San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Cuda to open season Friday in Ontario

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sjbarracuda.com file photo: Alexander True (70) one of the few members of the San Jose Barracuda is on the bubble to go to the big club, the San Jose Sharks. The Barracuda open this Friday at Ontario for the 2019-20 season.

On the Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 The SJ Barracuda didn’t waste anytime getting a two-game sweep over the Colorado Eagles at Solar4America Ice on Friday and Saturday nights.

#2 What’s it like for Antoine Bibeau playing for the Eagles and coming back to face his old teammates in San Jose?

#3 Were the two games with the Barracuda and Eagles more of snapshot to see the prospects and up-and-coming players as head coach Roy Sommer prepares for the regular season?

#4 Do you get an indication from the Barracuda that their offensive prowess hasn’t lost a step and they should be offensive ready for opening night on Friday?

#5 In winning the two games over the Eagles and knowing and playing with Bibeau, was that an advantage for the Barracuda in keying on taking shots on him?

Marko does the Barracuda podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Countdown to the AL Wild Card Game

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1-Coliseum

By Charlie O. Mallonee

In just over 19 hours, Sean Manaea is going to throw the first pitch in the 2019 American League Wild Card game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics. In just over three hours (after all, it is an American League game) one team will be leaving for Houston and the other team will heading home to pack up their lockers.

Manaea gets the call

The A’s had to decide between using Mike Fiers and Sean Manaea as the starter on Wednesday night. Fiers has been “the ace” of the staff with 33 starts, a 15-4 record, a 3.90 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.19. In two starts versus the Rays, he gave up just three total runs.

Manaea was activated off the Injured List on September 1st and made five starts in the final month of the season. He posted a 4-0 record with a 1.21 ERA and a WHIP of 0.78. Manaea has always been the heir apparent to the number starter’s role for Oakland.

Jon Morosi was a guest today on the Damon, Ratto, and Kolsky Show. Morosi — who is a reporter for the MLB Network and Fox Sports — said he feels that using Manaea as the starter on Wednesday is the perfect choice between the two pitchers.

Morton is the man for Tampa

Charlie Morton will take the hill for the Rays. He posted a record of 16-6 with 3.05 ERA for the season. After the Rays made “the opener” famous last year, Morton — a classic starter — became their star this season. Morton will use his curveball 37-percent of the time in the game on Wednesday night.

The A’s love the Coliseum

The Athletics record at home this season was 52-29 (.642). You would have to think that the A’s will feel more confident playing on their home field.

The A’s and Rays this season

The two teams played seven games this season. The A’s won four games and the Rays won three. Oakland won 2-of-3 in Tampa Bay and the teams split a four-game series in Oakland.

The odds

The A’s are the favorites on the money line -125. The projected run total is 7.5.

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: It’s here, the AL Wild Card game, it’s anyone’s one and done; Raiders hold up for win against Colts; plus more

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mercurynews.com file photo: Oakland Athletics’ Khris Davis (2), right, is mobbed by his teammates after winning the game with a walk-off walk against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Sunday, July 28, 2019. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers 6-5.

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 After a long 162-game regular season, it all boils down to just one playoff game, the American League Wild Card game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland A’s on Wednesday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 A’s pitcher Sean Manaea will get the call. He was out most of the season due to arm surgery, but when he returned, he pitched his first two games throwing shutout ball before being lifted. He’s now 4-0.

#3 After taking two tough loses earlier to the Kansas City Chiefs and later to the Minnesota Vikings, the Oakland Raiders faced the Indianapolis Colts and that one turned out to be a squeaker with the Raiders getting by with a seven-point win 31-24.

#4 The 49ers got a bye last Sunday for Week 4. Will having a bye be an advantage for San Francisco or will it be a disadvantage knowing they won’t get much rest between now and the end of the season?

#5 The San Jose Sharks open up their regular season against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Center. With a lot riding on some of the changes, how much pressure will there be on Erik Karlsson. the Sharks’ bonus player, going into the season?

