By Niles Hall (@n23hall) – Content Editor | Quarterback Luke Weaver drops back in the pocket and throws on Sept. 13 (Photo by Cesar Maya – Spear Photographer)
San Jose State (2-1, 0-0 MW) won a 30-20 back-and-forth nail-biter in their home opener against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2-1, 1-0 BS).
The Spartans took control after Cal Poly fifth-year quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. threw an interception to SJSU senior cornerback Caleb Womack with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, with SJSU holding onto a three-point lead.
“It was a great call by our coordinator, got me to drop back to the deep half,” Womack said. “We had the D-line get pressure on the quarterback and made him just throw the ball up, and at that point it got back to my receiver days and had to go up and get the ball.”
The Spartans’ offense continued to lull the Mustangs’ defense to sleep with its running game before eventually taking a deep shot for a 41-yard touchdown reception by freshman Carson Clark to give SJSU a 30-20 lead.
The Spartans ended with 255 rushing yards and 238 passing yards. It was the first time SJSU had more rushing than passing yards since 2023.
Senior running back Jabari Bates set a career-high with 163 rushing yards on 27 carries, averaging 6 yards a carry.
“He’s [Bates] one of our best players. People get confused by his size, watch him in the weight room he’s one of the strongest guys on our team,” SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “He’s a great young man, smart, he knows our offense and he’s been here for years.
The Spartans’ rushing dominance continued through the fourth quarter, gaining 18 yards and setting up a 40-yard field goal by junior kicker Trajan Sinatra.
Sinatra finished the game going 3-for-5 on field-goal attempts.
The Spartans ended with five penalties for 55 yards. The most crucial one came in the fourth quarter, when Cal Poly took advantage of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by SJSU junior linebacker Dylan Lee that would’ve ended the Mustangs’ drive on third down.
Instead, the Mustangs went on a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 1-yard rushing touchdown by junior running back Misa Paiau, tying the game at 20.
“If we do that next week, we’ll lose. It’s as simple as that. If you get a third-down stop and stand over a guy and taunt him and get a 15-yard penalty, you gotta restrain yourself,” Niumatalolo said.
The Spartans’ special teams received big contributions from their returners, with sophomore wide receiver Dominique McKenzie recording a 54-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter and senior receiver Anthony Ivey adding a 33-yard punt return.
Ivey’s return set the Spartans up for a 2-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver Cooper Hoch, taking a 20-13 lead.
Hoch finished with 77 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Clark finished with a team-high 81 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns
Cal Poly started with momentum but ended the first half with three straight punts, giving SJSU control with a 13-6 lead. The Spartans went on a two-minute drill that ended with Sinatra drilling a 32-yard field goal.
After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, the Spartans opened the game with a fumble by senior quarterback Luke Weaver on their own 32-yard line. The Spartans have yet to score a first-quarter point this season.
Weaver ended the game with 238 passing yards and threw for 3 touchdowns, completing 64% of passes, but there is still room to grow.
“A lot of that falls on me, the turnover tonight, the turnover last week in the first quarter. I think it’s really just taking care of the ball and getting those easy completions,” Weaver said. “Missing a couple easy outroutes and stuff like that, I need to just get the ball in my guys’ hands and let them make plays.”
The Mustangs looked to take advantage of field position until Grigsby Jr. threw an interception on a tipped ball to sophomore cornerback Greco Carrillo on SJSU’s 7-yard line.
The Spartans’ defensive front held strong, keeping the Mustangs below their season average. Cal Poly finished with 3.1 yards per carry while earning 4 sacks.
The Spartans will look to win three in a row, returning home for the Battle of the Valley against Fresno State University at 8 p.m. on Saturday at CEFCU Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
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