Nov 1, 2024; Boca Raton, Florida, USA;  South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh on the sideline during the second quarter against the Florida Atlantic Owls at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

South Florida beats San Jose State in 5 OTs at Hawaii Bowl

Keshaun Singleton caught the winning two-point pass from Bryce Archie in the fifth overtime to help South Florida post a dramatic 41-39 victory over San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday night in Honolulu.

The Spartans’ attempt to force a sixth overtime came up empty when Walker Eget’s pass toward Justin Lockhart was incomplete.

Ta’Ron Keith scored on a touchdown run in overtime and also returned a kickoff for a touchdown for South Florida (7-6).

Archie was 24-of-35 passing for 235 yards and one interception for the Bulls, who traveled nearly 4,700 miles for the game. Kelley Joiner and Nay’Quan Wright rushed for touchdowns.

Sean Atkins had 11 receptions for 104 yards for USF. Atkins became the program’s all-time leader in receiving yardage with 2,167, passing Andre Davis (2,136 from 2011-14).

Eget completed 33 of 58 passes for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Spartans (7-6), who lost their fourth straight bowl game.

Matthew Coleman had 12 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown and Jackson Canaan had a scoring reception while Floyd Chalk IV and Lamar Radcliffe rushed for touchdowns.

San Jose State played without consensus All-American receiver Nick Nash, who opted out to prepare for the NFL draft.

USF’s John Cannon forced overtime with two seconds left when his 41-yard field goal attempt that hit the right goalpost and went through the uprights to tie the score at 27.

In the first overtime, Keith scored on a 2-yard run for the Bulls, and Eget tossed a 4-yard scoring pass to Coleman for the Spartans. Kyler Halvorsen kicked a 24-yard field goal for the Spartans in the second overtime before Cannon answered with a 36-yard field goal to tie it at 37.

In the third overtime, where teams look to convert two-point conversions, Archie’s shovel pass to Payten Singletary put the Bulls ahead before Eget connected with Coleman to tie it. Both teams came up empty in the fourth overtime.

Radcliffe’s 2-yard run gave the Spartans their first lead of the game at 27-24 with 11:14 left in regulation.

The Spartans trailed by 11 at halftime but later moved within 21-20 on Eget’s 5-yard scoring pass to Canaan with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

The Bulls increased their lead to four on Cannon’s 33-yard field goal with 13 minutes left.

USF struck first on Wright’s 3-yard scoring run with 45 seconds left in the opening quarter. The Bulls pushed the lead to 14-0 on Joiner’s 4-yard run with 6:53 left in the second period.

Chalk scored on a 3-yard run to get the Spartans on the board with 2:09 left in the half.

Keith fielded the ensuing kickoff, broke two tackles and eluded a late attempt on a 93-yard touchdown to give the Bulls a 21-7 lead.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) throws against the Stanford Cardinal in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

San Jose State uses aerial attack to get by Stanford

Walker Eget threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning 18-yard strike to TreyShun Hurry with 1:55 left in the game, as San Jose State ended the regular season Friday with a 34-31 nonconference win over visiting Stanford.

Hurry adjusted to an underthrown back-shoulder ball in the front-left corner of the end zone, capping a three-play drive. It started at the Cardinal 37 after Isiah Revis made a diving interception of Ashton Daniels’ third-down pass over the middle.

Eget completed 33 of 49 passes with an interception for the Spartans (7-5), who await their bowl destination. His favorite target, as usual, was Nick Nash, who had eight catches for 91 yards and two scores. Nash, a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s best receiver, ended the regular season with 104 receptions and 16 touchdowns.

Daniels hit 26 of 40 passes for 252 yards with a score and three interceptions for Stanford (3-9) while rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. His 1-yard run with 7:39 remaining gave the Cardinal a 31-27 edge.

But Stanford mistakes were the deciding factor. It not only lost the turnover battle 3-2 but committed 10 penalties for 115 yards.

Stanford initiated scoring at the 5:49 mark of the first quarter when Emmet Kenney connected on a 24-yard field goal to cap a drive of just over seven minutes. The Cardinal reached the 10 earlier in the drive but false start and holding penalties kept them out of the end zone.

San Jose State got its passing game going for 17 points in the second quarter. Eget connected with Nash for touchdown passes of 20 and 2 yards in less than four minutes, giving the Spartans a 14-3 lead with 5:25 left.

