PULLMAN, Wash. – Redshirt-sophomore quarterback John Mateer accounted for 501 total yards and five touchdowns, as Washington State rallied from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the San Jose State Spartans, 54-52 in two overtimes, Friday night, at Gesa Field.

Washington State improved to 4-0 while San Jose State dropped to 3-1.

"They found a way. That's what player-driven teams do," WSU Head Coach Jake Dickert said. "They never stopped believing tonight and I'm really proud of this football team."

In a game that featured a combined 1,118 total yards from both offenses, it was the Cougars' defense that came up big in the end, stopping the Spartans' two-point conversion attempt in the second overtime when Quinn Roff sacked quarterback Emmett Brown.

After each team exchanged interceptions in the first overtime, Dylan Paine scored on a seven-yard touchdown run and Mateer ran in the two-point conversion, which was confirmed by replay review, to put the Cougars up 54-46.

Brown connected with Nick Nash on a four-yard touchdown pass to pull the Spartans within two before the Cougars' defensive stand.

Down 24-17 at the half, San Jose scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 38-24 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cougars responded with 19 unanswered points of their own to gain a 43-38 lead with 4:56 remaining in the game.

The Spartans answered with an eight-play, 72-yard drive, capped by a 20-yard TD pass from Brown to TreyShun Hurry on fourth down. A successful two-point conversion gave San Jose a 46-43 lead with 26 seconds left in the game.

Mateer engineered a four-play 40-yard drive that was capped by Dean Janikowski's game-tying 52-yard field goal as time expired in regulation.

Mateer threw for 390 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 111 yards and a touchdown, as the Cougars rolled up 627 yards of total offense.

The Cougars return to action Saturday, Sept. 28 at Boise State. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. PT.