Spartans suffer mightily in defeat
No. 14 Utah State amasses 804 yards in rout
In a season of bad losses, San Jose State might have suffered its worst Saturday in Logan, Utah.
The Spartans lost 62-24 to 14th-ranked Utah State and although the margin of difference didn’t measure up to the 49-point loss to Army last month, this one carried an extraordinarily dark note.
The Spartans allowed 804 yards. It was only the 17th time in NCAA history that a team had broken 800 yards.
“They beat us in every facet in the game and that’s on me,” Spartans coach Brent Brennan said after losing for the 20th time in 23 games. “That’s my fault, I’m the head coach and I need to get that straightened out. We have a lot of work to do at San José State.”
Utah State QB Jordan Love threw for a career-high 491 yards and five touchdowns on 32-of-42 passing in just three quarters. Darwin Thompson rushed for 140 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries and caught four passes for 115 yards and two TDs.
SJSU (1-9) actually led this game, going ahead 7-0 on a 41-yard return of a blocked punt by Tre Jenkins. It was 10-10 early in the second quarter.
Then Utah State (9-1) rattled off four consecutive TD drives, starting with a 10play march covering 75 yards and ending with a 12-play, 87yard march to make it 38-10 at halftime. The Aggies had 453 yards and 22 first downs in the first half. San Jose State had five first downs.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed because of how we started, I thought we had a chance to make it a game,” Brennan said. “We played so well against everyone in our conference, up until today. It was very disappointing.”
The deficit grew to 62-17 before SJSU reserve quarterback Michael Carillo connected with Tre Walker on a 75-yard TD pass. Walker scored on a 35-yard pass play with Josh Love in the third quarter and finished with seven catches for 209 yards.
San Jose State plays next Saturday at home against Nevada and finishes the season Nov. 24 at Fresno State.
At 6-0, the Aggies are one Utah State rurnning back Darwin Thompson runs through the SJSU defense.
UP NEXT
SJSU at Fresno State, Saturday, TBD, ESPN Networks game ahead of Boise State (51) in the Mountain division.
“They have a really good football team,” Brennan said of Utah State.