San Jose State wins at Fresno State for first time in nearly a quarter-century
Originally published by the San Jose Mercury News Nov. 26, 2011.
By Jeff Faraudo
FRESNO — San Jose State ended a 24-year victory drought on the road against Fresno State on Saturday night with what quarterback Matt Faulkner called the best play in football.
He took a knee to let the final seconds tick away, and the Spartans left Bulldog Stadium with a 27-24 victory.
Fresno pulled within three points when Derek Carr passed 24 yards to Jalen Saunders with 6:15 left, and the Spartans needed a big finish to avoid squandering a double-digit fourth-quarter lead for the third time in four games.
Faulkner told his teammates in the huddle, “Guys, let’s have the drive of the year and end this thing with the best play in football.”
The triumph achieved a lot for the Spartans:
Senior running back Brandon Rutley carried seven times for 24 yards on the final possession after gaining just 34 yards on 12 previous attempts. Faulkner completed three passes for first downs on the drive, and the Spartans were aided by a pass-interference penalty against Fresno State on a third-and-9 pass intended for Rutley.
“It was just a matter of us knowing we had to get it done,” said Rutley, aware that his team’s inability to run the ball cost them victories in the fourth quarter against Idaho and Utah State. “We just said, ‘Let’s finish this out rather than let it happen again.’ ”
Faulkner finished 27 for 42 for 363 yards and two touchdowns, including a 18-yarder to Noel Grigsby that made it 27-17 with 11:38 left.
Grigsby, who caught eight passes to set an SJSU single-season record with 89, caught the ball at the 5, then fought through two defenders for his second touchdown of the season.
The Spartans turned a 17-10 halftime deficit into a 20-17 lead in the span of less than 2 minutes midway through the third quarter.
SJSU took its first possession of the second half from its own 17 to the Bulldogs’ 17 before Jens Alvernik kicked a 34-yard field goal, pulling the Spartans within four points.
Fresno State quarterback Carr then fumbled a shotgun snap on third down, and defensive tackle Travis Raciti recovered at the FSU 38. The Spartans then ran a flea-flicker, and Faulkner delivered a 38-yard TD strike to freshman wideout Jabari Carr for the lead with 8:09 left in the quarter.
“That’s the perfect time to do it,” Faulkner said. “After a turnover and in that area of the field.”
MacIntyre described a raucous locker room scene in which the players lifted Faulkner on their shoulders, then presented him the game ball. Faulkner assembled his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season and finished with 3,149 yards, third-most in school history.
“He was very very humble, but he was very happy,” MacIntyre said.