Love leads San Jose State to 35-18 win in opener

Aug 30, 2019, 10:48 am

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Josh Love threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and San Jose State opened the season with a 35-18 victory over Northern Colorado on Thursday night.

Love, in his third season as a starter, was 21-of-31 passing for 224 yards. He threw a 7-yard scoring pass to Jermaine Braddock in the first quarter and a 14-yarder to a leaping Derrick Deese Jr. in the left side of the end zone in the third quarter. Love's 3-yard dive up the middle gave the Spartans a 21-6 halftime lead. DeJon Packer opened the scoring with a 1-yard run.

Collin Root kicked three field goals, his final one cutting San Jose State's lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter. But Bobby Brown intercepted a Jacob Knipp pass and returned it 14 yards to the Bears 13 and Tyler Nevans covered the rest in two carries, including the 8-yard score.

It was the first meeting between the programs. The Spartans are 16-2 against FCS teams.