San Jose State’s football team won its sixth game of the season, beating Colorado State University 28-16, on Saturday night at CEFCU Stadium. The victory makes the team bowl-eligible, meaning they will be eligible to be selected for a post-season bowl game.
Junior quarterback Chevan Cordeiro completed 27-42 passes and threw for 275 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Cordeiro also rushed for 33 yards on 8 attempts.
During the first quarter, Colorado State running back Avery Morrow rushed for a 56-yard touchdown on the third play of the game to put the Rams on the board 7-0.
With a slow start, the Spartans punted on the first and second possessions of the game. They ended the first quarter with 48 total yards and went 1-3 on 3rd down conversions.
To start the second quarter, SJSU completed an 11 play drive, 44 yard possession which ended in a 2-yard touchdown pass from Cordeiro to tight end Dominick Mazotti, tying the game at 7.
With just over three minutes left in the half, the Spartan’s defense stopped the Rams on 3rd and goal, forcing the Rams into a field goal.
Colorado State went into halftime with a 10-7 lead.To start the 3rd quarter, the Spartans drove the ball down field and ended the drive with a Kairee Robinson 5-yard touchdown rush to put SJSU up 14-10.
On the next possession, the Rams converted 3rd & 20 with a 38-yard pass play from quarterback Clay Millen to wide receiver Tory Horton.
Colorado State looked like they would get points out of the possession, but Spartan cornerback Nehemiah Shelton intercepted Millen in the endzone to give the ball back to SJSU.
The Spartans continued to hum in the fourth quarter as Cordeiro threw his second touchdown pass of the game to wide receiver Elijah Cooks to give SJSU a 21-10 lead.
Cooks said that he knew he was going to catch the ball and trusted that Cordeiro was going to get him the ball in the right spot.
“To be a successful team, you have to have that trust with your quarterback,” Cooks said. I told [Cordeiro] ‘When you’re in trouble trust me with it’ and he does. That’s why I love my boy.”
With less than five minutes on the clock, the Rams managed to land a touchdown when backup quarterback Jackson Stratton threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Horton to cut the SJSU lead to 21-16.
On the Spartans’ final possession of the game, Cordeiro threw a 37-yard pass to wide receiver Justin Lockhart on 3rd & 15 with a little over two minutes on the clock to set up the Spartans in the red zone.
Robinson punched in the final score for SJSU to give the Spartans a 28-16 lead, ending the game for the Rams.
Even with the Rams playing tough defense throughout the night, Cordeiro said he remained calm and patient.
“We all kept calm and I had that mindset we were going to score,” Cordeiro said.
The Spartans recorded their sixth win of the season, meaning they qualify to be bowl game participants.
Head football coach Brent Brennan said he was happy to get the win and was proud of his team for becoming bowl eligible.
“I feel great about where we are at,” Brennan said. “It has been a long time since our program has been in this position.”
The Spartans next game will be on the road against San Diego State University on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
