CS Long Beach Takes Win Streak to San Jose State

Cal State Long Beach’s football team will try to extend its winning streak to four in a Big West Conference game at San Jose State tonight at 6, but Coach George Allen isn’t optimistic.

“We’re not in the same class as San Jose State,” Allen said. “They have Pac-10 caliber players. We’re a young team trying to prove something.”

San Jose, 3-2-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big West, has a 29-23 victory over Stanford, which beat Notre Dame last week, and has lost to Washington and California by a combined four points.

The Spartans are led by quarterback Ralph Martini, who threw four touchdown passes last week in a 35-34 loss to California, and tailback Sheldon Canley, who is first in the nation in all-purpose running with 188 yards a game.

Long Beach (3-3, 2-1) is coming off a 31-27 victory over New Mexico State. The 49ers’ three-game winning streak is their longest in five seasons. Quarterback Todd Struder has averaged 17 completions for 275 yards during the three victories.

“I had winning streaks in the NFL of 14, 11 and nine, but these three in a row are more rewarding and are needed to save the program here,” Allen said.