Dylan Paine scored a 7-yard touchdown in the second overtime, and John Mateer ran in a two-point conversion, helping Washington State come back for an exciting 54-52 win against San Jose State on Friday night.
Emmett Brown threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Nick Nash for San Jose State (3-1), but he lost the ball during a two-point attempt, allowing the Cougars to recover. This win marked Washington State’s second straight 4-0 start under coach Jake Dickert.
After trailing 10-7 in the first quarter, Washington State took a 24-17 lead at halftime, thanks to Mateer’s 1-yard touchdown run and two touchdown passes to tight end Cooper Mathers for 4 and 8 yards.
Brown, who transferred after being a backup at Washington State last season, led the Spartans to score on all three of their third-quarter drives.
He passed to Nash for a 19-yard touchdown and ran one in himself before Floyd Chalk IV scored on an 18-yard run, putting San Jose State ahead 38-24 at the end of the third quarter.
Mateer connected with Kyle Williams for a 13-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. After San Jose State turned the ball over on downs, Mateer threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Josh Meredith, but Dean Janikowski missed the extra point, leaving WSU behind 38-37.
Kyle Thornton intercepted Brown, giving the Cougars the ball at the Spartans’ 32-yard line. Mateer passed to Meredith for a 31-yard gain, and Paine scored on the next play, putting WSU up 43-38 after failing the two-point conversion.
Brown then threw a 20-yard touchdown to TreyShun Hurry on fourth-and-10 and connected with Nash for the two-point conversion, giving the Spartans a 46-43 lead with just 26 seconds left.
Mateer quickly hit Williams for a 32-yard gain and ran for 8 more yards, setting up Janikowski’s 52-yard field goal to tie the game and force overtime.
In the first overtime, redshirt freshman Ethan O’Connor intercepted Brown to stop San Jose State’s drive, while DJ Harvey picked off Mateer to end Washington State’s first possession.
