SJCC Jaguars Beat the Merced Blue Devils

The game between Merced College Blue Devils and the San José City College Jaguars took place on October 14, 2023, at Jaguar Stadium in San Jose. The final score was 21-14 in favor of the San Jose Jaguars.

In the first quarter, the San Jose Jaguars took an early lead with a 12-yard touchdown run by Jesse R Lajes. The extra point by Matt Mirton was good, giving the Jaguars a 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, the Jaguars extended their lead with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by Aisosa Amas. Owen Lagos' extra point was good, making the score 14-0 in favor of San Jose. However, the Merced College Blue Devils fought back and scored two touchdowns in the second quarter. Jabari Phillips ran for an 8-yard touchdown, followed by a 9-yard touchdown run by Malachy Harts. Jason Mendoza successfully kicked both extra points, tying the game at 14-14.

The third quarter remained scoreless for both teams, with neither able to convert their offensive opportunities into points. The defenses on both sides stepped up and prevented any scoring.

In the fourth quarter, the San Jose Jaguars regained the lead with a 14-yard touchdown run by Jesse R Lajes. Matt Mirton's extra point was good, giving the Jaguars a 21-14 lead. The Blue Devils tried to mount a comeback but were unable to score, resulting in a victory for the San Jose Jaguars.

Statistically, the San Jose Jaguars had the advantage in several categories. They had 22 first downs compared to Merced's 19. San Jose also had a higher third-down efficiency, converting 27% of their attempts compared to Merced's 57%. The Jaguars had a total offense of 334 yards, while the Blue Devils had 320 yards. In terms of passing, the Jaguars had 166 net yards compared to Merced's 140 net yards. However, Merced had the advantage in rushing yards, with 154 compared to San Jose's 194.

Both teams had a similar number of punts, with Merced punting 5 times for a total of 190 yards, and San Jose punting 4 times for 166 yards. The average yards per punt for Merced was 38.0, while San Jose had an average of 41.5 yards per punt.

In terms of penalties, Merced had 9 penalties for 65 yards, while San Jose had 6 penalties for 74 yards. Merced also had one fumble, which was not lost, while San Jose did not have any fumbles. San Jose had two sacks for a total loss of 5 yards, while Merced had two interceptions for a total of 11 yards.

The time of possession was relatively even, with Merced having the ball for 28 minutes and 4 seconds, and San Jose having possession for 31 minutes and 56 seconds.

Overall, it was a competitive game between the Merced College Blue Devils and the San José City College Jaguars. The Jaguars were able to secure the victory with their strong defensive performance and timely scoring plays.