NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune, the Wyoming Cowboys scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 14-point deficit and defeat the San Jose State Spartans 35-28 on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.

The game, a non-conference matchup played far from either school’s campus, saw the Spartans dominate the first half before the Cowboys mounted a furious comeback, capped by a game-winning touchdown run with 40 seconds remaining.

San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget was nearly flawless in the first half, connecting with favorite target Danny Scudero for three of his four touchdown passes. The Spartans scored on their first two possessions, with Eget finding Scudero for a 43-yard strike and a 72-yard bomb, to build a 14-0 lead.

Wyoming found a spark on special teams late in the first quarter when Deion DeBlanc fielded a punt at his own 27, found a seam and raced 73 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14-7.

Eget and the Spartans responded immediately. After a 98-yard kickoff return by Jahari Johnson set San Jose State up at the Wyoming 2-yard line, Eget hit Scudero for a 2-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-7.

The Cowboys answered with a methodical drive, culminating in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Kaden Anderson to Michael Fitzgerald, making the score 21-14. But San Jose State struck again just 19 seconds later, as Eget connected with Scudero for a fourth time from 2 yards out, restoring the 14-point lead at 28-14, which held until halftime.

The third quarter was a defensive struggle, with both teams trading punts and failing to capitalize on opportunities. San Jose State’s Vili Taufatofua sacked Anderson twice, and the Spartans defense stifled the Cowboys’ attack. A critical turnover seemed to swing momentum when Wyoming’s Chisom Ifeanyi recovered a fumble forced by Tyce Westland’s sack of Eget, but the Cowboys’ ensuing drive ended in an interception.

The game turned decisively in the fourth quarter. With San Jose State driving and trying to salt the clock away, backup quarterback Xavier Ward, who had rotated in throughout the second half, threw a pass that was intercepted by Wyoming linebacker Brayden Johnson, who returned it 65 yards for a touchdown, electrifying the home crowd and cutting the Spartans’ lead to 28-21.

Following a San Jose State punt, Wyoming took over at its own 15-yard line with 4:42 remaining. Anderson engineered a clutch drive, converting a key third down before launching a 45-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Coenen, tying the game at 28 with 2:44 left.

The Spartans’ ensuing possession went three-and-out, giving the ball back to Anderson and the Cowboys with 1:13 on the clock and no timeouts. Anderson immediately hit Samuel Harris for a 52-yard gain to the San Jose State 28. After a run for no gain, the Cowboys handed the ball to Terron Kellman, who broke through the line and sprinted 28 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 40 seconds left.

San Jose State’s final, desperate drive reached midfield but ended with four consecutive incomplete passes from Eget as time expired.

Eget finished 23 of 37 for 295 yards and four touchdowns, with Scudero as his primary receiver. Anderson was 23 of 39 for 304 yards and two touchdowns for Wyoming, adding a critical rushing score. Kellman’s late heroics capped a day where he rushed for 42 yards and the game-winning touchdown on just six carries.

Defensively, San Jose State’s Jordan Pollard recorded a game-high 11 tackles, while Wyoming was led by Enock Sibomana, Evan Eller and Desman Hearns, who each had seven tackles. Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown was the definitive defensive play.

The victory improves Wyoming’s record to 2-3, while San Jose State falls to 2-3. The Cowboys overcame the projections of Interstat’s game simulator, which had predicted a 36-25 Wyoming victory, and defied its ELO system, which gave them a 51.9 percent probability to win. Wyoming covered the pregame spread of -1.5, and the total score of 63 went well over the over/under line of 49.5.

Wyoming travels to face Air Force next Saturday, while San Jose State heads to Utah State for a Friday night contest.