Spartan Existence: SJSU Subdues New Mexico Defense, Wins MW Opener
SJSU wide receiver Leland Smith goes up for a one-handed touchdown catch. The Lobos struggled all night to contain the Spartans passing attack. Photo courtesy of SJSU Athletics.
Under the pressure of the Mountain West opener, the Lobos couldn’t muster any against San Jose State quarterback Walter Eget.
Eget outbattled his counterpart, the University of New Mexico’s Jack Layne, throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Spartans to a 35-28 victory Friday night.
“I think they definitely outplayed us tonight,” UNM coach Jason Eck said in a postgame interview on KKOB-AM. “Credit to them; I thought their quarterback was outstanding.”
Eget was off target just once through the first three quarters, finishing 26 of 30 passes. Layne, himself under pressure for much of the evening, completed 28 of 40 passes for 344 yards and three interceptions. He did have a three-yard rushing touchdown as part of a valiant fourth quarter comeback that fell short.
“We’ve got to protect a little better,” Eck said. “I thought we gave up too many pressures.”
SJSU (2-3, 1-0) also collected a season high four sacks against the Lobos (3-2, 0-1), ending UNM’s three-game winning streak.
The Lobo defense, which tied a school record with nine sacks last week in the win over New Mexico State, didn’t get any against Eget. He masterfully mixed short passes with a couple over-the-top throws against UNM’s zone.
New Mexico rallied from an 18-point deficit with 11 fourth-quarter points to pull within 35-28 with 3:41 left in the game on Luke Drzewiecki’s 31-yard field goal. Earlier in the quarter, Layne capped a 72-yard drive with a three-yard TD run.
The Spartans’ rushing attack didn’t let UNM get the ball back. It finished with for 153 yards on 36 carries to keep UNM from focusing on the pass.
Eck took the blame for SJSU’s run game, saying the Lobos opened the game with a three-man front that allowed for a lot of yardage that got the Spartans rolling early with a 14-0 lead just moments into the second quarter.
UNM mustered just 76 rushing yards on 27 carries but scored all three of its TDs on the ground.
All season, the Lobos had been a stronger team in the second halves of games. It was San Jose State’s 14-0 third quarter that built a 35-17 lead and proved to be the difference in the game.
Eget’s 39-yard pass to Danny Scudero just out of halftime set up Steve Chavez-Soto’s second rushing touchdown, a 10-yard scamper to give the Spartans a 28-17 lead with 10:27 left in the third quarter.
San Jose State controlled the first half but couldn’t shake the pesky Lobos. Eget’s 70-yard pass to Danny Scudero pushed the Spartans cushion to 21-7 with 6:15 left in the second quarter. Eget completed his first 13 passes of the game for 161 yards and two TDs.
But UNM counterpunched back to 21-14 with 3:29 left. A 42-yard pass from Layne to Shawn Miller set up Scottre Humphrey’s 1-yard TD run on fourth down. Luke Drzewiecki’s 25-yard field goal for the Lobos at the end of the half left SJSU with a 21-17 edge at the break.
Layne’s stat line was almost as impressive, going 14 of 18 for 178 yards with an interception.
Both teams had touchdowns called back in the first 30 minutes.
The start to the game couldn’t have gone worse for the visitors. The Spartans dominated the first quarter, outgaining UNM 119-36. The home team took the opening drive 75 yards on 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead on Steve Chavez-Soto’s four-yard plunge.
UNM tried to respond, getting into SJSU territory. The Lobos attempted a flea-flicker on first down at the Spartans 39, but SJSU safety Larry Turner-Gooden stepped in front of tight end Cade Keith to intercept the ball.
San Jose State made it 14-0 two plays into the second quarter when an Eget pass went through Lobo safety CJ McBean’s hands and into Michael Coleman’s arms in the end zone.
That’s when the ever-resilient visitors got to work. Aided by a tipped Layne pass intended for Shawn Miller that Michael Buckley hustled to grab for a first down, UNM marched 75 yards on 10 plays. Damon Bankston’s four-yard run cut the SJSU lead to 14-7 with 9:30 left in the first half.