Stanford got into the end zone for the first time with 42 seconds remaining on Daniels’ 12-yard strike to Emmett Mosley V, but San Jose State took the momentum and three more points to the half. Kyler Halvorsen connected from 45 yards as time expired, making it 17-10 at the break.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Nick Nash (3) makes a catch in front of Boise State Broncos cornerback A'Marion McCoy (7) in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

San Jose State WR Nick Nash out to test Stanford DBs

San Jose State’s Nick Nash enters Friday’s regular-season finale at home against Stanford with a national-best 96 catches.

The Cardinal may have to start three freshmen in the secondary after injuries ravaged their depth during last Saturday’s 24-21 Big Game loss to California.

Stanford coach Troy Taylor, finishing his second year on the job, is hopeful experiences like last week’s and the one his team may endure this week will strengthen his defensive backs room in years to come.

“You gain stuff from experience,” Taylor said. “These (freshmen defensive backs) went through trial by fire. Maybe a little more seasoning would’ve been in their best interest but they knew they had to step up because of injuries.”

Those fresh faces may have to endure their toughest on-the-job training yet.

Nash, a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s best wide receiver, caught a touchdown pass in the team’s first 10 games. He was kept out of the end zone during last week’s 27-16 loss by a combination of good UNLV defense and horrific weather that made throwing a sub-optimal option.

Nash has 1,291 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, one shy of the school’s single-season record for receivers. He leads FBS in catches and touchdowns while ranking second in yardage. The former quarterback still appears to have plenty of ceiling, too, as he’s only played receiver for two years.

“I think I’m an underdog,” he said. “I wasn’t majorly recruited and then seeing where I am now and always believing in myself. … I worked so hard to get to this point.”

Nash’s work has helped the Spartans (6-5) qualify for a bowl in coach Ken Niumatalolo’s first season. Meanwhile, the Cardinal (3-8) can only hope to jump into the offseason with a win that would snap a stretch of seven losses in eight games.

Stanford leads the teams’ all-time series 52-14-1, although they haven’t played since the Cardinal’s 34-13 victory in 2013. This will be the first time San Jose State has hosted this game since 2006.

–Field Level Media

Nov 22, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; UNLV Rebels running back Jai'Den Thomas (9) looks for running room against the San Jose State Spartans during the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

No. 24 UNLV shakes off slow start, tops San Jose State

Jai’Den Thomas ran for 135 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 24 UNLV over host San Jose State 27-16 in a rain-soaked affair Friday night.

UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams completed 11 of his 20 passes, throwing for 131 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ricky White III led the Rebels (9-2, 5-1 Mountain West) with seven receptions for 98 yards, while Kaleo Ballungay’s lone catch went for a 5-yard touchdown.

Thomas scampered for a 25-yard touchdown run with 1:44 left in the third quarter to give UNLV a 20-16 lead and put the visitors up for good. Kylin James added insurance by running for a 7-yard touchdown with 8:29 remaining in the game.

San Jose State (6-5, 3-4) brought a 16-10 lead into halftime after a first half the Rebels stumbled through the first two quarters. The Spartans scored all of their points in the second quarter, with 10 of them coming directly off UNLV mishaps.

A bad read from Williams led to an interception that Isiah Revis returned 33 yards to gave San Jose State a 7-3 lead with 13:26 remaining in the second quarter. The Rebels gave up their lone offensive touchdown of the game shortly after that, a 33-yard completion from Walker Eget to Matthew Coleman that made the score 14-10.

Things kept snowballing for the Rebels. On UNLV’s next possession, long snapper Ben Lisk airmailed the ball over punter Marshall Nichols’ head and out of the end zone for a safety that sent San Jose State into the locker room at the break with a six-point lead.

As poorly as UNLV played in the second quarter, San Jose State was equally bad or worse the rest of the way. Caden Chittenden got things rolling for UNLV in the second half, making a Mountain West-freshman record 53-yard field goal to trim the deficit to 16-13.

The boost San Jose State got from its defense and special teams wasn’t enough to supplement its offense. Eget completed just 4 of 22 passes for 81 yards, a far cry from the previous two weeks when he threw for 395 yards at Oregon State and 446 against Boise State. Eget had one TD pass and no interceptions on Friday.

San Jose State receiver Nick Nash was held to 9 yards on a single catch. Nash entered the game as the national leader in receptions (95) and receiving yards per game (128.2).

