BERKELEY – San Diego State quarterback Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson could have transferred like so many teammates when SDSU changed football coaches late last year.

Tupou’ata-Johnson was recruited from the previous team and acquired by the new team, which brought with it a Power Four transfer quarterback as well as a highly touted freshman.

Although he was fourth in the rankings at the start of spring training, Tupou’ata-Johnson decided to stay there.

“I love the kid for that,” said Matt Johnson, SDSU’s quarterback coach, after a midweek practice. “He’s by far one of my favorite players on the team.”

“Especially in today’s world where they say, ‘I don’t play, I walk,’ that says a lot about the character of the child. It says a lot about the child’s belief in himself.”

Tupou’ata-Johnson rose to third place in the rankings during training and was in second place at the end of training camp.

His patience and perseverance paid off Saturday night when the 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman started here against Cal in place of injured freshman Danny O’Neil (knee). Tupou’ata-Johnson (9 of 22, 79 yards, INT after three quarters) had a promising debut, but it was overshadowed by a near-record number of penalties for SDSU, leaving the Aztecs trailing 21-3 after three quarters at Cal’s Memorial Stadium.

Tupou’ata-Johnson showed off a strong arm and the ability to gain yards with his legs, but he made a costly mistake on a first-down interception where he either tried to force a throw to a covered receiver or didn’t make enough contact to throw the ball out of bounds. Cal’s Nohl Williams caught the pass, making his nation-best fourth interception.

Tupou’ata-Johnson also had the misfortune of slipping when SDSU attempted to throw the ball from its own 33-yard line on fourth-and-2. That summed up a frustrating night for the Aztecs, who had mostly themselves to blame. The “Aztecs beat the Aztecs” has been repeated several times in the first few weeks of the season.

This was most evident when SDSU was assessed 13 penalties for 100 yards in the first half, breaking the school record of 21 in a game set against San Fernando Valley State (now Cal State Northridge) in 1966. Several of these infractions cost the Aztecs’ offense significant advantages or put them in situations where they had to run long distances.

A 25-yard pass from the sideline to wide receiver Ja’Shaun Poke, which would have been Tupou’ata-Johnson’s first collegiate pass, was rejected for an “Illegal Receiver Downfield” offense against SDSU offensive lineman Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli.

Tupou’ata-Johnson was able to complete his first pass later in the drive with an 11-yard catch from tight end Jude Wolfe. Another 11-yard pass followed on the next play, with wide receiver Nate Bennett grabbing a high throw and converting on fourth-and-6 at the Cal 36-yard line.

The offense stalled, but SDSU still managed a field goal, giving the Aztecs their first points in five quarters. SDSU trailed 7-3 at halftime.

Tupou’ata-Johnson completed 7 of 15 passes for 70 yards in the first half, including 22 yards in the opening period. He also showed off his running ability with runs of 8 and 13 yards.

Penalties, however – five of them in the first quarter – were fatal to the Aztecs early on, with a particularly bad 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on running back Marquez Cooper giving them a third-and-30 attempt late in the opening quarter.

That made Tupou’ata-Johnson’s job more challenging, but he’s used to challenges. Johnson said Tupou’ata-Johnson put in a lot of work to position himself for this opportunity.

“He struggled at first,” Johnson said, “but he continued to train, got better and continued to earn the respect of his teammates.”

“He’s shown what he can do on the field and put himself in that position so that when he’s needed, everyone on offense, everyone on the team, has confidence in him. … He’s made the most of his opportunity.”

It’s a fitting venue for Tupou’ata-Johnson’s college debut.

He was born in Oakland, about six miles from Cal’s Memorial Coliseum. At age six, he started playing football for the nearby Leandro Crusaders, who often attended Cal games. (Running on the field is definitely better than running around in the stands.)

Tupou’ata-Johnson played for the Crusaders before moving to Los Angeles at age 11. He hit his stride a few years later in high school and was a star at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High School before playing his senior year at Chaminade High School.

Tupou’ata-Johnson was one of the first Aztecs players on the field as the afternoon turned to evening at Memorial Stadium. With the air crisp and reminiscent of football weather, the young quarterback listened to music on headphones while throwing passes near the Cal logo at halftime.

He expected that several family members and friends would be in the stands to share this 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.

As kick-off approached, he appeared calm, composed and collected.

Cal entered Saturday’s game with a 2-0 lead, following a clear road win over Auburn. SDSU (1-1) was coming off a disappointing home loss to Oregon State.

No pressure.

“I think he’s a great leader,” Johnson said. “The guys on the team respect him. He also brings his legs to protect himself when something goes wrong.”

“I feel comfortable with Javance. It’s not like we have to have two different game plans for those two guys (him and O’Neil). … I’m completely confident he’s going to get the job done.”

Remarkable

• SDSU Senior Transfer Nick Lopezwho began his career at Cal, kicked instead of Gabriel PlascenciaLopez opened the scoring with a 29-yard field goal with 5:42 left in the first quarter.

• SDSU’s 13 first-half penalties were the second-most in the last 20 years for an FBS team. Cal was also penalized early and often, picking up 11 penalties before the third quarter ended.

This did not include two 15-yard penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct against Cal fans (students) who had thrown objects onto the field. It prompted Cal coaches Justin Wilcox to borrow the referee’s microphone and tell them to stop. The fans were warned more than once, including after SDSU coach Sean Lewis something landed next to him and he showed it to the officials during a TV timeout.

• The Aztecs defense was well positioned for Bear, with linebacker Tano Letuli Dismissal of Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza on the first play of the game. Teammate Trey White had a sack of Mendoza on third down when the Bears punted the ball on their first two possessions. White had another sack in the second quarter.

Mendoza got a little revenge late in the first quarter when he hit an 8-yard keeper to give Cal a 7-3 lead.

• O’Neil wore his No. 5 jersey on the sideline but no protective gear. Sophomore transfer AJ Duffy served as SDSU’s backup QB.

Originally published: September 14, 2024 at 18:45