Barbara Mason does Headline Sports each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Should A’s manager Bob Melvin be worried about wild card game?

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Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 How much worry, how much concern should A’s manager Bob Melvin take into a game like the wild card on Wednesday afternoon at the Coliseum?

#2 How big, how huge was Marcus Semien at the shortstop position for Oakland this season and as leadoff batter?

#3 Melvin sat Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Mark Canha on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners resting them for Wednesday night’s soiree at the Coliseum.

#4 Talk about how important it is for Stephen Piscotty to get into the line up after being out and just in time for the wild card game.

#5 A’s pitcher Sean Manaea might be starting on Wednesday night. He’s had such a great return now at 4-0 with an ERA of 1.21. How do you see him matching up against the Rays?

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: 49ers look ahead to Browns on Monday Night Football

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Photo credit: nbcsports.com

On the 49ers podcast with David:

#1 The 49ers are coming off a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-20 at Levi’s Stadium after having a bye last Sunday. How convincing was the win to say that this team can go out and win most of the remainder of their schedule? They have a challenging Cleveland Browns team on Monday Night Football.

#2 San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw 23-32 for 277 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions of those numbers. What sticks out most for Jimmy G?

David Zizmor does the 49ers podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Will A’s be one and done again? Can they advance this time after wild card losses last two times?

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Photo credit: theathletic.com

On Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Will it be a one and done performance or an advance to the ALDS second round for the Oakland A’s? You’ve seen it before when you went to New York last season the A’s were one and done.

#2 A’s pitcher Sean Manaea he’s 4-0, 1.21 ERA. He was out for most of the season and came back and pitched some shutout ball and was impressive. How does he match up against the Rays?

#3 What kind of sendoff was it last Sunday for the San Francisco Giants’ Bruce Bochy, Pablo Sandoval and Madison Bumgarner. People we won’t see in a Giants uniform again. Maybe Bum.

#4 The Oakland Raiders just got by the Indianapolis Colts, but the win was crucial. The Raiders already have had a couple of tough games, one at home against the Kansas City Chiefs and another on the road to start this six-game out of town schedule with a loss to Minnesota, but they got a big win against the Colts Sunday.

#5 The San Jose Sharks open up their regular season against the Vegas Golden Knights Wednesday night. The Sharks will have their top featured player Erik Karlsson, who signed on for over $90 million for eight years.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford’s feel-good win over Oregon State helps prep for home cooking

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

David Shaw showed the masses he still has a few tricks up his sleeve Saturday night at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.

Clinging to a seven-point lead against Oregon State early in the fourth quarter, Stanford had first and goal at the 8-yard line. Shaw called a reverse with junior quarterback Davis Mills pitching left to fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett, who handed to junior tight end Colby Parkinson, who lofted a pass in the end zone for Mills. The latter used every inch of his 6’4″ frame to out-leap two Oregon State defenders for a touchdown.

“Colby put a little too much air under it,” said Shaw. “We knew our quarterback was going to be wide open. Davis is a great athlete and he hung up there and made a great play.”

Mills loved the call, now known as the Stanford Special.

“It was fun,” Mills said. “It was our version of the Philly Special.”

Parkinson also caught a touchdown pass from Mills, becoming the first non-quarterback at Stanford since Christian McCaffrey in the 2015 Pac-12 Championship Game to throw for and score a touchdown.

“I was very excited and very nervous,” Parkinson said.

As it turned out, Stanford needed one more score to win. Senior kicker Jet Toner grooved a 39-yard field goal with one second remaining to lift the Cardinal to a 31-28 victory.

“He’s got that cool Hawaiian breeze going through his blood,” Shaw said of Toner, a Honolulu product.

Breaking out
Stanford (2-3, 1-2 Pac-12) snapped out of its offensive funk by scoring four touchdowns against the Beavers (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12), who have lost 10 consecutive conference games. Making his second start of the season in place of injured K.J. Costello, Mills passed for three scores and caught another.