UNLV outgained San Jose State 338-112 in net yardage and 207-31 on the ground.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2024; Logan, Utah, USA;  UNLV Rebels wide receiver Ricky White III (11) runs with the ball against the Utah State Aggies at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

No. 24 UNLV aims to stay in conference title picture vs. San Jose State

No. 24 UNLV doesn’t control its destiny in terms of a Mountain West Conference championship game berth, but a win at San Jose State on Friday night would ensure the Rebels still have a chance.

UNLV (8-2, 4-1 Mountain West) rejoined the College Football Playoff poll on Tuesday and is closing in on its first 10-win season since quarterback Randall Cunningham led the program to its since-vacated 11-2 finish in 1984.

The Rebels need Colorado State to lose one of its final two games against Fresno State or Utah State in order to reach their second straight conference title game and, more importantly, set up a rematch with No. 12 Boise State. UNLV fell to the Broncos 44-20 in last year’s championship.

San Jose State, however, is in a good position to play spoiler themselves. The Spartans (6-4, 3-3) entered last season’s game against UNLV as a slight underdog and ended up winning 37-31.

San Jose State is coming off last Saturday’s home game against Boise State in which it was driving to take a 21-0 lead before the Broncos forced a turnover on downs at the goal line. That kept it a two-possession game, and Boise State quickly woke up from there and ran away with a 42-21 win.

“We were in that game,” Spartans coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “I’m encouraged because we’re doing a lot of good things. I feel like we stopped ourselves a lot on offense. We looked at a lot of things to improve on.”

San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget has led the nation in passing yards in consecutive weeks, eclipsing his career high in both games. His 446 yards through the air against Boise State was the most in a game for a Mountain West quarterback this season. Eget replaced Emmett Brown as the starter in October.

The Spartans have the nation’s top receiver this season, as redshirt senior Nick Nash leads the country in both receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,282). San Jose State also has the Mountain West’s second-leading receiver behind Nash in Justin Lockhart, who has 925 yards on 48 receptions.

“They’ve got an elite group of receivers,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “Their quarterback’s playing really well. Schematically, they caused some issues on their alignments with space. We’ve got to do a great job. We talk all the time in our defensive meetings about eliminating explosive plays. They are going to get some, we’ve got to minimize those.”

UNLV is certainly not lacking in the wide receiver department either, as All-American Ricky White III ranks third in the Mountain West with 867 receiving yards and second with 63 receptions. His performance improved mightily following UNLV’s first three games of the season, coinciding with their quarterback switch to Hajj-Malik Williams.

Williams has impressed in his seven games as the starter as well. He leads the team with 646 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground to go along with 1,436 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions through the air.

Mountain West preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Woodard has perhaps been the Rebels’ MVP this season. The linebacker’s 99 total tackles, four interceptions and 3.5 sacks have him on the watchlist for the Nagurski, Bednarik and Butkus awards.

Woodard is also among the national finalists for the Burlsworth award, given to the top player in college football who began their career as a walk-on. Woodard initially played under Odom at Arkansas, Brandon Burlsworth’s alma mater.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty runs for 3 TDs as No. 13 Boise State tops San Jose State

Ashton Jeanty ran for three touchdowns and No. 13 Boise State took advantage of multiple San Jose State mistakes to earn a 42-21 win on the road Saturday night.

The victory keeps the Broncos (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) in control of the one open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff reserved for the highest-ranked Group of 5 team, and in the lead in the Mountain West Conference.

Jeanty, who entered Saturday as the nation’s leading rusher, ran for 159 yards in the win. Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen completed 22 of 30 attempts for 28 yards and a touchdown.

The Spartans’ Walker Eget threw for a career-high 446 yards on 34-of-50 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Justin Lockhart had 10 catches for 172 and a TD and Nick Nash added nine catches for 126 yards and a score.

Boise State trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter and looked to be in more trouble when the Broncos fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving San Jose State the ball at the Boise State 34.

San Jose State (6-4, 3-3) drove to the Broncos’ 2 and faced fourth-and-1. The Spartans lined up to kick a field goal but then called timeout and brought the offense back on the field.

San Jose State tried a trick play with Eget rolling one way and throwing the ball back to offensive lineman Sione Nomani, but Boise State safety Seyi Oladipo stopped Nomani short of the first down.

Boise State responded on its next possession. Madsen capped an 11-play, 92-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run to trim the Broncos’ deficit to 14-7. On Boise State’s next drive, Jeanty sliced in from 2 yards to tie the score with 36 seconds left in the first half.

