By Jenski Nonnarath – Spear Reporter | Cooper Hoch going up and catching the ball for 35 yards (Photo by Cesar Maya – Spear Photographer)
San Jose State football (3-3, 1-1 MW) lost 16-13 to Wyoming (3-3, 2-1 MW) in overtime. The Spartans’ homecoming game ended in heartbreaking fashion.
In overtime, the Spartans decided to go for it on fourth down at the Wyoming 16-yard line instead of attempting a field goal. Senior quarterback Luke Weaver’s pass fell short of its intended target, freshman wide receiver Carson Clark. Pressure off the edge forced Weaver to fade away, resulting in an underthrown pass.
“I thought it was just a gut feel. I was just looking at it, we had a hard time stopping them,” SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
The Spartans’ defense bent but did not break for most of the game, allowing only one touchdown.
The Cowboys’ offense dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 15 more minutes than the Spartans. Wyoming’s rushing attack was the main reason the Cowboys were able to stay on the field.
Senior quarterback Tyler Hughes led Wyoming with 92 rushing yards. Hughes had a season-high 27 carries, more than doubling his previous total.
“You keep them off the board, but the only part is just with the clock,” Niumatalolo said. “They were chewing up a ton of clock.”
The offense had a chance to take a six-point lead before halftime, but a sack by freshman edge rusher Cade Brook and junior defensive tackle Jayden Williams ended any chance the Spartans had. Weaver was sacked with 12 seconds left in the half.
Pressure off the edge forced him to step up in the pocket, where Williams met him before Brooks came in to finish the play and bring him to the ground. With no timeouts remaining, the Spartans were unable to get the kicking unit onto the field in time.
“We took the time out too early. We should have killed the clock,” Niumatalolo said.
Clark was the leading receiver for the second consecutive game, finishing with 8 catches for 91 yards. His longest catch came on a slot fade for 26 yards. He made a midair adjustment to find the football, setting up the team in Cowboys territory.
Weaver finished with 251 passing yards. His longest completion of the game was a 35-yard pass to junior wide receiver Cooper Hoch. Hoch ran a double move and beat the cornerback before going up to catch the ball over the defender.
Senior running back Jabari Bates scored his first touchdown of the season. He evaded a Wyoming edge rusher in the backfield and made a cut from side to side to get upfield and reach the endzone.
“Super happy he’s able to get his first touchdown, well deserved,” Weaver said. “He’s going to keep getting the rock. He’s a great player.”
Junior kicker Trajan Sinatra missed a 44-yard field goal wide left. With that miss, he is now 9-for-13 on the season. Sinatra has missed a kick in the last two games after a strong start to the season.
The Spartans will play the University of Texas at El Paso on the road at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.
