San Jose State 30, first time since ’ 82
Nick Nash, called into action after starting quarterback Nick Starkel was injured on the first series, got untracked just before halftime and dominated the second half as San Jose State beat San Diego State 2817 at Carson ( Los Angeles County) to move to 30 for the first time since 1982.
Nash’s 4yard touchdown pass to Derrick Deese Jr. with 35 seconds left in the first half brought the Spartans within 107. Nash added another touchdown pass in the third quarter and finished off the scoring with a 14yard rushing touchdown with 1: 33 left to ice the game.
“I think it just says a lot about this football team, how resilient they are,” San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan said in a television interview after the game. “This is such a big win for us. I mean, three years ago this game against San Diego State was over at halftime ( the Spartans lost 527). So it’s an incredible deal for our guys. ...
“And Nick Nash. How about that? I’m so happy for him to come in like that, hanging in there and making plays.”
The Spartans had lost their past seven meetings with San Diego State ( 21), which outscored its first two opponents this season by a combined 7213.
Nash finished 16 of 25 for 169 yards and two touchdowns and one interception and led the team with 53 yards rushing on 11 carries. Deese had five receptions for 76 yards.
Starkel, the Mountain West Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week last week after throwing for 467 yards and five touchdowns in a 3821 win over New Mexico, took a hit on the Spartans’ first series Friday night and remained on the ground for several minutes.
The Spartans did not say what his injury was, but after being taken to the locker room he returned to the sideline during the second quarter wearing shorts and a hoodie.
The last time San Jose State opened 30, Jack Elway was the head coach of a team that featured quarterback Steve Clarkson and defensive back Gill Byrd.
“I think it just means that we’re taking another step climbing this mountain,” Brennan said of the 2020 team’s 30 start. “It’s been a long time since San Jose State has been to the postseason and a long time since we fought for a conference championship. So I’m really excited about that. I’m just so happy for our guys.”
Arizona-Utah canceled: The opener between Utah and Arizona on Saturday in Salt Lake City was canceled due to a rise in positive COVID19 cases within the Utes program.
Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said a number of positive coronavirus tests Friday morning put Utah below the Pac12’ s minimum threshold of 53 available scholarship players under the conference’s game cancelation policy.
No. 11 Miami 44, N. C.
State 41: D’Eriq King threw five touchdown passes, the last a goahead 54yard catch-and-run play with Michael Harley with 2: 43 left, as the visiting Hurricanes ( 61, 51 ACC) scored the final 13 points to win its third game in a row and match last season’s victory total under secondyear coach Manny Diaz.
The winning touchdown was Harley’s second scoring play of the game. He finished with 153 yards on eight receptions. King was 31 for 41 for 430 yards and ran for a gamehigh 105 yards on 15 carries.
Zonovan Knight had a 100yard kickoff return to put the Wolfpack ( 43, 43) on top in the third quarter. Alabama’s Sanders in car wreck: Alabama coach Nick Saban says running back Trey Sanders sustained non lifethreatening injuries in a car accident Friday morning. Saban said in a statement that the redshirt freshman was in stable condition.