Schedule Sets Up Nicely For The San Jose State Spartans To Make A Run
Nov 24, 2012; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback David Fales (10) during the first half against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
The San Jose State Spartans begin their inaugural season in the Mountain West Conference following an impressive run in their last season in the now defunct Western Athletic Conference. The Spartans look to continue their jump into a perennial bowl contender under the new direction of Ron Caragher.
The Spartans return 13 starters on both sides of the ball, including potential first rounder David Fales and his top three receivers. The rushing attack loses its top rusher in De’Leon Eskridge and the Spartans look to be going to a committee approach with Tyler Ervin getting the nod as the de-facto starter. The run game is key to the Spartans success, as it will alleviate any pressure on their high octane passing attack.
The defense loses some key pieces along the defensive line, but Caragher is implementing a three man front to reduce the loss. The front-seven has talent and should be above-average. They might lose some pass rush, but they should maintain their aggressiveness that should minimize the drop in prodtuction.
The question mark is the secondary, as Bene Benwikere is the only returning starter. However, Benwikere is a star in the making and can be one of the top defensive players in the conference. Jimmy Pruitt looks to be the other starter and has the potential to be a lock down corner, but he is untested and lacks starting experience. The safety position could be tested with Damon Ogburn Jr. moving from corner to safety and special teamer Simon Connette to the other safety position.
The Spartans will face a much tougher test as they move into the Mountain West. The scheduler makers were relatively kind to San Jose State. They avoid MWC big shot Boise State and they face most of their tough competition at home. The Spartans have a shot at competing for a championship in the first year, but they will need to iron out their wrinkles in order to compete on a weekly basis with much stiffer competition.
Sacramento State Hornets: W (1 – 0)
The Spartans kick off the season with a match-up with an FCS squad from Northern California. This game is a tune up before the Spartans clash with the Cardinal. The Hornets finished in the middle of the Big Sky Conference and should not poise much of threat to the Spartans. The Spartans should have this game wrapped up by the middle of the third quarter, but if they are looking ahead to next week they could keep it interesting for longer. It would be a good game to get some depth players some game action.
At #4 Stanford Cardinal: L (1 – 1)
Last season, the Spartans gave the Cardinal a scare, as they came within three points of upsetting the eventual Pac-12 champs. The Spartans caught the Cardinal by surprise last year, like they did for most of the teams played. They could have a chance to make it interesting again this season with players that are returning and it being the first game of the season for Stanford.
The key will be establishing a running game to keep the Cardinals from just overwhelming the Spartans with blitzers, if they get one dimensional. This game will not be as close as last year, but the Spartans will make it challenging for Stanford.
At Minnesota Golden Gophers: W (2 – 1)
The Spartans will get a week off in between Week 2 and Week 3, which should be plenty of time to recover from their tough game against Stanford. They return to action against Big Ten cellar dweller Minnesota.
The Spartans have a good chance to take down the Gophers, who do not have a strong passing game or secondary. Those key areas play right into the hands of the Spartans. The defensive front seven should be able to limit the ground game, while Fales and the receiving core could have a field day against a rebuilding secondary. The Spartans will take this game by at least a touchdown.
Utah State Aggies: L (2 – 2) (0 – 1)
The Spartans will kick off their first foray in to Mountain West Conference play against a familiar opponent in Utah State. These two teams battled for the WAC title last season, as Utah State handed the Spartans their only conference loss on the year. The Aggies match up well against the Spartans. They are led by dual-threat playmaker Chuckie Keeton, who combined for nearly 4,000 total yards with his arm and legs. The Aggies also feature a stout defense, but will be forced to replace star defensive back Will Davis. The Aggies take advantage of the match-up problems and sneak by the Spartans this time.
At Hawaii Warriors: W (3 – 2) (1 – 1)
The first half of Hawaii’s schedule is absolutely brutal. They will get back to back ranked Pac-12 opponents USC and Oregon State and then follow it up with three of six teams in conference with Nevada, Fresno State, and the Spartans. The Warriors were not a great team last year, as they were ranked outside the top 100 offensively and defensively. The Spartans are easily the better team and needs to assert their dominance over the bottoms teams of the Mountain West, if they want to show they belong at the top.
