. 24 San Diego State (6-0, 2-0 MW).
With the teams seemingly mirroring each other’s production throughout the game, it came down to the second overtime in which SDSU sealed the deal with a touchdown pass to wideout Jesse Matthews, keeping the team’s undefeated record alive with a 19-13 victory.
“We don’t have time to cry, or be selfish or be a baby about not getting this done,” said SJSU head coach Brent Brennan. “We need to assess what was good, what was bad and what needs to be fixed immediately so that we can move forward as a football team.”
What may be at the top of that list of things that need to be fixed is penalties.
The Spartans committed 12 infractions throughout the game, leading to 101 yards being allotted to the Aztecs. It seemed as though that little yellow flag could not stay in the referees’ pockets all night.
For the second straight week, the Spartans were without typical starting quarterback Nick Starkel because of his collarbone injury he suffered against New Mexico State.
However, junior Nick Nash stepped in and played effectively, finishing the game 16-for-34 with 224 yards passing with one interception that came in the second overtime.
While the offense for the Spartans seemed to operate in spurts rather than a consistent attack, it was SJSU’s defense that kept the game so competitive.
Giving up only 6 points in four quarters to a nationally-ranked opponent is no easy feat. Not to mention SDSU converting on only 5-of-16 third downs. SJSU also forced two fumbles and recovered one of them.
This game was chalk-full of three-and-outs for both squads, and for fans of defense this matchup was a masterpiece.
“I think our defense did great tonight,” said senior linebacker Kyle Harmon. “We got to force more turnovers throughout the game, small penalties here and there, but overall I think we did a great job.”
As previously mentioned, the Spartan offense was stifled on many occasions and seemed to be operating in short spurts rather than consistently maintaining momentum. There was an attempt at the end of regulation to potentially secure the game with a field goal, as SJSU spiked the ball on third down and attempted the 52-yarder with under 20 seconds to go. But it was wide right.
A common theme was if it was going through the air, look for senior tight end Derrick Deese Jr who finished with six catches for 113 yards. If it was a run, look for senior running back Tyler Nevens who ended with 28 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown. These two were among the more impactful players for SJSU all night.
“We had a lot of times where we left a lot of money out there due to the penalties we had,” said Nevens. “At the end of the day, it all falls on all 11 of us.”
This game certainly did not lack drama, as the two teams seemed about as even as possible throughout the night and this would have been the first win against a nationally ranked opponent for the Spartans since 2013.
Moving forward, the Spartans will travel to Las Vegas to take on UNLV (0-5, 0-1 MW) on Thursday at 8 p.m. at Allegiant Stadium.
Follow Richy on Twitter @RichyZajic
