After their most recent trip to California, the Mustangs (0-6,0-3) may want to recall the entire first half of their game againstthe San Jose State Spartans (2-4, 1-2). After being outscored 24-0in the first half, the Mustangs went on to lose to the Spartans14-31.
On the Spartans first offensive drive, it looked as if theMustang defense had forced the Spartans to go four-and-out, but apass interference penalty gave the Spartans a new set of downs. TheSpartans took advantage of the penalty and scored their first andonly touchdown of the first half when quarterback Scott Rislovcompleted a 2-yard pass to Leon Pinky 5:13 into the game.
The Mustangs’ first offensive drive looked promising afterJonas Rutledge’s kickoff return to the 46-yard line of theSpartans, but on a fourth-and-inches inside the Spartans’20-yard line the Mustangs failed to convert, switching possessionof the ball back over to the Spartans.
In the second quarter, the Spartans offense found its groove,scoring 17 points.
The first Spartan touchdown came 4:14 into the second quarter ona 1-yard run by Damarcus Ingram.
The Mustangs’ next set of downs was stagnant as the teamwas forced to go four-and-out.
The Spartans’ next turn on offense produced anothertouchdown, this time from a Jamal Broussard 10-yard run 7:04 intothe quarter.
With the Spartans now up 21-0, the Mustangs hoped to getsomething going on offense but could not find a way to score forthe rest of the half.
The Spartans kicked a 45-yard field goal to cap their 24-0 leadheading into halftime.
The start of the second half brought out a revamped Mustangoffense.
Undeterred by an early third-quarter interception, Mustangquarterback Richard Bartel completed a 57-yard touchdown throw toDerron Brown 9:04 into the quarter.
As an encore to his first touchdown pass of the game, Bartel gothis second touchdown pass of the game with a 31-yard pass toReynaldo Pellerin with 50 seconds left in the third.
Looking to capitalize on their third quarter momentum, theMustangs found no such luck in the fourth.
Rislov completed a 23-yard touchdown pass to Pinky for theSpartans 5:49 into the fourth.
This score turned out to be the last time either team wouldreach the end zone and enough for the Spartans to hold off theMustangs.
