FIVE AND 0H!
Spartans, feeling sense of normalcy, top Hawaii to win first five games for first time since 1939
On a Saturday afternoon at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, San Jose State played a football game. Given the circumstances — back-to-back canceled games, the malleable schedule, their nomadic status — playing was a return to normalcy for the Spartans.
Winning has become normal, too. San Jose State defeated Hawaii 35-24, improving to 5- 0 for the first time since 1939 and setting themselves up to play in the Mountain West championship game in two weeks. The teams with the two-best winning percentages advance. San Jose State is No. 1 right now.
“As hard as this time has been, the last whatever months, the beauty of it is that we get to do this together,” coach Brent Brennan said. “That’s what family is all about, doing the hard work and through the hard stuff together. I couldn’t be more excited. I’m just ecstatic.”
Saturday, the Spartans laid the foundation for their wire-to-wire victory in the first quarter, opening the game about as
perfect as possible.
On their first three offensive possessions, they found the end zone. Nick Starkel connected with Isaiah Holiness in the flat for a twoyard touchdown, then Tyler Nevens exploded for touchdown runs of 72 and 10 yards.
On the Spartans’ first three defensive possessions, they forced three consecutive three- and- outs. The Rainbow Warriors were held to 14 yards on those drives, and Chevan Cordeiro didn’t complete any of his three pass attempts. Before 10 minutes had been played, San Jose State led 21- 0.
Nevens and Kairee Robinson both had careernights and did the heavy lifting for San Jose State’s offense, combining for 263 of the team’s 288 rushing yards.
Nevens had career-high 152 rushing yards along w ith two touchdowns, while Robinson had a career-high 143 all-purpose yards and a rushing touchdown of his own.
By halftime, the Spartans had 214 rushing yards, eclipsing their previous 2020 single-game high of 176 yards against UNLV on Nov. 14, the last time San Jose State played.
With Nevens and Robinson running the ball so well, quarterbacks Starkel and Nick Nash took a rare backseat in the offense.
Starkel completed 11 of 23 passes for 167 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and Nash rushed for just 20 yards.
Tre Walker left his imprint on the game with his first touchdown reception since Halloween, taking a short pass in the flat 50 yards to the end zone.
Cornerback Kenyon Reed made his first start with the Spartans, making an impact on defense and special teams. In addition to five tackles and helping break up several passes, Reed had two returns for 29 yards.
San Jose State’s win is all the more impressive considering what this program has had to navigate.
T he team’s prev ious two games on the schedule, Fresno State and Boise State, were canceled after those programs experienced coronavirus issues.
On top of having its nationally- telev ised game against Boise State canceled last week, San Jose State could no longer practice or play in San Jose after Santa Clara County announced a ban on contact sports through at least Dec. 21.