November 23rd 2024.
For the second week in a row, the San Jose State football team faced a tough opponent and unfortunately, they were unable to come out with a win. This time, it was No. 23 ranked UNLV who took the victory with a final score of 27-16 on a rainy Friday night at CEFCU Stadium.
The Spartans started strong with a halftime lead of 16-10, but UNLV fought back in the second half, scoring 17 consecutive points to secure the win. With this loss, the Spartans' overall record is now 6-5 and their conference record is 3-4 in the Mountain West Conference.
SJSU coach Ken Niumatalolo expressed his disappointment in the team's inability to stay focused and composed under pressure. "We just gotta learn as a team to keep fighting when games are close, just stay the course, don't get rattled and unfortunately, we got rattled," he said. "When adversity hits, you just gotta stay the course and we haven't been doing that these last two weeks."
However, Niumatalolo remains optimistic and reminds his team not to panic. They just need to focus on doing their job and he takes responsibility for coaching them to remember that.
Let's take a closer look at the takeaways from this defeat.
RUN GAME STRUGGLES
The Spartans have mainly focused on their passing game this season, with the coaching staff emphasizing the importance of explosive plays over time of possession. However, with the rainy conditions on Friday night, the team had to rely on their run game more than usual.
Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned. Niumatalolo admitted that they couldn't block UNLV effectively, making it difficult to gain any momentum. "We couldn't block them and that makes things tough," he said. What's even more frustrating is that UNLV didn't even load the line of scrimmage with defenders, giving the Spartans the opportunity to run the ball.
Running back Floyd Chalk IV led the team in rushing with 56 yards on 18 carries, but the other running back, Jabari Bates, had a tough night with -10 yards on three carries. The team finished with only 31 yards overall, averaging 1.2 yards per attempt. "We gotta be able to get more than two yards," Niumatalolo said. "We didn't play very well. We got whipped up front."
Quarterback Walker Eget also acknowledged the team's struggles with the run game, but he believes that if they can improve in that area, it will open up opportunities for their passing game. "If we're able to run the ball, then the pass game will be open," he said. "If we could fix that up a little more for the future, we'll be good."
PASS GAME STRUGGLES IN RAIN
The rainy conditions not only affected the run game, but it also hindered the Spartans' passing game. They finished with only 81 passing yards, their lowest of the season. Wide receiver Justin Lockhart also left the game in the first half due to injury, which was a blow to the team as he is an explosive player.
Star receiver Nick Nash, who is also a semifinalist for the Fred Biletnikoff award, was held to just one reception and did not reach the end zone. Niumatalolo attributed this to a combination of the weather and UNLV's defense. "We had 4 out of 22 completions in the passing game, and as a passing team, it's going to be hard to beat anyone with such a low completion percentage," he said.
Despite the challenges, Eget managed to connect with wide receiver Matthew Coleman for a 33-yard touchdown. But overall, the team struggled to move the ball, finishing with only 112 yards of total offense.
SPECIAL TEAMS MISTAKES
The Spartans also faced difficulties in their special teams. In the fourth quarter, a botched attempt to block a punt resulted in a penalty for running into the kicker. This gave UNLV a new set of downs, and they eventually scored a touchdown, extending their lead to two scores. "You can't do those types of things against the No. 23 team or against any team," Niumatalolo said. "We just had a lapse, but you can't do those kinds of things."
Niumatalolo clarified that the play was not intended to block the punt, but rather a "safe" rush to ensure that UNLV would kick the ball. However, the team needs to be more disciplined and avoid costly mistakes like this.
DEFENSE HOLDS STRONG
Despite the loss, Niumatalolo was encouraged by the performance of the defense. They kept the score close and gave the team a chance to win, despite the struggles on offense. Linebacker Isiah Revis even had a pick-six that he recognized from studying film. "They had run that on film so I was anticipating it," Revis said. "I didn't do anything crazy, just disguised it pretty good."
WHAT'S NEXT
The Spartans' regular-season finale is coming up on Friday at home against Stanford. It will be a special day as they honor their seniors and renew the Bill Walsh Legacy Game. The team has not faced Stanford since 2013 and they are determined to end the season on a high note.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
