BERKELEY — San Diego State quarterback Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson could have transferred, as so many teammates did, when SDSU changed football coaches late last year.
Tupou’ata-Johnson was recruited by the previous staff and recruited over by the new staff, which brought in a Power Four transfer quarterback as well as a highly-touted true freshman.
Though he was fourth on the depth chart when spring practice began, Tupou’ata-Johnson decided to stick around.
“I love the kid for it,” SDSU quarterbacks coach Matt Johnson said after a midweek practice. “He’s one of my favorite players on the team by far.
“Especially in today’s world of, ‘I’m not playing, I’m leaving,’ it says a lot about the kid’s character. It says a lot about the kid believing in himself.”
Tupou’ata-Johnson moved up to third on the depth chart during practice and was second by the end of training camp.
His patience and persistence paid off Saturday night, when the 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman started in place of injured true freshman Danny O’Neil (knee) here against Cal.
Tupou’ata-Johnson completed 13 of 29 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. But his promising debut was overshadowed by two interceptions and SDSU penalties as Cal beat the Aztecs 31-10 at Memorial Stadium.
“It was amazing coming back home,” Tupou’ata-Johnson said. “All my family coming here to support me, it was like a dream come true.”
Tupou’ata-Johnson exhibited a strong arm and showed he could pick up yards with his legs as well. The highlight was a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jordan Napier with 11 minutes remaining in the game.
“Obviously, I’ve got things to work on,” he said. “I felt like it was first-start things. I’m still new to it, so just keep on pushing, go back to practice, fix it and work on the little things.”
A costly mistake by Tupou’ata-Johnson came on a first-down play in which he either tried to force a throw to a covered receiver or didn’t get enough on the throw to get it out of bounds. Whichever, Cal’s Nohl Williams picked off the pass for his nation-leading fourth interception. A second interception came on a throw that went through the hands of Napier in the fourth quarter.
Tupou’ata-Johnson also had the misfortune of slipping when SDSU went for it on fourth-and-2 from its own 33-yard line in the third quarter. It summed up a frustrating night for the Aztecs, who mostly had themselves to blame. The phrase the “Aztecs beating the Aztecs” has been repeated several times in the season’s opening weeks.
SDSU committed 15 penalties for 120 yards — with 13 of the infractions coming in the first half. The school record of 21 was set in 1966 against San Fernando Valley State, now known as Cal State Northridge. Several of the penalties cost the Aztecs’ offense significant gains or put them in long-yardage situations.
“We came up short against a really good Cal team, but I’m proud of the fight, resolve and character that our club showed,” SDSU coach Sean Lewis said.
On the penalties, Lewis said, “We’ve got to tighten up the details. We’re going to have to make sure our footwork is right and we’ve to make sure that we’re playing smart with great discipline as we go forward with it.”
A 25-yard sideline completion to wide receiver Ja’Shaun Poke, which would have been Tupou’ata-Johnson’s first college completion, was called back on an illegal receiver downfield penalty against SDSU offensive lineman Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli.
Tupou’ata-Johnson logged his first completion later in the drive on an 11-yard catch by tight end Jude Wolfe. Another 11-yard reception followed on the next play, with wide receiver Nate Bennett snagging a high throw to convert on fourth-and-6 at the Cal 36-yard line.
The drive stalled, but SDSU still came away with a field goal, giving the Aztecs their first points in five quarters. Cal answered with a touchdown later in the first quarter and had a 7-3 halftime lead.
Penalties — five of them in the first quarter and eight more in the second quarter — were killers. Especially egregious was a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on running back Marquez Cooper (22 carries, 87 yards) that left them with a third-and-30 late in the opening period.
That made Tupou’ata-Johnson’s task more challenging, but, then, he’s accustomed to challenges. Johnson said Tupou’ata-Johnson put in the work to position himself for the opportunity.
“He struggled in the beginning,” Johnson said, “but he continued to take coaching, he continued to get better and he continued to earn the respect of his teammates.
“He showed what his capabilities are on the field and put himself in this position so that if his number’s called upon, everyone on the offense, everyone on the team, feels confidence in him. … He’s done a great job of seizing his opportunity.”
It was a fitting venue for Tupou’ata-Johnson’s collegiate debut.
He was born in Oakland, roughly six miles from Memorial Stadium. He began playing football at age 6 for the nearby Leandro Crusaders, who often attended Cal games. (Running on the field sure beats running around the stands.)
Tupou’ata-Johnson played for the Crusaders before moving to Los Angeles when he was 11. He came into his own in high school a couple of years later, starring at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High School before playing his senior season at Chaminade High School.
Tupou’ata-Johnson was among the first Aztecs players on the field as afternoon turned to evening at Memorial Stadium. With a football-weather crispness in the air, the young QB listened to music on headphones while throwing passes near the Cal logo located at midfield.
He had several family members and friends in the stands to share the moment with him.
Tupou’ata-Johnson is half Tongan and half African American. His parents were teenagers and not yet married when he was born, which is why his last name is hyphenated.
He appeared calm, cool and collected as kickoff approached.
Cal entered Saturday’s game 2-0, coming off a big road win against Auburn. SDSU (1-2) was coming off a disappointing home shutout loss to Oregon State.
No pressure.
“I think he’s a great leader,” Johnson said. “The guys in the huddle respect him. He also brings the element of his legs to be able to protect himself if things break down.
“I feel comfortable with Javance. It’s not like we have to have two different game plans for those two guys (he and O’Neil). … I feel completely confident that he will get the job done.”
Notable
SDSU senior transfer Nick Lopez, who began his career at Cal, did the kicking in place of Gabriel Plascencia. Lopez opened the scoring with 5:42 remaining in the first quarter with a 29-yard field goal.
• SDSU’s 13 first-half penalties were tied for second in the past 20 years by an FBS team. Cal also was penalized early and often, flagged 12 times for 113 yards.
That didn’t include two 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Cal fans (students) for throwing things on the field. It prompted Cal coach Justin Wilcox to borrow the referee’s microphone to ask them to stop. The fans were warned more than once, including after SDSU coach Sean Lewis had something land next to him and showed it to officials during a TV timeout.
• The Aztecs defense came loaded for Bear, with linebacker Tano Letuli sacking Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza on the game’s first play. Teammate Trey White had a third-down sack of Mendoza as the Bears punted the ball away on their first two possessions. White added another sack in the second quarter.
Mendoza gained a measure of revenge, completing 21 of 29 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
• The Aztecs picked up a first down on a trick play in the second quarter, when punter Tyler Pastula faked a punt and threw a 10-yard pass to linebacker Owen Chambliss, who was lined up wide on the special teams unit.
• O’Neil wore his No. 5 jersey on the sideline, but was not in pads. Sophomore transfer AJ Duffy served as SDSU’s backup QB.
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