At Colorado State Rams: W (4 – 2) (2 – 1)
The Spartans have a rough back to back stretch of away games, mainly due to the travel from Hawaii. This game could go either way, if the Spartans are not prepared due to the grueling travel. Colorado State will be rested, as they come off a bye week. The Rams were not a great football teams last year, as they surrendered nearly 10 points a game more than they scored. The Spartans should take this game on the ground of just being a better football team, but don’t be surprised if they get upset due to the rough hand dealt by the schedule makers.
Wyoming Cowboys: W (5 – 2) (3 – 1)
Wyoming is a lot like the Spartans, a solid passing game that is supported by a sub-par rushing attack. The only difference is that the Spartans’ defense is much better than Wyoming’s. The Spartans will have two weeks to prepare for the Cowboys, which will be a true test for their revamped secondary. This game could be interesting due to the match-up, but the Spartans are a better team and should defend their home field for their third straight conference win.
At UNLV Rebels: W (6 – 2) (4 – 1)
The Spartans will go on the road before they kick off the hardest part of their schedule. The get a match-up with the bottom feeding UNLV Rebels. Last season, the Rebels could not stop anyone, as they allowed 445.2 yards per game. They were not much better on offense, as they only average 367.9 yards per game with nearly two turnovers per game. The Spartans offense should have a big day and should be a confidence builder, as they head into the crucial final stretch of the schedule.
San Diego State Aztecs: W (7 – 2) (5 – 1)
The Spartans will start off the heavy part of their schedule with their Southern California rival the Aztecs. Last season, the Spartans squeaked by with a last minute touchdown pass from Fales. This year, both teams look to be contenders for west division championship and the Spartans are looking to use this game as a launching point going into the final part of the schedule. The Aztecs are breaking in a new starting quarterback, but the return their star running back in Adam Muema. Muema gashed the Spartans for 202 yards last year and slowing him down will be the key to victory. The Spartans experience at quarterback give them the edge at home over San Diego.
At Nevada Wolf Pack: L (7 – 3) (5 – 2)
The Spartans do not get a break, as they follow up their hard fought win with a trip to Reno to face off with the Wolf Pack. Nevada was one of the better offenses in the nation last season and could give the rebuilt defense some fits. The Spartans might have some trouble mustering up the effort to put up back to back stellar performances. They fall short in this one, as it makes the Fresno State game loom larger for a chance to represent the west in the conference championship game.
Navy Midshipmen: W (8 – 3) (5 – 2)
The Spartans will get a break in their conference schedule, as they face the Midshipmen from the Naval Academy. Last season, the Spartans put on a defensive clinic against the triple option attack, as they held Navy to just 70 yards on the ground and 144 total yards. Look for them to do much of the same, but for a much better offensive output. The Spartans should roll at home in this one.
Fresno State Bulldogs: L (8 – 4) (5 – 3)
The Spartans will end the season against in-state rival and former WAC foe the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Spartans took the last match-up between these two in 2011, but this year looks to be much different. The Bulldogs return 16 starters on a team that went 7 – 1 in its first year in the Mountain West. They rely on the arm the highly touted Derek Carr. They lose their star tailback in Robbie Rouse, but they have a budding superstar in wide receiver Davante Adams. This match-up looks to determine which team is going to face Boise State in the conference championship game. This game has all the makings of a shoot out, but in the end the Bulldogs take game and represent the west in the Mountain West championship game.
The Spartans have a highly respectable year in the Mountain West. They stumble a couple of times with the increased weekly grind of the Mountain West compared to the WAC, but they are the title up until the last week of the season. They finish with a record of 8 – 4 and 5 – 3 in conference and will most likely represent the Mountain West in either the Armed Forces Bowl or the New Mexico Bowl.