First-year coach Terry Shea brought the 3-1-1 San Jose State Spartans to Berkley to meet the 2-2 California Golden Bears of coach Bruce Snyder. California’s All-Pac 10 RB Russell White rushed for 162 yards with a touchdown & RB Anthony Wallace rushed for 143 yards with 2 touchdowns after newspapers quoted the San Jose State defensive players saying they would hold the Golden Bears to negative yards rushing. The Golden Bears still had to survive an unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt to retain The Belt with a 35-34 victory over the Spartans. California scored just 56 seconds into the game after San Jose State’s P Eric Negrey fumbled the snap on a punt attempt. Wallace scored his first touchdown seconds later on a 2-yard run. The Spartans responded with their own scoring drive highlighted by a 65-yard pass from QB Ralph Martini to WR Bobby Blackmon. Martini finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Maceo Barbosa to tie the game at 7-7. Late in the 1st quarter, California got the lead back with a 31-yard touchdown pass from QB Mike Pawlawski to WR Mike Caldwell but the Spartans quickly tied the game at 14-14 when RB Sheldon Canley scored on a 4-yard run. Early in the 2nd quarter, San Jose State took their only lead of the game with Martini throwing a 26-yard touchdown pass to WR David Blakes before Wallace scored his second touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run sending the teams to halftime tied at 21-21. In the 3rd quarter, White scored on a 10-yard touchdown run & set-up another touchdown with a spectacular 27-yard run on which he reversed field after nearly being forced out of bounds. Pawlawski’s 5-yard touchdown pass to WR Brian Treggs put the Golden Bears up 35-21 entering the 4th quarter. Wallace fumbled at the California 6-yard line & the Spartans scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Martini to Barbosa making the score California 35 San Jose State 28 with 4:27 left in the game. When the Spartans got the ball back, Martini hit Canley on a short pass over the middle that Canley turned into a 53-yard touchdown pass with 2:23 left to play. San Jose State chose to play for the win but the pass on the 2-point conversion attempt fell incomplete & the Golden Bears held on for the win. Pawlawski finished with 160 yard passing with 2 touchdowns as the Golden Bears held the ball for 37:07 of the game. Martini threw for 300 yards with 4 touchdowns; Canley rushed for 108 yards with his 2 scores, & Blackmon had 4 catches for 112 yards. California finished the season 7-4-1 while the Spartans finished 9-2-1 & Big West Champions. San Jose State would play for The Belt again in 1993.
Pickin' Splinters
Rochester's Independent Sports Source
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