“He was calm and collected under pressure,” said Shaw. “He stood in the pocket, made some huge plays with his legs and made some really smart decisions.”

Operating behind the fourth different starting offensive line in five games, Mills threw for a career-high 245 yards.

“Not much,” said Shaw, when asked how much he revised the game plan. “Davis gets outside the pocket a little more. We protected well and guys made plays.”

Mills accompanied the team to Corvallis as a freshman, which helped prepare him for the loud and challenging environment. He didn’t flinch in the final drive.

“I have a lot of trust in the guys,” Mills said.

Shaw has been waiting for his wide receivers to step up and they did. Junior Connor Wedington caught five passes for 31 yards, junior Osiris St. Brown caught 4-for-46, sophomore Michael Wilson caught 3-for-87, sophomore Simi Fehoko caught 1-for-16, and Parkinson grabbed 3-for-44. More importantly, they contributed several big gains, going for 39, 36 and 18 yards.

Truly special
Wedington helped set up Toner’s game-winner with a 43-yard kickoff return in the final two minutes after OSU had tied the score. Senior cornerback Obi Eboh blocked a field goal, Wilson contributed a 27-yard punt return, and freshman punter Ryan Sanborn averaged 50.3 yards on three punts, lacing a career-best 68-yarder and downed two inside the 20.

“We were stellar,” Shaw said.

Stanford ranks first in the Pac-12 in kickoff coverage.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Frosh impact
In just his second start, freshman Jonathan McGill collected a game-high 11 tackles at nickel-back and was all over the field. Sophomore defensive end Thomas Booker had his first two-sack game and finished with a career-best eight tackles, and senior inside linebacker Curtis Robinson added a career-best seven stops.

The Cardinal posted four sacks and six tackles for loss.

Booker had rave reviews for McGill, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly and the other freshmen who have stepped up on defense.

“Seeing them come in with the poise they have is awesome,” Booker said.

Huskies next
Stanford welcomes No. 15 Washington (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the first of three straight home games.

The host Huskies defeated No. 21 USC (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) on Saturday, 28-14. Salvon Ahmed ran for a career-high 153 yards for Washington, which has outscored opponents 77-3 in the first quarter.

The Huskies won last year’s meeting at Husky Stadium, 27-23. However, the Cardinal has claimed four of the last six and eight of the last 11.

The Pac-12 Network will broadcast the Pregame Show on campus Saturday.

Game theme
Stanford football student-athletes and coaches will be sporting pink to draw awareness to breast cancer as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer survivors will be honored throughout the game. Additionally, the 2019 NCAA champion women’s water polo team will be recognized for capturing their seventh NCAA title.

Extra points
Freshman Barrett Miller started at offensive left guard alongside freshman tackle Walter Rouse … Miller became the 13th first-time starter and fifth true freshman to start for Stanford this season … As he has all season, Scarlett ran hard and tallied a team-high 92 tough yards on 24 carries. “He’s our MVP,” said Shaw … Sophomore wide receiver Brycen Tremayne, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship during fall camp, caught his first collegiate touchdown … The Stanford defense hasn’t allowed a first-quarter touchdown in six of the last eight games … The start of the game was delayed 15 minutes due to lightning in the area … Chris Peatross ’88, a four-year wide receiver at Stanford, served as honorary captain. He is the founder, president and CEO of Swift Real Estate Partners.

Quote
“What it really showed was our grit and character. We’re excited about going forward.” — Colby Parkinson

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Why Omar Vizquel would be a great pick for Giants managerial job

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By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

SAN FRANCISCO — Omar Vizquel was one of the best ever defensive shortstops in major league baseball history,winning 11 Gold Gloves(second most in history to Ozzie Smith’s 13) during a 24-year career with Seattle, Cleveland, San Francisco 2005-2008,Texas, Chicago White Sox and Toronto.

