San Jose State (1-3, 0-0 MW) couldn’t close out the Cardinal (2-3, 1-1 ACC) as the Spartans took it on the chin in a last second 30-29 loss in front of 26,357 at Stanford Stadium Saturday night.
The Spartans
had ample spots to slam the door shut in the fourth quarter.
“Our kids battled hard to have to lose this one. We had every opportunity to win the game and put it away,” said San Jose head coach Ken Niumatalolo. “We’ll find a way to bounce back.”
From a non-existent run game for both teams, San Jose tried to sic running back Jabari Bates late in the fourth quarter to help bleed the clock. Bates was effective late, but left with a lower leg injury with five minutes remaining.
The Spartans also failed to stop a fourth-and-ten with Stanford still on their own 41 with 1:18 left. Stanford QB Ben Gulbranson took that momentum for the game clinching touchdown — an 80-yard drive where the Spartan defense slipped.
And there were still many other opportunities building to that point that could have left a comfortable win for the Spartans — two missed field goals from close in and an array of dropped passes ironically by a squadron of Spartan receivers with over 100 yards receiving each.
Danny Scudero, Kyri Shoels and Leland Smith had 135 yards and 11 receptions, 147 and 10 receptions and 101 yards and six receptions, respectively. TE Jackson Canaan tacked on 79 yards on five receptions. It all left the Cardinal defense weary.
“On our own desperation drive, I also missed one that could’ve sealed the game,” said Spartan QB Walker Eget who finished with 473 yards passing and three TD passes (36-of-58). “But overall, I think we played the game really, really well.”
Eget added, “It wasn’t just me with all the numbers. Everyone on the offense was doing their job. We knew it was going to be a battle and we just have to finish it.”
Niumatalolo also added, “Walker played like I knew he could play.”
Opening the game, the penalty-ridden Cardinal found the end-zone to open the scoring. The Spartans also scored for the first time in four games on an opening drive with a 41-yard field goal by Denis Lynch.
Lynch also made a 36 and 31-yarder but missed two in close from the dreaded weak spot of the right-hash.
After two sacks by the Spartan defense, Eget hit the gas with an early deft passing game — spreading the wealth among Shoels, Smith, Canaan and Danny Scudero.
Following a Taniela Latu’s turnover sack to close out the first quarter with a 10-7 lead, Eget found Scudero for a 10-yard TD catch for a 10-7 lead. Stanford answered right back with Gulbranson finding TE Sam Rousch for a 15-yard touchdown to take back the lead.
A vintage Eget moment of the game was a 37-yard high-point pass-and-catch to Smith on one sideline followed by 29-yard missile to the opposite corner to Shoels for a score and a 20-14 half-time lead.
With both teams unable to show any running game and also each committing five penalties to that point, it would be a continued passing show by Eget.
In the first-half alone, Eget amassed 260 yards in the air with 2 TD passes to Gulbranson’s 192 yards and one TD pass. Gulbranson finished with 444 yards passing and two TD passes (29-of-43).
An SJS defense with only two previous sacks the last three games, showed off four sacks in the first-half alone. DL Gafa Faga and Latu collecting one sack each and Quincy Likio, Solomone Langi, Jordan Pollard and Noa Siaosi sharing two more.
Opening the second-half with each team giving up the ball in the red zone on downs, the Spartans nursed their six-point lead the entire third quarter with no scoring by either team.
Finishing off an eight-play, 61-yard drive from the third quarter into the fourth quarter, Eget hit Scudero five-yards in the end zone putting the Spartans up by 12.
But after a missed Spartan two-point conversion, Stanford again quickly and emphatically answered with a 75-yard scoring drive and the race was on.
The momentum was shifting over to Stanford.
“Our margin of error with a team like this is practically none,” said Niumatalolo. “Too many mistakes. We have to find ways to close these games out.”
The Cardinals converted on two fourth down plays in the second-half rallying with 16 fourth-quarter points.
“We just need to put a complete game together,” said Latu. “I still think we’re in a good position and it’s not time to panic.”
San Jose State next faces New Mexico at home Friday night for their first conference game.