San Jose State opened the second half with a nine-play, 98-yard drive. Eget connected with Nash on a 6-yard touchdown pass to put the Spartans back on top 21-14.

Maddux led the Broncos to their third straight touchdown drive. Matt Lauter caught a pass in the flat from Maddux and ran 17 yards for a score to make it 21-21.

On the Spartans’ next possession, Eget ran it on fourth-and-2 at the Boise State 41. He had the first down but was hit hard by Broncos safety Ty Benefield, who knocked the ball loose and it was recovered by Boise State defensive end Jayden Virgin-Morgan.

Jeanty capitalized on the turnover, running it in from 36 yards on the ensuing drive to give the Broncos a 28-21 lead with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

Boise State scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away. Jeanty ran 5 yards with 2:23 left for his third TD to give the Broncos a 35-21 lead. Davon Banks ran an interception back 70 yards for the final score of the game.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) throws against the San Jose State Spartans in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Wazzu pulls out double-OT victory over San Jose State

Washington State stopped San Jose State from converting the tying two-point attempt in double overtime to hold on for a 54-52 win on Friday in Pullman, Wash.

After Washington State’s Dylan Paine rushed for a 7-yard touchdown to start the second overtime and quarterback John Mateer ran it in for the two-point conversion, San Jose State’s Emmett Brown hit Nick Nash for a 4-yard touchdown.

Brown threw incomplete under pressure on the two-point attempt.

Both quarterbacks were intercepted in the first overtime.

Dean Janikowski made a 52-yard field goal for Washington State (4-0) as time expired to force overtime.

San Jose State (3-1) seized the lead 46-43 with 26 seconds left as Brown found TreyShun Hurry for a 20-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-10. Nash caught the two-point conversion from Brown.

Mateer, who threw for 390 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 111 yards and a score, then engineered a four-play, 40-yard drive to set up Janikowski, who early shanked a tying extra-point attempt with 6:11 left.

With just over five minutes to go in regulation, Kyle Thornton intercepted a Brown pass to get Washington State the ball at San Jose State’s 32. Two plays later, Paine scored a 1-yard touchdown with 4:56 left for a 43-38 lead. The two-point conversion failed.

San Jose State started the fourth quarter leading 38-24 after outscoring Washington State 21-0 in the third. In the fourth, Mateer threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams and then a 36-yard score to Josh Meredith to pull the Cougars within a point.

Like Mateer, Brown had a big game, completing 35 of 54 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown. Mateer finished 26-for-46 through the air with two interceptions.

Floyd Chalk IV rushed for two touchdowns for the Spartans.

San Jose State, trailing 21-10 in the second quarter, shifted momentum with a successful fake punt on fourth-and-1 from their own 33. Brown then threw a 4-yard touchdown to Jacob Stewart with 1:40 left before halftime.

He fired a 19-yard strike to Nash to start the second half, knotting the score at 24. Brown later went in on a 1-yard quarterback keeper, set up by Jordan Cobbs’ interception and 55-yard return to Washington State’s 20.

The Cougars led 24-17 at halftime. Janikowski’s 36-yard field goal with two seconds left capped a wild first half that featured seven scores, 508 yards of offense and trickery from both teams.

–Field Level Media

zAug 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) is unable to control the ball against San Jose State Spartans cornerback Jay'Vion Cole (8) during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-San Jose State CB Jay’Vion Cole transferring to Texas

Former San Jose State cornerback Jay’Vion Cole revealed on social media Sunday that he is transferring to Texas.

Cole was considered one of the top cornerbacks available in the transfer portal.

Cole intercepted seven passes over his first two college seasons — four at FCS Cal Poly in 2022 and three last season in his lone campaign for the Spartans.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Cole has top-notch speed and was a sprinter in high school. He is a native of Oakland, Calif.

The Longhorns have been on the lookout for a cornerback with Ryan Watts moving on to the NFL as a sixth-round draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Terrance Brooks recently entering the transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans head coach Brent Brennan watches game action against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Coastal Carolina holds off San Jose State to win Hawaii Bowl

Freshman quarterback Ethan Vasko threw for 199 yards and three touchdowns Saturday night as Coastal Carolina beat San Jose State 24-14 to win the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu.

Vasko completed 20 of 33 passes, wrapping up the win with 2:43 remaining when he found Sam Pinckney for an 8-yard scoring strike. The play capped an eight-catch, 123-yard performance for Pinckney in his last college game.