Vizquel ended with a solid .272 batting average in 2,968 games with 2,877 hits. From 2014 to 2017, he was the Detroit Tigers first-base infield and base-running coach. Vizquel was the Captain of the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic Team in 2016 and a member of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame. He is 52 years old and bilingual in English and Spanish. He is a very smart baseball man who told me in the past his post-retirement goal was to manage in the major leagues.

The Giants will pick somebody to succeed Bruce Bochy, a future Hall of Fame manager that brought three World Series to San Francisco, a franchise that won their first World Series in 2010, the first for the club in 52 years since moving from New York. One of only 10 managers that have won three World Series, a sure thing for Cooperstown.

Vizquel received 182 votes in the 2019 ballot for the Hall of Fame, falling short of the 75% required for election, as he got 42.8 percent. His chances are good for membership in the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown in the next few years.

Vizquel is a good teacher and excellent communicator in two languages (Spanish, the second language in baseball), and there is little doubt in my mind that he will get a chance to manager in the major leagues. Maybe the Giants would give him the opportunity, among the many candidates that they will interview, if not, he will manage someplace, sooner than later. He was at the Bruce Bochy reunion this Sunday at Oracle Park. He loves the Bay Area and would be thrilled to be back here. He could be competing with another ex-player and also bilingual baseball man in Raúl Ibañez.

Amaury Pi-González is a pioneer in establishing baseball radio broadcast in Spanish in the Bay Area with the Oakland A’s since the the 1970’s and a longtime contributor to Sports Radio Service.

Wild Card preview: Rays and A’s at Oakland Coliseum

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mercurynews.com file photo: Oakland Athletics’ Khris Davis (2) removes his helmet after batting against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, April 19, 2019.

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — After a long season of 162 games, the A’s and Rays will have to have a one-game playoff to determine which team will advance to the American League Division Series. The winner will then face the Houston Astros. The Astros had the best record in the AL, and the series will start in Houston.

The A’s finished the season with a record of 97-65 to earn the right to host the Wild Card game. The A’s are 52-27 at the Coliseum this season. The Rays are a good road team, and they will not be intimidated having to play in Oakland. The Rays are 48-37 away from home and that record is the second-best in the MLB.

The Rays believe that they have a slight advantage as they will send Charlie Morton to the hill Wednesday night. Morton had a career-year with a record of 16-6. He pitched 194.2 innings and had an ERA of 3.05. Also, he struck out 240 batters and was very stingy in issuing walks. Morton was effective against right-handed hitters. The A’s lineup is loaded with righties as Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien, Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano, and Khris Davis will have their collective hands full trying to get to Morton. Morton limited righties to just four home runs in 351 at-bats.

The A’s have not announced their starter as of Monday afternoon. People are speculating that Bob Melvin will go with either Mike Fiers or Sean Manaea. Fiers, like Morton, had a career year. Fiers was 15-4 for the year and had an ERA of 3.90. Fiers also pitched a no-hitter against Cincinnati in May. Manaea made five starts for Oakland after coming off the IL in August. Manaea was 4-0 and was quite effective. He pitched 29.2 innings. Manaea had to learn how to deal with a declining velocity on his fastball. He threw at 93-94 MPH before being shut down with a shoulder injury last summer. His fastball has been clocked around 90 MPH this year, but he has been throwing strikes and moving the ball in the zone.

While the A’s might not have the edge in the starting pitcher department, they do have a better bullpen than the Rays. If the A’s starter, whoever that may be, falters, Melvin will not hesitate to bring in the relievers. The bullpen, missing Lou Trivino and Blake Treinen, has been bolstered by the additions of lefties Jake Diekman, A.J.Puk, and Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo has pitched very well and can be used as a closer. Melvin will also rely on Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria, and Liam Hendriks. Hendriks has performed exceptionally well and went to the All-Star Game this year.

