By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Spear Reporter // Titus Wilkinson
Before San Jose State football’s 21-17 loss at Toledo, it was difficult to accurately assess the Spartans. Its two losses came against teams (No. 6 USC and No. 16 Oregon State) it had no business beating. Its lone win came against Cal Poly of the FCS. Reigning MAC Champion Toledo, however was the perfect early season measuring stick.
And on Saturday night, SJSU showed flashes it was a solid team, but ultimately one incapable of maintaining its physicality from start to finish. As SJSU sits at 1-3, it needs to fix this to keep its bowl game and Mountain West Championship hopes alive. Especially in its next two matchups against Mountain West top-dogs Air Force and Boise State.
“I thought our physicality that was there, there’s a lot of really good stuff that way tonight. And obviously, at the end of the game, there’s just not enough on both sides of the ball,” SJSU head coach Brent Brennan said.
Against future sound opponents, SJSU’s offense can’t falter in later parts like it did Saturday night.
The Spartans held a lead the entire game until Cordeiro threw a pick-six to Toledo cornerback Chris McDonald to make it 21-17 in the third quarter. A clear miscommunication between Nash and Cordeiro that proved costly.
“It was a tough one, we knew we had it,” said Cordeiro, who eclipsed the 10,000-yard passing mark in the first quarter. He finished 24-for-41 with 228 yards and one touchdown and had two opportunities to lead a fourth quarter comeback, but both fell short.
Down 21-17 with 9:31 left, SJSU was gifted a free possession after a Toledo player made incidental contact with the ball on a punt return. The Spartans went four-and out after Cordeiro couldn’t rush for a first down on a fourth-and-one. On its second and final chance, SJSU punted on fourth-and-one from it’s own 45-yard-line yard line with 1:56 left.
“That’s the thing that’s so devastating for us is there’s a lot of lost opportunities for us to finish the game and we just didn’t,” Brennan said.
Early on the Spartans were having success against Toledo’s defense. Cordeiro was hitting receivers in tight spots and there was some production in the run game. The Spartans’ final score came on the second possession of the second half when Kairee Robinson dragged a Rocket defender with him into the end zone. The wide gap Robinson galloped through was seen less and less as the game went on. The Spartans tallied nearly 100 less yards in the second half as the first half.
Against Air Force and Boise State, SJSU’s offensive production can’t dip in the fourth quarter. “They just brought it in the second half and we didn’t,” Cordeiro said.
Similar to the offense, SJSU’s defense didn’t impose its will the same way it did early on. Finding a way to stay consistent is imperative when SJSU plays Air Force next week. The Falcons offense is a slow drip nightmare. Their triple-option attack is currently averaging the second-most rushing yards per game nationwide.
Early on, the Spartans’ defense put a muzzle on Toledo quarterback Dequann Finn and the Rockets’ running game. The Rockets went three-and-out on its first two drives. And the Spartans had a prime opportunity to make things go from bad to worse on the Rockets’ third drive.
Up 10-0 mid-way through the second quarter after a Cordeiro passing touchdown, Toledo started with the ball on its own two-yard line after a botched kick off. One stop and score could’ve put SJSU up three possessions heading into the second half.
Then Finn shook his way out of the muzzle SJSU’s defense put on him and led an 18-play 98-yard touchdown drive, spanning over six minutes. SJSU’s defense allowed 164 rushing yards in the second half after 65 in the first. Toledo running back Penny Boone led the way with 123 rushing yards and had a crucial 22-yard first down run to help ice the game later on.
“This whole season it’s been about physicality,” said senior safety Tre Jenkins who intercepted Finn in the third quarter. “Going forward, I think that we’re gonna have to keep dominating the ball and not change that momentum so much.”
Finn, a three-yard starter, showed why he led Toledo to a MAC Championship a year ago. He was breathlessly shifty and didn’t force any big plays. That discipline and relentless effort is what SJSU can expect to see next week against Air Force.
“Put it to bed and need to get on to Air Force,” Brennan said.
Looking Ahead
Air Force opened conference play Friday night with a breezy 39-21 victory over Utah State. SJSU trails the all-time series 4-2, but won the most recent clash in 2020 en route to its Mountain West Champion ship.