The Chanticleers (8-5) possessed the ball for more than 37 minutes, converting 8 of 15 third downs. They were outgained 374-336, but their defense came up with two key fumble recoveries to halt third-quarter drives.

Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who was born in Honolulu and playing the final game of his college career, hit 16 of 30 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. He led two fourth-quarter scoring drives that got San Jose State (7-6) within three points, first finding Sam Olson on a 35-yard strike at the 12:27 mark.

Quali Conley added a 12-yard touchdown run with 8:30 remaining, but the Spartans couldn’t get the stop they needed. They had a chance to get within seven points with 1:09 left but kicker Kyler Halvorsen missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt, ending their hopes of a dramatic comeback.

San Jose State entered the game as a clear favorite. The Spartans came in with a six-game winning streak, and Coastal Carolina’s star player, quarterback Grayson McCall, departed for NC State via the transfer portal.

But Vasko orchestrated a patient attack that hogged the ball for nearly 18 1/2 minutes in the first half. It was Vasko who broke the scoring seal with 3:16 left in the first quarter, flipping a 2-yard touchdown pass to Matt Alaimo to cap an 80-yard drive that lasted nearly 5 1/2 minutes.

Meanwhile, San Jose State couldn’t get going against a Chanticleers defense that was lit up frequently down the stretch. They limited the Spartans to 24 plays, 127 yards and six first downs in the half.

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (2) drops back to pass against the Southern California Trojans during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

San Jose State cruising, Coastal Carolina losing in build-up to Hawaii Bowl

The first half of the 2023 season couldn’t have gone much worse for San Jose State.

The Spartans coasted through the second half and have a chance to slap a shiny ribbon on the season in the Hawaii Bowl on Saturday night against Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers are trying to avoid seeing a bad December, due to the transfer of record-smashing quarterback Grayson McCall, get even worse.

San Jose State charged to a second-place finish in the Mountain West with six straight wins, but tiebreakers left them out of the conference championship game with a bowl eligibility consolation prize. As an added bonus, the game is a homecoming for quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who grew up in Honolulu.

“It’s everything I could ask for,” he said. “To play in front of my family and hometown for the last game in a Spartan uniform — best thing I could ask for.”

Cordeiro’s play has been about the best thing San Jose State (7-5) could ask for as he’s completed 62.7 percent of his 332 passes for 2,558 yards with 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also gained 213 yards and three scores on the ground.

Cordeiro was efficient and good in the team’s 37-31 win at UNLV on Nov. 25, hitting 19 of 26 attempts for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When the Rebels drew within 20-17 in the third quarter, Cordeiro threw a touchdown pass that started a run of 17 straight points that enabled the Spartans to seal the outcome.

Cordeiro won’t have a couple of key teammates around for the bowl game. Left tackle Fernando Carmona and tight end Dominick Mazotti entered the transfer portal earlier this month. Carmona is likely headed for a Power 5 school with the likes of Ole Miss, Arkansas, South Carolina and Auburn already offering him.

Leading receiver Nick Nash (47 catches, 704 yards, 8 TDs) said he would stay with the Spartans.

“They’ve stuck with me through hard times,” he said. “This is where I want to finish out my career in college and hopefully move on to the next level.”

Coastal Carolina (7-5) won’t have its face of the program around, but that’s a reality the Chanticleers braced for the past two months. McCall, instrumental in the program’s rise to a top 25 ranking and unbeaten regular season in 2020, has transferred to N.C. State. He missed the final six weeks of the season recovering from a head injury.

First-year coach Tim Beck, N.C. State’s offensive coordinator prior to taking the Coastal job, said that Ethan Vasko would start in the bowl game. Beck said he talked to the Wolfpack’s coaching staff about McCall.

“At the end of the day, I want to help all our guys,” Beck said. “My door’s always open.”

McCall completed better than 67 percent of his passes for 1,919 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions but suffered a serious concussion on Oct. 21 against Arkansas State and missed the last five games. Vasko hit on 56 of 89 attempts for 580 yards in seven games while rushing for 318 yards, second on the team.

His top target will be wide receiver Sam Pinckney, who finished the year with 64 receptions, 904 yards and seven touchdowns. Pinckney owns the NCAA record with 57 straight games with at least one catch.

This will be the first matchup between the Chanticleers and Spartans.

–Field Level Media