No. 22 San Jose State was in a bind before Thursday s Arizona Bowl started with eight coaches and players not available for undisclosed reasons, which contributed to the Spartans 34-13 loss to Ball State in Tucson.
Behind Drew Plitt s 217 yards on 12-of-19 passing, the Cardinals (7-1) achieved their first bowl victory in program history. They are now 1-7 in Division I bowls.
A few minutes before kickoff, San Jose State (7-1) announced that its offensive and defensive coordinators Kevin McGiven and Derrick Odum, respectively and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Cade Hall, a defensive end, were unavailable for the game.