After San Jose State (1-2, 0-0 MW) won the opening coin toss, things started fast, except the Spartans did exactly what they didn’t want to do to start the game, as Idaho (2-2, 0-0 Big Sky) forced Spartan QB Walker Eget into SJS’ eighth turnover of the season.
With San Jose starting flat for most of the first-half, Idaho’s ball-control game was a constant with over 39 minutes of offensive possession to San Jose’s 21 minutes. But the early takeaway wouldn’t be indicative of the day for the Spartans.
“The biggest thing is just trust,” said Eget on maintaining focus and composure. “I feel like most that was on me early on.”
Eget’s 222 yards in the air (13-21 attempts), one 15-yard TD pass to Kyri Shoels, a 62% completion rate and 166 QBR rating was the glimpse people were waiting for.
Eget’s counterpart, Vandal QB Joshua Wood, roughly matched Eget’s performance (18-32, two TD passes, 56% completion rate) except Wood was the catalyst for elongated drives the flummoxed the Spartans most of the day.
“Fortunately, we’re an explosive offense because they just chewed up the clock,” said Spartan head coach Ken Niumatalolo. “They did a really good job possessing the football, especially converting all those fourth downs — we have to do a better job with that.”
The Vandals grinded into the end zone four times with five of eight offensive drives in deep double digit play counts.
With Idaho owning a majority of the first-half and with a 14-0 lead, it took Spartan running back Jabari Bates’ 87-yard scamper to change the momentum of the game in the second quarter.
“Jabari’s run was the catalyst we needed,” remarked Niumatalolo.
Prior to Bates’ spark, the Spartans had six missed long incompletions, two punts over three hapless first quarter drives with nothing to show the effort.
With 11 carries, Bates finished with 131 yards rushing for the day putting the Spartans with 198 total rush yards.
With Bates blast of adrenaline, Eget took the Spartans on an ensuing seven-play scoring drive finding rising receiver Shoels for a 15-yard score and a tie going into the half.
Spartan receiver Danny Scudero continued his tear as the game’s leading receiver with 130 yards on six receptions. “You look what he does every single game always making guys miss and getting open vertically,” said Eget. “He’s just a fast dude and he stresses for me to get the ball to him.”
Inspired running back counterpart Floyd Chalk IV found the end zone twice to keep pace with the Vandals scoring. Chalk finished with 45 yards on 11 carries.
With San Jose’s defense able to clamp down on Idaho’s final drive limiting the Vandals last drive to just four plays, the Spartans with over three minutes left were setting up for what seemingly looked like a dramatic game-winning field goal for Denis Lynch.
“I didn’t know what the plan was in general, but I kind of saw the clock and assumed it could be a game-winning field goal,” said Lynch. “So I was preparing myself for a game-winning field goal, but other than that, I had no clue we were going for it.”
Around Sparta and SJS’ last two losses, questions surrounded Niumatalolo about the kicking and quarterback play.
“To their credit,” said Nimatalolo. “They handled it with grace and dignity.”
After Lynch’s clutch 48-yard field goal hit square and solid through the uprights for win number one, teammates surrounded Lynch in celebration.
“The last couple weeks, I’ve kind of pulled my head up a little too fast on those misses,“ admitted a self-analyzing Lynch. ”Which isn’t what you really want to do as a kicker, so it’s kind of just affirming to myself to keep my head down.“
Niumatololo affirms as well the team must keep its head down working on issues that continue to irk; admitting to being befuddled by what he sees in practice to some unexpected outcomes on the field that need to be fixed.
The Spartans take on the Stanford Cardinal next.
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