San Jose Botches Extra-Point Try, Loses : Fresno State: Bulldogs escape with a 31-30 victory to clinch tie for Big West title.

San Jose State, content to settle for a tie, almost got a victory instead when a one-point conversion attempt went awry and almost turned into a successful two-pointer.

But almost isn’t close enough, and No. 25 Fresno State ended up beating San Jose State, 31-30, Saturday night before a record crowd of 35,353 in another thrilling game in this series.

The last three games between these two schools have been decided by four points or less and have had wild finishes. Saturday night’s game was no exception.

After San Jose backup quarterback Ralph Martini replaced starter Matt Veatch, the Spartans, after being down 31-17, scored twice in the final 6:11 to get back in it.

Martini scored on a keeper with 2:33 remaining to make it 31-30.

The Spartans, playing for the tie, readied kicker Jim Kirk for the extra point. Kirk took his spot, holder Greg Centilli got his mark and Nick Trammer snapped the ball.

It didn’t quite get there, so Centilli picked the low snap off the ground and scrambled to his right, looking for someone to throw to in the end zone. Don Togisala was there, but when the reserve quarterback delivered the ball, it bounced off Togisala’s hands.

Fresno ran out the final minutes for its 16th consecutive victory, the second-longest Division I-A streak in the nation, bettered only by Notre Dame’s 21. The Bulldogs are also averaging 38.6 points a game.

Fresno State, 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big West play, claimed at least a tie for the conference title and, because of the victory over San Jose, clinched its second consecutive appearance in the Dec. 9 California Raisin Bowl.

That bowl game, against the Mid-American Conference champion (Eastern Michigan is the current leader), will also be at Bulldog Stadium, where Fresno State has a 32-1-1 record going back to 1985.

The Bulldogs, who won the Cal Bowl in 1982, ’85 and ‘88, came back from a 17-10 halftime deficit against San Jose to win what has developed into the annual Big Game in the Big West.

Fresno State dominated most of the second half, surging to its 31-17 lead on third-quarter touchdowns by Aaron Craver (on an eight-yard pass from Mark Barsotti), Myron Jones (four-yard run) and Dwight Pickens (10-yard end reverse).

San Jose State, the Big West champion in 1986 and ‘87, dropped to 4-4 and 3-1, but the Spartans have been over-matched only once, and that was on the road against Miami of Florida, which beat the Spartans, 48-16.

Otherwise, San Jose has lost only to a couple of Pacific 10 teams--Arizona State (28-21 in the season opener) and Cal (26-21)--and now Fresno State.

This is the fourth consecutive season that Fresno State and San Jose State have met with perfect conference records.

Saturday night, they took it so far as to trade field goal for field goal and big kick return for big kick return in the first half.

Fresno State’s Steve Loop took care of openers, hitting a 43-yard field goal with 10:25 to play in the first quarter. Kirk matched that 10:11 later with a 33 yarder.

On the ensuing kickoff, Bulldog Kelvin Means took the ball three yards deep in his end zone, headed up the middle and then cut right, sprinting down the sideline until being knocked out of bounds on the San Jose 13.

Three plays later, with 14:57 left in the half, Barsotti hit end Rich Bertlewski for the touchdown, which gave Fresno State a 10-3 lead.

San Jose answered right back. Sheldon Canley, who began the day’s action No. 1 in the nation in all-purpose yardage, returned the next kickoff for a 97-yard touchdown.

It may have stayed 10-10 into intermission, too, if not for Fresno State helping a 50-yard Spartan drive with two pass-interference penalties. The first moved the ball to the Bulldog 35. Two plays later, after San Jose had advanced to the 30, Fresno State was flagged again, pushing the ball to the 15.

Canley went off left tackle for a three-yard touchdown with 4:12 remaining to make it 17-10 and set up the exciting second half.