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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- One player turned the nation's worst
defense into a powerful force. One player turned an inconsistent
team into a gutsy bunch of winners.
|  | | Neil Parry, who had his ankle and foot amputated recently, provided the inspiration the San Jose State defense needed to shut down the Horned Frogs. |
That one player was sitting in Box No. 11 at Spartan Stadium
while his brother and his teammates got San Jose State's biggest
victory in years.
Marcus Arroyo threw for two touchdowns and San Jose State's
maligned defense swarmed all over LaDainian Tomlinson as the
Spartans ended No. 9 Texas Christian's unbeaten season with a 27-24
victory Saturday night.
The Spartans played on an incredible emotional high thanks to
the presence of Neil Parry, the walk-on sophomore whose right foot
and ankle were amputated after he suffered a serious injury three
weeks ago against Texas-El Paso.
"He was out there with me," said senior linebacker Josh Parry, who also happens to be Neil's big brother. "We've dedicated the rest of this season to him. He's the reason we did this."
Josh Parry led an inspired effort by a defense ranked 114th --
dead last -- in the nation entering the game. The Spartans (7-3, 5-1
Western Athletic Conference) held TCU scoreless for more than 30 late minutes, then stopped
the Horned Frogs on downs at midfield with 1:16 to play.
San Jose State students swarmed the field, fought off several
security guards and tore down the south goal posts. They were then
paraded to midfield and around the bowl, with players and fans
sharing the feeling.
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Spartans coach
asks for a contract
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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After leading San Jose State to its
biggest victory in years, coach Dave Baldwin aired some frustration
over his lack of job security.
"I don't have a contract. I haven't been talked to about a
contract," Baldwin said after the Spartans upset No. 9 Texas
Christian 27-24 on Saturday night.
Now in his fourth year, Baldwin has San Jose State (7-3, 5-1
Western Athletic Conference) in strong position for its first bowl game since 1990 after
three previous sub-.500 seasons.
The Spartans' victory over TCU improved his record at the school to 18-25.
"I want a contract," Baldwin said. "I want these guys to know
Coach Baldwin is coming back. We're going out recruiting this
weekend; I want those guys to know I'll be here.
"It's time to make a statement that we want Coach Baldwin
back."
Baldwin came to San Jose State after two seasons as head coach
at California State Northridge, where he went 9-12. A longtime junior
college coach in California, he also coached the Spartans'
receivers from 1980-83.
-- The Associated Press
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"This was a big victory for Neil," San Jose State coach Dave
Baldwin said. "This was more than a game for him, though. This is
a win we really thought this program was ready to get. We were
ready to beat a great team."
Neil Parry received a standing ovation after the first quarter.
He waved his hat to the crowd as it chanted "Par-ry! Par-ry!"
Signs all over Spartan Stadium welcomed him back, and several
students wore shirts with Parry's No. 32 on them.
"It's very tough (to watch)," Neil Parry said at halftime. "I
wish I could be down there with my teammates."
Make no mistake: he was. Josh Parry, the WAC's leading tackler,
pointed at his brother in the stands almost each time San Jose
State left the field after stopping TCU's vaunted offense.
TCU (7-1, 4-1) had its winning streak snapped at 12 games.
Tomlinson, the nation's leading rusher, ran for 155 yards and two
scores, but couldn't get the big yards when the Horned Frogs needed
them.
"I'm not sure if we had a lot of focus," Tomlinson said.
"There were just a bunch of little things that kept us from
rolling. But our season is not over by far. We will bounce back. We
have too much experience to let this season go to waste."
With TCU's defeat, the nation's longest winning streak of eight
games is shared by top-ranked Oklahoma (8-0) and Western Michigan
(8-1), which lost its season opener to Wisconsin. The Sooners are
the nation's only unbeaten team.
"It's a tough loss, especially when you've fought so long to
attain a position like we had," TCU coach Dennis Franchione said.
"We'll see what we're made of now."
The game was tied 17-17 entering the fourth quarter. Moments
after Nick Gilliam's 28-yard field goal with 13:03 left put the
Spartans up by three, Alex Wallace intercepted Casey Printers' pass
at midfield and returned it to the 11.
Two plays later, Arroyo threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Rashied
Davis, who made a leaping catch in the midst of TCU's confused pass
defense.
TCU closed to three on Printers' 9-yard touchdown pass to LaTarence
Dunbar with 3:38 left.
San Jose State punted again, but TCU gave it up on three
consecutive midfield incompletions, the last over the head of a
wide-open Dunbar as he fell on the slippery turf of Spartan
Stadium.
After joining the goal posts' parade across the field, the
Spartans gathered at the corner of the stadium nearest Neil Parry's
box and sang the school fight song before erupting in cheers.
The game was expected to be a fight between Tomlinson and Deonce
Whitaker, the nation's top two rushers. Instead, the Horned Frogs
became so frustrated by their inability to run the ball they
nearly abandoned it after halftime, while San Jose State found its
greatest success through the air.
"We knew our defense was going to come in here and stop
LaDainian, and we knew they were going to stop Deonce," said
Davis, who lunged over the goal line to score what turned out to be
the winning touchdown. "We knew it would come down to who could
throw the ball."
Whitaker rushed 26 times for just 100 yards -- 78 below his
average. Arroyo was 11-for-23 for 237 yards and two interceptions.
The defeat also dropped TCU one game behind UTEP and into a tie
with San Jose State in the WAC standings.
TCU's offense started strong, with Printers completing all six
of his first-half passes and Tomlinson leading a patient attack.
When Tomlinson capped an 8-yard drive late in the first half with a
4-yard touchdown run, it looked like the Horned Frogs -- up 17-3 -- were ready to pull away.
But San Jose State scored two late touchdowns to tie it at 17.
Edell Shepherd caught an 11-yard scoring pass from Arroyo, and
after TCU fumbled, San Jose State drove 43 yards on nine consecutive running plays. Whitaker tied it on a 1-yard dive 27 seconds before
halftime.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
TCU Clubhouse
San Jose State Clubhouse
San Jose State's Parry vows return to field despite amputation
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Rashied Davis comes across the middle for the touchdown.
avi: 1074 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Marcus Arroyo finds Edell Shepard in the end zone for the touchdown.
avi: 515 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Ladainian Tomlinson scoots 9 yards into the end zone.
avi: 834 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tyrone Sanders steals the pass from Marcus Arroyo.
avi: 675 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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