On a Saturday afternoon at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, San Jose State played a football game. Given the circumstances — back-to-back canceled games, the malleable schedule, their nomadic status — playing was a return to normalcy for the Spartans. 

Winning has become normal, too.

  • San Jose State football players hold the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy after defeating Hawaii in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State running back Kairee Robinson (32) dives into the end zone for a touchdown against Hawaii during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

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  • San Jose State running back Tyler Nevens (23) runs past Hawaii defensive back Cameron Lockridge (20) for a touchdown in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • As Hawaii linebacker Darius Muasau (53) charges him, San Jose State quarterback Nick Starkel (17) makes a pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State offensive lineman Jaime Navarro (54) holds up wide receiver Isaiah Holiness (1) after Holiness made a touchdown against Hawaii in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State defensive end Viliami Fehoko (42) sacks Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (12) in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (12) runs past San Jose State defensive lineman Jay Kakiva (96) in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State wide receiver Tre Walker (10) looks back at Hawaii defensive backs Cameron Lockridge (20) and Kai Kaneshiro (24) as he runs into the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State running back Kairee Robinson (32) reacts with teammates after he made a touchdown against Hawaii in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State running back Tyler Nevens (23) runs through the Hawaii defense during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State wide receiver Tre Walker (10) tries to avoid Hawaii linebacker Isaiah Tufaga (17) and defensive back Sterlin Ortiz (11) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State running back Kairee Robinson (32) squeezes through the Hawaii defense in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State linebacker Hadari Darden (41) puts pressure on Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (12) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State linebacker Jordan Cobbs (44) congratulates running back Tyler Nevens (23) after Nevens made a touchdown against Hawaii in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State defensive end Viliami Fehoko (42) chases Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (12) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • Teammates celebrate with San Jose State running back Tyler Nevens (23) after he made a touchdown against Hawaii in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • Hawaii linebacker Darius Muasau (53) cannot catch San Jose State running back Tyler Nevens (23) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • Hawaii running back Calvin Turner (7) runs through the San Jose State defense in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • San Jose State running back Kairee Robinson (32) runs through the Hawaii defense in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

  • Hawaii head coach Todd Graham, left, and San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan, right, meet each other on the field at the end of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

 

San Jose State defeated Hawaii 35-24, improving to 5-0 for the first time since 1939 and setting themselves up to play in the Mountain West championship game in two weeks. The teams with the two-best winning percentages advance. San Jose State is No. 1 right now.

“As hard as this time has been, the last whatever months, the beauty of it is that we get to do this together,” San Jose State coach Brent Brennan said. “That’s what family is all about, doing the hard work and through the hard stuff together. I couldn’t be more excited. I’m just ecstatic.”

Saturday, the Spartans laid the foundation for their wire-to-wire victory in the first quarter, opening the game about as perfect as possible. 

On their first three offensive possessions, they found the end zone. Nick Starkel connected with Isaiah Holiness in the flat for a two-yard touchdown, then Tyler Nevens exploded for touchdown runs of 72 and 10 yards.

On the Spartans’ first three defensive possessions, they forced three consecutive three-and-outs. The Rainbow Warriors were held to 14 yards on those drives, and Chevan Cordeiro didn’t complete any of his three pass attempts. Before 10 minutes had been played, San Jose State led 21-0.

Nevens and Kairee Robinson both had career-nights and did the heavy lifting for San Jose State’s offense, combining for 263 of the team’s 288 rushing yards.

Nevens had career-high 152 rushing yards along with two touchdowns, while Robinson had a career-high 143 all-purpose yards and a rushing touchdown of his own.

By halftime, the Spartans had 214 rushing yards, eclipsing their previous 2020 single-game high of 176 yards against UNLV on Nov. 14, the last time San Jose State played.

With Nevens and Robinson running the ball so well, quarterbacks Starkel and Nick Nash took a rare backseat in the offense. 

Starkel completed 11 of 23 passes for 167 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and Nash rushed for just 20 yards.

Tre Walker left his imprint on the game with his first touchdown reception since Halloween, taking a short pass in the flat 50 yards to the end zone.

Cornerback Kenyon Reed made his first start with the Spartans, making an impact on defense and special teams. In addition to five tackles and helping break up several passes, Reed had two returns for 29 yards. 

San Jose State’s win is all the more impressive considering what this program has had to navigate. 

The team’s previous two games on the schedule, Fresno State and Boise State, were canceled after those programs experienced coronavirus issues.

On top of having its nationally-televised game against Boise State canceled last week, San Jose State could no longer practice or play in San Jose after Santa Clara County announced a ban on contact sports through at least Dec. 21.

The game Saturday against Hawaii was supposed to be in San Jose but was moved to Honolulu last week after the new county restrictions.

Suddenly nomads, these Spartans keep doing what they seem to do best:

Win.