Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Football Beat Reporter
Auburn had won 45-straight games against unranked opponents heading into their tilt with San Jose State.
For a brief moment, it looked like the Spartans would keep that streak at 45, but the Tigers would fix their sloppy turnovers and clean up their penalties, beating the Spartans 24-16.
Quarterback T.J. Finley followed up a 24-yard strike to Ja’varrius Johnson with a 4-yard keeper for a TD to make it a 24-13 game.
Finley, who split reps with Robby Ashford, went 13-20 for 167 yards with one touchdown and a pick while Ashford went 1-3 with a pick, but rushed for a team-high 54-yards.
The Spartans were able to keep it a close game by winning the turnover margin but weren’t able to maximize each opportunity.
After a phenomenal, full-extension interception by Chase Williams in the second quarter, the Spartans drove all the way down to the goal line.
On 3rd & goal from the 2, the Spartans took back-to-back timeouts, then committed back-to-back false starts. When SJSU got a play off, Chevan Cordeiro was sacked and the drive would end in a field goal, one of three the Spartans would kick on the day.
Cordeiro in his second game as a Spartan looked confident and strong, finishing 24-40 for 275 yards. Nevada transfer Charles Ross was his top target of the night, connecting five times for 89 yards. Fellow Nevada transfers Justin Lockhart and Elijah Cooks combined for eight catches and 103 yards.
The running game struggled for a second consecutive game. Kairee Robinson led all backs with 11 carries for 24 yards. In total, the Spartans finished with 54 yards on 29 attempts.
Although the Spartans lost, their performance as one cohesive unit bested their 21-17 season-opening win against Portland State.
Facing Auburn, a team with far more talent, the Spartans were only outgained 378-329 yards and led for a good portion of the game, including going into halftime.
With their upcoming bye week, SJSU will have time to rest and refuel their bodies after a physically demanding matchup in Alabama’s unrelenting heat and humidity.
Their tilt with Western Michigan on Saturday, Sep. 24 will be their last out-of-conference matchup of 2022.