The Rays’ bullpen includes Diego Castillo, Chaz Roe, Colin Poche, and Oliver Drake. The long relievers are Yonny Chirinos and Jalen Beeks. Current Cy Young winner Blake Snell is back and throwing well. Six-foot seven-inch Tyler Glasnow will also be available. They will be ready to shut down the A’s offense when called on.

The A’s will also have the advantage on offense and defense. The A’s have three players in the infield that hit over 30 homers each this year. Matt Chapman and Matt Olson led the team with 36 dingers each. Semien had a career-high 33 round-trippers. Chapman and Semien are candidates for AL Most Valuable Player. Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano, Chad Pinder, Jurickson Profar, and Josh Phegley can all drive the ball out of the park.  On defense, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson are again candidates to win a Gold Glove. Marcus Semien at shortstop has worked hard to improve his defense. He worked with Ron Washington to get better and he, too, is a Gold Glove candidate.

The Rays offense is led by Austin Meadows. Meadows had 33 home runs to lead the team. The Rays’ other hitters are Jesus Aguilar, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Diaz, and Nate Lowe. Fans on the West Coast may not be familiar with these names, but they are the reason that the Rays won 96 games this season.

The A’s won the season series four games to three. The Rays are a very determined team. The A’s are also highly motivated to move to the ALDS. This will be the A’s third Wild Card game since 2014, and the first-ever in Oakland. The A’s lost a wild one 9-8 to the Kansas City Royals in 2014. They fell to the Yankees last year 7-2 in New York. The A’s believe that they can go to the World Series. The first step will be defeating the Rays. The Houston Astros are hoping the A’s win. They won the season series 11-8. The Astros have to be careful about what they wish for. The A’s won six of the last eight played. They have the confidence to do it.

The game with the Rays should be very close. The Rays do not quit. Neither do the A’s. Each team knows that they have to win or go home. The A’s will have a large crowd cheering their every move. Let’s hope the home field advantage will prove beneficial to Oakland. I think the A’s will prevail and win by a score of 5-3.

San Jose State hosts New Mexico Friday night

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

San Jose State stunned the masses with a win over Arkansas, but was unable to finish the brief, two-game road trip with a win at Air Force. The Spartans recently returned home, where they’ll host New Mexico on Friday night.

Here are the much-needed details, folks. Mark your calendars.

Game #5
San Jose State vs. New Mexico
Friday, October 4, 2019,
CEFCU Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
7:02 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network

SJSU record
2-2, 0-1 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost their conference opener at Air Force, 41-24, on September 27.

New Mexico record
2-2, 0-0 Mountain West. The Lobos lost a non-conference game at Liberty, 17-10, on September 28.

Series history
San Jose State leads the series, 12-5-1. The teams are beginning their second two-season cycle of Mountain West home-and-home conference games this weekend.

The Lobos won the most recent meeting between these schools, 48-41, in Albuquerque, on October 11, 2016.

San Jose State’s last win in the series was a 31-21 victory at home on October 24, 2015. The Spartans have won the last four times these teams played in San Jose dating back to 1975. The last time New Mexico won in San Jose was a 27-24 decision on November 1, 1969. The 1971 game between these teams ended in a 21-21 tie.

San Jose State also has a bowl win over New Mexico winning the inaugural 2006 New Mexico Bowl, 20-12. San Jose State currently has a four-game postseason bowl winning streak dating back to 1990.

Play-by-play radio coverage
KKSF (910 AM, Oakland), RealTalk 910, is the new flagship radio station for San Jose State University football. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The New Mexico broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. (PT) before game time with a pregame show.

Network affiliates are KION (1460 AM/101.1 FM, Salinas), KFIV (1360 AM, Modesto), KWSX (1280 AM, Stockton).

The San Jose State vs. New Mexico broadcast with Justin Allegri and Kevin Richardson calling the action also will be carried on http://www.siriusxm.com Channel 965.

KSJS (90.5 FM, San Jose) also will broadcast the San Jose State-New Mexico game starting at 6:45 p.m. PT.

