SJSU's Fales breaks three school records in win over BYU

SJSU may have lost out on hopes for a Western Athletic Conference title before Saturday nights matchup against Brigham-Young University began, but it didnt show on the field. Utah State defeated Louisiana Tech earlier Saturday to almost assuredly wrap up the WAC championshipunless it loses to Idaho next weekbut the Spartans looked like they could care less by adding a convincing 20-14 win at home on national television over BYU to their bowl resume. One of our coaches always talks about euphoriaI think I know the definition of euphoria now, said linebacker David Tuitupolou about the win. The Spartans (9-2, 4-1 WAC) did not score in the second half and allowed BYU (6-5) to crawl within a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Cougars quarterback Riley Nelson narrowly escaped a sack and found wide receiver David Foote to reduce SJSUs lead to 20-14.BYU successfully converted an onside kick attempt following the touchdown and began a would-be game-winning drive with 2:36 left in the game. The Cougars were able to get to the SJSU 21 yard line before Spartan linebacker Keith Smith broke through the BYU offensive line to force a fumble, which was recovered by linebacker Vince Buhagiar to seal the victory. It was a blur, said Smith, who tied a career high with 19 tackles, about his forced fumble. I was in my zone and coach called a blitz and it ran to perfection. It just so happened to come my way ... It was like a dreamespecially how it just came my way.Head coach Mike MacIntyre said the team did not tire despite the defense having to return to the field following the BYU onside kick.The energy our kids got in that last part there, because you could think they could have gone dead-leggedyou could see the momentum turn but they just rose, he said.SJSU played one of the most complete first halves it has played all season and against its most demanding opponent. At one point, SJSU converted each of its first eight third down plays. The Spartans, however, were 0-8 on from then on. Quarterback David Fales threw a touchdown pass on each of the Spartans first three drives of the evening, two of which rewrote SJSU football record books. It didnt take Fales long eitherhe broke the records in the span of his first ten passes. Fales third pass yielded the games first score, a 51-yard touchdown to Noel Grigsby. The deep strike was Fales 26th touchdown pass of the season, breaking Steve Clarksons record set in 1981. Fales tenth pass of the game, an 8-yard touchdown to Chandler Jones, broke the school single-season record for passing yards, set by Mike Perez in 1987. Fales now has 3,431 passing yards after Saturdays game, also an SJSU single-season record for total offense. Im speechless, Fales said of his newly acquired records at SJSU, but its our entire offensenot just me. We were recognizing and seeing what they were doing and we were making good reads. Receivers ran good routes and got open. We just executed what we had in our game plan.Fales finished the game with 305 yards on 25-34 passing and the 3 touchdowns.The BYU defense, which surpassed season averages by allowing 20 points and 294 yards to SJSU by halftime, buckled down during halftime and came out much stronger to begin the second half. The Cougars sacked Fales twice on the Spartans second-half opening possession. SJSU hadnt allowed a sack since its Oct. 13 loss to Utah State, who brought down Fales 13 times in the game. BYU went on to allow just 63 total yards to SJSU in the third quarter alone. After converting their first eight third-down attempts, the Spartans were unable to convert on five straight third down plays stretching from the end of the second quarter into the fourth. The Cougars responded by scoring on their first possession of the game as well. They put together a 9-play, 79-yard drive capped by a Jamaal Williams 16-yard touchdown run, setting the score at 7-6 in favor of BYU. Fales collected his third touchdown of the game on a 18-yard completion to Noel Grigsby with 13:23 left in the second half to make the score 20-17. The Spartan defense buckled down in the first half after allowing the Cougars to score on their first possession. BYU gained just 61 yards from scrimmage from their second possession through halftime. I think if you told anybody in American wed be 9-2 at this point not many would agree with you except for the guys in our locker room, MacIntyre said. As far as next weeks game, youd like to play for the WAC but instead were playing for 10 wins.The SJSU football program has never seen a 10-win team during the regular season. Should the Spartans defeat Louisiana Tech next week then win a bowl game if they are invited, it will be the first SJSU team in school history to win 11 games. Congrats to Utah State, but no question about it next week it still a big game for us, said Grigsby, who caught 8 passes for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns Saturday night. We want a 10-win season10-3 sounds a lot better than 9-3.