Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Jose ST
Football Runs Over San Jose State 37-6
11/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 25, 2000
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Fresno State Bulldogs had a great time at Spartan Stadium on Saturday - so great, in fact, that they'll probably visit again next month.
Charles Smith had six catches for 113 yards and a score as Fresno State likely earned a berth in the Silicon Valley Classic with a 37-6 victory over San Jose State on Saturday.
"This was a signature game for us, the kind of game that people remember your season by," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "At 7-4, I believe this team will be in a bowl. (The Silicon Valley Classic) would be a great game for us. We could bring a lot of fans here."
Lawrence Deck returned an interception 49 yards for a TD as the Bulldogs (7-4, 6-2 WAC) beat their Northern California rivals for the seventh straight time, including three straight season-ending defeats for the Spartans (7-5, 5-3). The Bulldogs' streak matches the longest in the schools' 65 meetings.
Though nothing is certain, the game probably amounted to a playoff for a chance to return to Spartan Stadium on Dec. 31 for the new bowl game.
"We understood what was at stake. (There was) no nervousness," said Hill, who beat Spartans coach Dave Baldwin for the fourth straight time since both took their respective jobs in 1997. "We knew what we had to do."
The WAC is guaranteed a spot in the Silicon Valley Classic, and conference champ TCU already is headed to the Mobile Alabama Bowl. The WAC also places a team in the Humanitarian Bowl, a spot likely to be filled by UTEP.
The Bulldogs, who lost to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl last season, are headed to a bowl for the second straight year. The Spartans beat then-No. 9 TCU on Nov. 4 but lost their last two games, likely missing a golden opportunity to advance to the postseason for the first time since 1990.
"I know we go out on a negative, but to get seven wins is a real positive, especially since nobody expected us to win one (game this season)," said San Jose State coach Dave Baldwin, who doesn't have a contract for next year.
Fresno State broke open a close game with 27 unanswered points after halftime. David Carr was 15-of-25 for 244 yards and two TDs, and Josh Levi had a 45-yard TD run late.
San Jose State's offense, averaging 33.5 points, picked a terrible time to have its worst game of the year. Deonce Whitaker, the nation's third-leading rusher with 169 yards per game, looked tentative and was held to 56 yards, while starting quarterback Marcus Arroyo was benched after several blunders.
"There's something about their defense," Whitaker said. "It's just different when they play us. It was so hard for us to get started. Our defense played another good game, but our offense didn't show up."
The Bulldogs dominated the first half, moving the ball consistently and forcing three San Jose State turnovers, but led just 10-6 at halftime. Smith scored on a 46-yard pass in the first quarter. Backup QB Brennan Crooks led the Spartans on a 54-yard drive in the half's final minutes, capped by his 1-yard TD run.
"The message at halftime was that we were in control," Hill said. "From the start of the second half, I thought we were on the verge of breaking the game open."
The Bulldogs played outstanding defense throughout the second half and kept Crooks constantly on the run. He was no more effective than Arroyo in the second half, finishing 11-of-30 for 179 yards with two interceptions.
Deck broke the game open late in the third quarter when he picked off Crooks' pass at midfield and dodged several tacklers on his way to the end zone.
"I dropped an (interception) late in the first half, but the coaches said not to worry," Deck said. "I was thinking end zone as soon as I made the interception."
While the Spartans continued to flounder and turn over the ball on offense, Fresno State tacked on two late touchdowns to turn the game into a blowout.
Fresno's Asen Asparuhov missed two field-goal attempts in the first half, but finished with three field goals.
