QB Love directs Spartans to upset

For the first time in San Jose State football history, the Spartans achieved a win against an SEC opponent. San Jose State went on the road and stunned the Arkansas Razorbacks 31-24 on Saturday night.

With the win, the Spartans snapped a 13-game road losing streak that dated to November 2016. San Jose State had not defeated at Power 5 school since beating Stanford in 2006.

The Spartans rolled up 503 yards of offense in the win, led by quarterback Josh Love’s 402 yards on 32-for-49 passing. San Jose State led 24-7 at the half.

San Jose (2-1) wasted no time as its first play of the game came on a 50-yard bomb to Spartans wide receiver Bailey Gaither. Gaither, who had his season cut short because of a torn Achilles tendon in 2018, set the Spartans up at the Razorbacks 25-yard line. Six plays later, Love connected with wide receiver Jaquan Blackwell for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give San Jose State a 7-0 lead just over two minutes into the game.

After a punt and a missed 46-yard field goal on their next two drives, the Spartans found themselves in trouble after Love threw a ball into double coverage which was picked off by Razorbacks junior defensive back Kamren Curl.

But as Arkansas (2-), which tied the game on their third drive of the game, got set up on their own 34 yard line after the pick, San Jose State’s defense came to life, creating a turnover of their own on the first play of the second quarter. SJSU linebacker Ethan Aguayo, who entered the game leading the nation in tackles with 17 stops per game, picked off a pass from Razorbacks quarterback Nick Starkel. That was one of five SJSU interceptions.

The Razorbacks climbed back into the game by scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half, tying the game with .

The tying score came as Starkel connected with freshman wide receiver Trey Knox on for an eight-yard score on third-and-goal to knot the game at 24.

But the Spartans offense responded with a five-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by Dejon Parker’s 19-yard run with the game-winning touchdown with 1:13 left.