San Jose State falls back in loss column

LARAMIE, Wyo. – San Jose State’s bid for back-toback wins – something it hasn’t accomplished since October 2014 – was snuffed out Saturday in Wyoming.

The Spartans lost 24-9 on a snowy afternoon, unable to muster even half the offense they showed in their previous game, a 50-37 win over Nevada-las Vegas.

The temperature was 34 degrees at kickoff with gusts over 40 mph, yielding a 21-degree wind chill. The sun made a brief appearance early but light snow showers, driven by strong wind, swirled most of the afternoon. Meanwhile, 1,152 miles to the west, it was 80 degrees in San Jose.

“Man, that was the first time I’ve ever seen snow in my life,” said SJSU nose tackle Boogie Roberts, a Los Angeles native. “But at the end of the day it’s still football. It’s still 11 guys on offense and 11 guys on defense.”

Spartans coach Brent Brennan agreed the weather was not much of a factor.

“I’m sure there’s kids in our locker room that didn’t like playing in that,” Brennan said, before referencing Wyoming coach Craig Bohl. “I was talking with Coach (Bohl) before the game. He said last year, Thanksgiving weekend, his players didn’t like the 85 degrees in San Jose, California. Home field advantage is what home field advantage is.”

San Jose State (1-8, 1-4 in the Mountain West) never led, but made it a onescore game at 17-9 with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Josh Love to Tre Walker. Wyoming (4-6, 2-4) answered with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:39 off the clock and resulted in a touchdown.

The Spartans allowed 424 yards on the ground.

Offensively, they were almost as bad. SJSU had only 39 yards and two first downs in the first half, and didn’t cross midfield until the third quarter. The Spartans finished with 244 yards; they had rolled up 506 seven days earlier.