San Jose State rolls into Arkansas, stuns Razorbacks

For the first time in San Jose State football history, the Spartans achieved a win against an SEC opponent.

After traveling 1,798 miles to Fayetteville, Arkansas, San Jose State (2-1) edged the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2) 31-24 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday night. The win comes as SJSU’s first win over a power-5 conference since 2006.

Heading into SEC country for the first time since head coach Brent Brennan took over as head coach in 2017, the Spartans expected a second, consecutive physical affair after losing to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 34-16 in their last outing.

But San Jose wasted no time as its first play of the game came as a 50-yard bomb to Spartans wide receiver Bailey Gaither.

Gaither, who had his season cut short due to a torn Achilles tendon in 2018, set the Spartans up at the Razorbacks 25-yard line with the giant gain. Six plays later, Spartans quarterback Josh Love connected with junior wide receiver JaQuan Blackwell for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give San Jose State a 7-0 lead just over two minutes into the game.

After a punt and a missed 46-yard field goal on their next two drives, the Spartans found themselves in trouble after Love threw a ball into double coverage which was picked off by Razorbacks junior defensive back Kamren Curl.

But as Arkansas, who tied the game on their third drive of the game, got set up on their own 34 yard line after the pick, San Jose State’s defense came to life, creating a turnover of their own on the first play of the second quarter.

SJSU linebacker Ethan Aguayo, who entered the game leading the nation in tackles with 17 stops per game, picked off a pass from Razorbacks quarterback Nick Starkel.

Aguayo’s pick would be the first of two first-half interceptions for the Spartans. The second came three Arkansas possessions later after the Spartans offense, who posted 503 yards of total offense, tacked on 10 more points.

In total, the Spartans defense held Arkansas to seven points and 238 yards in the first half.

San Jose State’s defense would succumb to the 86-degree heat and near 70-percent humidity in Fayetteville, however, as they allowed the Razorbacks to climb back into the game by scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half.

The tying score came as Starkel connected with freshman wide receiver Trey Knox on for an eight-yard score on third-and-goal to knot the game at 24.

But the Spartans offense responded with a five-play, 75-yard drive capped off by DeJon Parker’s 19-yard run which hit paydirt.

The drive was sparked by Love, who finished the game with 402 yards on 32-for-49 passing, and wide receiver Tre Walker, who led the Spartans in receiving with 12 receptions for 161 yards.

San Jose State capped the game off with an interception courtesy of junior safety Bobby Brown II, who snagged the Spartans’ fifth pick of the night.

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