SAN JOSE – Ken Niumatalolo’s first game in charge of San Jose State’s football team did not start well.
After an interception on their first possession Thursday night and a botched snap to open their second drive, the Spartans found themselves trailing Sacramento State 14-0 just 10 minutes into their new coach’s tenure, with an inexperienced quarterback running a brand-new offense.
A familiar face helped them take back control of the game: Nick Nash caught two touchdowns and passed for another as San Jose State came back to beat the Hornets 42-24 at CEFCU Stadium.
“It was the worst start we could have had,” said Niumatalolo. “The exciting thing is we can play better.”
Here’s what we learned about the Spartans in the win:
A NEW CONNECTION
For weeks, there was speculation about who would be the starting quarterback for San Jose State to replace 2023 all-Mountain West honoree Chevan Cordeiro. Washington State transfer Emmett Brown ended up getting the job, but Nash proved Thursday night that as long as they get him the ball, things will be OK.
The sixth-year senior had 10 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
There wasn’t a member of the Hornets’ secondary who could keep up with Nash. He even offered a “too small” taunt after one of his touchdowns.
“I felt like a big kid on campus,” said Nash.
He even reminded the SJSU faithful of his early-college quarterback days by throwing for a touchdown to Jacob Stewart on a trick play in the first half. That makes it back-to-back years Nash has had three touchdowns in the opening week of the season.
Nash is expected to push for an All-Mountain West first-team year after testing the transfer portal in the offseason.
”I’m grateful he stayed,” said Niumatalolo.
FITS AND STARTS
Brown, who never started a game at Washington State, was tasked with operating the proclaimed “Spread N’ Shred” offense under new coordinator Craig Stutzmann.
He went 20-for-34 for 298 yards, three touchdowns and the opening-drive interception. His dual-threat ability separated him from Walker Eget in the quarterback competition, but he didn’t showcase his running Thursday. The Hornets, who opened the season ranked No. 8 in the FCS, made an effort to seal the edge and prevent option plays.
They dared SJSU to pass, stacking the line of scrimmage. Floyd Chalk IV, a junior transfer from Grambling State, had 87 yards rushing and scored twice, but the Spartans finished with just 63 yards on the ground as a team due to the Hornets catching Brown behind the line of scrimmage.
The second turnover was a snap over Brown’s head that the Hornets recovered and converted into a touchdown.
“It’s been a couple of years and, you know, (I had) some nerves to get back out there,” said Brown. “Just finding a little groove was key for us. This offense is very communication-based.”
When the offense shredded, it shredded. The average SJSU completion went for more than 15 yards. But when it wasn’t shredding, the drives were brief. The Hornets held the ball for more than 29 of the game’s first 45 minutes before the Spartans took control in the fourth quarter.
TURNOVERS SEAL IT
Sacramento State certainly had its opportunities and took a 17-14 lead into halftime. In the second half, Kaiden Bennett had multiple chances to hit open receivers but just couldn’t connect. Bennett completed 17-of-32 passes 134 yards and two interceptions.
The San Jose State defense forced five turnovers. Cornerback Michael Dansby said after practice Tuesday that the message in the cornerback room was to get a turnover, “no matter what.”
His manifesting resulted in a fourth-quarter interception. The defense’s five turnovers were the most for the Spartans since the last time they played Sacramento State in 2013, when they won Ron Caragher’s debut as coach.
“Our goal was to get four, so to get five was great,” said safety Robert Rahimi.
Rahimi transferred to SJSU this past winter before Niumatalolo was announced as the new head coach. After not playing for more than a year, he’s happy to have found a home.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he said.
Niumatalolo, too, was the head coach in a game for the first time in over a year. He said he hopes to continue building off the Spartans’ win.
“I can’t do many things,” he said. “If there’s something wrong with the sink, my wife does it. But this I can do. I know how to bring people together.”
INJURIES
Sacramento State’s Michael Johnson suffered a scary injury early in the fourth quarter when he was hit hard on a kickoff return and went limp, fumbling the ball. The game was delayed for almost 11 minutes while medical personnel tended to Johnson.
“He was moving his arms and legs, and they were just taking all the precautions for his neck because that was a physical hit. It was scary,” Hornets coach Andy Thompson told the Sacramento Bee.
The junior running back was taken off the field on a stretcher and placed in an ambulance, which took him to a hospital for evaluation.
— Spartans captain and left guard Marist Talavou, the lone returning member of last year’s offensive line, left in the second quarter and did not return to the game.
UP NEXT
San Jose State will travel to Colorado to play its first Mountain West opponent this season on Sept. 7 against Air Force (4 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
Niumatalolo has faced Air Force 15 times in his head coaching career and stressed the need to construct a new game plan and build off the momentum gained Thursday.
“We turn the ball over like that against Air Force, we won’t see it till next week,” said Niumatalolo.