Television
The CBS Sports Network will provide broadcast coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. PT. Jason Horowitz calls the play-by-play. Malik Zaire provides commentary. The CBS Sports Network is available Comcast Channel 643, DirecTV Channel 221, and DISH Network Channel 158.

Tickets

• sjsuspartans.com/tickets

• ticketmaster.com

Athletics Ticket Office, 1393 S. 7th Street, San José, CA 95112, weekdays, 9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $10.00 for a general admission seat to $58.00 for a reserved seat.

Tickers for home games at CEFCU Stadium

• Modern family plan

• Group ticket pricing starting at $12.00 per ticket

• Three-game “mini plans” starting at $59.00

Game promotions

• Brew & Vine — Greatest Tailgate Party You’ve Never Been To — $35.00/per person beginning at 5:00 p.m. includes tasting for two hours, meal voucher & game ticket • Parent & Family Weekend

A 2-2 record at the end of September: For the first time since the 2015 season, San Jose State enters an October with a 2-2 overall win-loss record. The 2019 Spartans had an opportunity to finish September with at least 3-1 overall mark for the first time since 2012, but lost at Air Force, 41-24.

Back-to-back Friday games
For the first time since 1950, San Jose State is playing football games on consecutive Fridays. This week’s game vs. New Mexico follows the Friday, September 27 conference contest at Air Force.

In 1950, San Jose State hosted Loyola (Calif.), now LMU, on Friday, October 13, losing 14-7, and traveled to the University of San Francisco on Friday, October 20, suffering a 27-0 shutout loss. After losing to USF, the Spartans, coached by first-year head coach Bob Bronzan, went 4-0-1 to finish the season with a 6-3-1 win-loss record, the program’s fifth consecutive winning season in the post World War II period.

Emphasis on a positive turnover margin paying off
A point of emphasis for this year’s San Jose State team is finishing in the top-25 in turnover margin.

After the first month of the season, San Jose State ranks tied for sixth nationally in turnover margin at +6 or 1.5 per game. The Spartans have seven interceptions, which is tied for fourth nationally, and came up with their first two fumble recoveries of the season in the Air Force contest.

For their first four games, San Jose State lost the ball only three times on two fumbles and one pass interception. Through games of September 28, the Spartans are tied for eighth nationally in fewest times losing the ball.

A year ago, San Jose State finished at +1, a significant improvement from the 2017 season when the team had a minus-26 turnover margin figure.

First blocked kick of the season
San Jose State notched its first blocked kick of the season when linebacker Hadari Darden was credited with deflecting an Air Force extra-point attempt following a Falcons’ third-quarter touchdown.

The Spartans are one of 59 FBS schools to block a punt or a kick-scoring try in games played through September 28.

A San Jose State first since 2007
In the Air Force game, freshman Nick Nash became the first San Jose State quarterback since Adam Tafralis in 2007 to have rushing and passing attempts and catch a pass thrown by a teammate in the same game.

Nash was San Jose State’s leading rusher against Air Force with 62 yards on 11 carries and had the Spartans’ longest run of the game at 19 yards. He completed 5-of-7 passes without an interception for 82 yards and two touchdowns. In the first quarter, he caught a Josh Love pass for 4 yards.

Nash joins former San Jose State quarterbacks Tafralis, Scott Rislov in a 2002 win over UTEP and current University of Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo in a 2001 NCAA record-setting victory against Nevada as Spartan signal callers to display their offensive versatility rushing, passing and receiving in the same game since the 1976 season.

Since 1976, the feat now has been accomplished 16 times. Former San Jose State running back and current Arizona Cardinals running backs coach James Saxon did it four times, three times in 1987 and once in 1986.

Sharing the wealth
Twice this season in the Northern Colorado and Air Force games, at least 10 Spartans caught had a pass reception. In the Northern Colorado victory, 10 Spartans had a pass reception. At Air Force, 11 San Jose State players were credited with a catch.