After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season, the San Jose State football team bounced back after they defeated the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 27-14 on Saturday afternoon at CEFCU Stadium.
Spartans’ running back Kairee Robinson had his best performance of the season, rushing for 148 yards and one touchdown.
Former Hawaiʻi and current SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro completed 17 of 26 passes and passed for 208 yards and two touchdowns.
The Spartans’ victory over Hawai‘i is the second consecutive win for SJSU in the Dick Tomey Legacy Game.
The Dick Tomey Legacy Game is SJSU and Hawaiʻi’s annual game that honors former head coach Dick Tomey, who was head coach of both teams during his coaching career.
“We have a history of epic battles with [Hawaiʻi,]” said SJSU head coach Brent Brennan. “It’s particularly special for me because of my relationship with Coach Tomey and keeping that trophy for another year means a lot to me.”
The Spartans scored on their second possession of the game on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cordeiro to Elijah Cooks to put SJSU up 7-0.
SJSU hit a slump to start the second quarter. The Spartans failed to convert their first three possessions of the quarter into points and let the Rainbow Warriors creep back in.
Hawaiʻi strung together a few solid drives in the second quarter to get them into field goal range where kicker Matthew Shipley knocked down two field goals to get the Rainbow Warriors on the board.
With just over a minute left in the first half, the Spartans drove the ball 53 yards in 4 plays which ended in another touchdown connection from Cordeiro to Cooks to put SJSU up 14-6 at the halftime break.
SJSU continued their momentum in the second half as Robinson punched in a 1-yard rushing touchdown to put the Spartans up two scores 21-6.
Hawaiʻi cut the Spartans’ lead in the fourth quarter to 10 after a touchdown pass from Rainbow Warriors’ quarterback Brayden Schager to wide receiver Steven Fiso made the score 24-14.
After an SJSU field goal pushed the Spartans’ lead to 27-14, Hawaiʻi got the ball back with seven minutes left in the game. The Rainbow Warriors pushed the ball down the field into the redzone to set up their final opportunity to make a comeback.
On 4th & goal, SJSU defensive linemen Cade Hall and Junior Fehoko sacked Schager to turn the ball over on downs, effectively ending the game for Hawaiʻi.
The game was physical with both teams receiving unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for late hits and taunting
Cordeiro said he wasn’t fazed by the Rainbow Warriors’ physical play and trash talk on the field. The former Hawaiʻi quarterback passed for 6,167 yards and 45 touchdowns in three years as a Rainbow Warrior.
“It was weird, I used to play against them during practice and they couldn’t touch me,” Cordeiro said. “They were trying to get in my head the whole game. I was just staying locked in.”
This game was also senior day for SJSU. Seniors such as Hall and Cooks were honored before the game.
“I was happy to finish out the year with the guys who became brothers with me these last few years,” Cooks said.
The Spartans finish the year with a 7-4 record with a 6-0 record at home. SJSU will await a decision from the College Football Selection Committee for their bowl-game matchup to take place in December.
