San Jose blown out in rivalry game to Bulldogs as Spartans fade

In the chilly November Saturday night at CEFCU Stadium, where hope and frustration mingled in the air, San Jose State’s season finale played out like much of their 3–9 campaign: flashes of grit, brief moments of brilliance, and too many painful reminders of how far they still have to go.

Fresno State (8-4, 5-3 MW) walked away with a 41–14 win, backed by 259 rushing yards and five interceptions that left San Jose State (3-9, 2-6 MW) chasing momentum they could never quite hold onto all season.

It wasn’t for lack of heart.

If you only stared at the scoreboard, you’d think this team quit. But watching linebacker Jordan Pollard; helmet battered, and eyes locked in, you saw something else. Pollard delivered 19 tackles, a forced fumble, and the lone first-half spark: a stunning 58-yard pick-six that brought the crowd to life for the shortest of moments.

“I had to leave this place on a high note,” Pollard said after the game. “I needed that interception and just to have some fun one last time.”

Fun has been scarce this season, but resilience hasn’t.

Freshman quarterback Tama Amisone earned his first start, but an early lower-body injury derailed what was hoped to be a glimpse of the future. The QB carousel spun from Amisone to another freshman in Robert McDaniel to senior Xavier Ward, who had the most productive outing with 94 passing yards and SJSU’s lone offensive highlight — a 36-yard strike to Danny Scudero that set up Juju Teu’s first career touchdown.

Teu’s own remarkable story of coming back after back surgery is a story unto its own, where not many ever come back from, but that’s a feel good story for another day.

Scudero, who finished with four catches for 57 yards, spoke less about statistics and more about soul.

“You don’t want to take any snaps off, because you truly love each other here,” said Scudero on the tough season and describing the character of the team. “No matter how things are going, you push through, and you finish what you started.”

It’s that heartbeat that kept the defense fighting in the face of many short fields and a 39:15 to 20:45 time-of-possession gap favoring the Bulldogs and, of course, the avalanche of turnovers.

Head coach Ken Niumatalolo, again, isn’t one to mince words.

“The number one glaring thing? We didn’t value the football,” said Niumatalolo. “You can’t beat anybody if you turn the ball over that many times.”

Five interceptions. Zero offensive touchdowns until the fourth quarter. Three quarterbacks and one identity crisis.

But Niumatalolo wasn’t just frustrated. He was calculating.

“We got a lot of stuff to fix and it starts with me, the staff, then the roster. And everything’s on the table when you go three and nine.”

In a candid tone about the disappointing season, Niumatalolo added, “I’ve told the guys; you never go undefeated in life. This is life.”

This is also where Spartan fans find their fork in the road.

Do you say this team is simply bad? Or do you look at a defense anchored by Pollard, Gafa Faga, and Isiah Revis, who combined for 37 tackles and two fumble recoveries as just pockets of potential gone to waste? Do you look at underclassmen like Teu, Amisone, McDaniel, and Kyri Shoels as players not broken but hardened by trial?

Or further still, who’s staying and who’s leaving in this wild west of college football, where jumping ship is easier than ever.

It’s everything, when you can’t pinpoint anything.

Maybe what’s being built or rebuilt here isn’t pretty right now, but maybe it’s still real. In the years and transitions this writer has covered San Jose State, they recruit high-character, because this is also a blue-collar place. But character is always the hardest intangible to ever see and feel, especially when you lose.

What was clear Saturday night was that this wasn’t a team without effort, but it was a team without rhythm; without stability; without wins, but not without belief and support of each other.

Niumatalolo said it best.

“We aren’t going to point fingers. We’re going to work. We’re going to fix it and not let this happen again.”

In San Jose, the dawn starts right away.

And, as Niumatalolo stressed, the 2026 season begins now.