BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Ticker) -- Rondell Mealey ran for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns as LSU held off San Jose State, 29-21, in the season opener for both schools.

Mealey, now the feature back in the Tigers' backfield after the graduation of Kevin Faulk, opened the scoring with a 27-yard run in the first quarter and dashed 39 yards for a touchdown to cap LSU's first possession of the second half.

The Tigers (1-0), who have won four straight season openers, snapped a four-game losing streak that closed 1998. Mealey's solid game overshadowed the inconsistent quarterbacking of Craig Nall and Rohan Davey, who combined to complete 12-of-25 passes for 157 yards and two interceptions.

After Mealey's run, LSU doubled its lead 2:38 into the second quarter when cornerback Fred Booker raced 50 yards with an interception for his first career touchdown.

Danny Boyd booted a 20-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-0, but Spartans running back Deonce Whitaker scampered 80 yards on San Jose State's first play after the kickoff.

Boyd missed the extra point after Mealey's second touchdown, and San Jose State (0-1) closed within 23-14 on Chris Kasteler's two-yard pass to Sean Brewer. A one-yard plunge by Whitaker pulled the Spartans within 23-21 five seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers, though, sealed the victory when Dominick Davis ran six yards for a touchdown, culminating a seven-play, 91-yard drive. LSU overcame four turnovers by intercepting Kasteler four times.

Whitaker finished with 169 yards on 14 carries as San Jose State was denied consecutive season-opening victories for the first time since 1987 and 1988. Kasteler completed 21-of-39 passes for 188 yards.

San Jose State is 0-2 all-time against the Southeastern Conference, also losing to Florida in 1991.