SAN JOSE — Walker Eget threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns as San Jose State defeated New Mexico 35-28 in a Mountain West opener at CEFCU Stadium.
But it took depth at running back and takeaways from the defense to get the Spartans (2-3, 1-0) over the top on Saturday night.
Freshman Steve Chavez-Soto filled in for injured teammates to run for 71 yards and two touchdowns — one in the first quarter, the other in the third — to help San Jose State bounce back from a gut-wrenching loss last week at Stanford.
Chavez-Soto was needed because Jabari Bates was ruled out for the season with an injury suffered against Stanford, and Floyd Chalk IV was seen before the game in the stands in street clothes. He was not on the field with the team.
San Jose State freshman running back Steve Chavez-Soto stepped in to rush for a career-high 71 yards and score two touchdowns in the Spartans’ 35-38 victory over New Mexico at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2025. (Photo courtesy of San Jose State).
Then on his first career carry, Viliami Teu went to the injury tent after taking a hit. Next up was Chavez-Soto, who scored the game’s first touchdown on a 4-yard run.
His 10-yard scoring run in the third quarter stretched San Jose State’s lead to 28-17.
Lamar Radcliffe, who started in place of Bates and Chalk, finished with 64 yards on 15 carries. The Spartans ran for 153 yards as a team.
Danny Scudero was the Spartans’ leading receiver with seven catches for 151 yards, marking the fourth game this season that the UC Davis transfer has gone over 100 yards.
SJSU’s secondary struggled to contain New Mexico’s passing game in the first half, allowing 217 yards. The defense was susceptible to the big play as four Lobos (3-2, 0-1) receivers had a reception for 15 or more yards, including a 42-yard reception by Shawn Miller.
But with the Spartans up 28-17 in the third quarter, cornerback Jalen Bainer was able to secure an interception, which allowed the Spartans to extend their lead to 35-17 on Leland Smith’s 8-yard reception.
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On the next drive, Bainer grabbed another interception, one of three picks for the Spartans in the game. Safety Larry Turner-Gooden had the other.
SJSU next plays at Wyoming (2-2) on Oct. 11.
