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SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Spartans welcomed the Fresno State Bulldogs for a conference clash, and the home team came out on top. The Spartans unleashed their offensive attack on the Bulldog defense and came away with a 49-23 victory.
Running back Tyler Ervin, who set Spartan single-game records with 300 yards rushing on 42 carries, led San Jose State (2-2, 1-1). He also added three touchdowns on the ground as well.
Spartan quarterback Joe Gray played well, finishing 20-of-23 for 252 yards passing and three touchdowns.
The Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1) didn't have much to be proud about after yet another blowout loss. KeeSean Johnson led all receivers with seven receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs will travel to San Diego State to take on the conference rival Aztecs in Week 5.
Ten of the 12 Mountain West Conference teams played last week with Utah State and Air Force on their bye weeks. The conference went 1-2 versus the Power 5 conferences.
Here's how the Mountain West Conference played out in Week 4:
New Mexico (2-2, 1-0) 38, Wyoming (0-4, 0-1) 28
The Lobos won their conference opener behind their power run game. The Lobos ran for 302 yards, led by running backs Lamar Jordan (147 yards) and Jhurell Pressley (103 yards). The Lobos also picked off the Cowboys twice.
The Cowboys did see some good things from quarterback Cameron Coffman. He finished 30-of-42 for 366 yards and four touchdowns. Coffman threw two interceptions, but otherwise, the Cowboys' passing game looked improved after three weeks of difficulty.
Boise State (3-1) 56, Virginia 14
The Broncos are once again looking to be the class of the conference after demolishing the Cavaliers. With Ryan Finley still injured, backup quarterback Brett Rypien played well in his first start. Rypien went 24-of-35 for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Rypien made it obvious that Thomas Sperbeck is his favorite target after the wideout finished with five receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bronco defense held the Cavalier run game to just 40 yards while intercepting four passes, returning two for touchdowns.
The Broncos will host conference rival Hawaii in Week 5 in their conference opener.
Nevada (2-2) 24, Buffalo 21
Nevada escaped Buffalo with the three-point victory after leading 24-13 at one point. Running back James Butler was the catalyst for the Wolf Pack. He finished with 16 carries for 177 yards and a touchdown, including a 91-yard run. Running back Don Jackson also had a big game, finishing with 17 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
The Wolf Pack got an incredible game from freshman defensive back Dameon Barber, who finished the game with two interceptions.
The Wolf Pack welcomes in-state and conference rival UNLV in Week 5 in the conference opener for both teams.
Penn State 37, San Diego State (1-3) 21
It was a tough day for the Aztecs, who were to just 141 yards through the air. Wide receiver Mikah Holder was the lone offensive bright spot as he finished with four receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Kick return man Rashaad Penny returned a Penn State kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
On defense, the Aztecs held the Nittany Lions to just 72 yards rushing, and only 2.1 yards per carry.
The Aztecs welcome the Fresno State Bulldogs for San Diego State's conference opener.
Colorado State (2-2) 33, Texas-San Antonio 31
The Rams won a close one against the Roadrunners in Week 4. Running back Jason Olden Jr. and wide receiver Rashard Higgins led the Rams. Olden Jr. finished with 30 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown, while Higgins finished with five receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams will travel to Logan to face Utah State in the conference opener for both teams.
Wisconsin 28, Hawaii (2-2) 0
For the second time this season the Warriors were shut out on the road by a ranked Big Ten team. Hawaii couldn't get the running game going against the Badgers. The Warriors rushed for a total of 15 yards. Wide receiver Quinton Pedroza, who finished with 10 receptions for 134 yards, was the biggest standout for the Warriors.
The Warriors start off their conference season at Boise State in Week 5.
UNLV (1-3) 80, Idaho State 8
The Rebels got their first victory of the season over the Bengals. The Rebel run offense exploded for 517 yards and six touchdowns against the less-than-stellar Bengal run defense. Xzavier Campbell ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. Lexington Thomas finished with seven carries for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Junior defensive back Troy Hawthorne returned an interception back for a touchdown, and fellow defensive back Tim Hough finished with two interceptions on the day.
The Rebels look to translate their success against the Bengals in their conference opener at Reno against the Wolf Pack. Nathan Harker is a sports writing intern currently enrolled at Brigham Young University majoring in broadcast journalism. Nathan can be reached at nathan.harker32@gmail.com or via Twitter @nharker3207.
