Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Football Beat Reporter
Chevan Cordeiro threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, helping San Jose State rally back from two second half deficits to hand Nevada its seventh-straight loss.
The win comes on an emotional night as it was SJSU’s first time playing since the tragic passing of teammate Camdan McWright just eight days earlier.
Spartans’ running back Kairee Robinson put the Spartans up 35-28 with just over a minute left on a two yard rushing touchdown as SJSU scored 14 unanswered points to end the game.
Toa Taua put the Wolf Pack ahead 28-21 with his third rushing touchdown of the night at the top of the fourth quarter, but Nevada failed to score again as the Spartans’ defense played to their potential.
SJSU came in to the week with the nation’s fourth lowest points allowed per game (14.50), but found themselves in a 21-7 pit after Nevada’s Shane Illingworth opened up the second half with a 63-yard strike to BJ Casteel.
Casteel’s 149 receiving yards marked the first time all season a Wolf Pack wide receiver has gone for a 100 yard receiving game.
Illingworth, who finished with a season-high 223 passing yards, was propelling an offense that was ranked 112th among FBS schools in scoring offense and 117th in passing offense.
Eventually, the dominant defense Spartan fans had been accustomed to came back around. Veteran defensive linemen Junior Fehoko and Cade Hall combined for seven sacks as Nevada’s offense totaled 89 yards after Casteel’s touchdown.
Despite the Spartans’ second half struggles, Nevada had an opportunity to drive down the field to tie the game with more than a minute left. SJSU’s defense had other plans.
Cade Hall made back-to-back sacks to force a crucial third down that saw Illingworth throw a game-ending interception to Alii Matua.
Elijah Cooks and Justin Lockhart combined for 170 yards and 14 catches in their first matchup against Nevada since transferring to San Jose this past winter.
Although the duo was targeted on 23 of Cordeiro’s 45 pass attempts, Dominick Mazotti and Shamar Garrett caught the only receiving touchdowns of the day.
The running game went for -14 yards in the first half and 39 yards in the second half, Cordeiro needed to deliver in the fashion he did, turning in a touchdown with his legs to go along with his two through the air.
SJSU will face Colorado State next week with a chance to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2020 Mountain West title season and the first time in school history going to two bowl games in the span of three seasons in school history.