1. Let’s talk football first. San Jose State was unable to make it two wins in a row against Wyoming. The Spartans lost to the Cowboys 24-9 in Laramie, Wyo. on Saturday.
2. San Jose State set to visit No. 14 Utah State in Logan, Utah this Saturday. What do the Spartans need to do to escape with a win and what’s your score prediction for this roadie?
3. Let’s switch gears to men’s basketball. San Jose State welcomed Life Pacific College on Wednesday night. The Spartans beat the Warriors 89-72 at the Event Center. Do you feel like head coach Jean Prioleau has the potential to help the Spartans get more than four wins this season?
On the Stanford Cardinal Football podcast with Jerry:
#1 The Stanford Cardinal (5-4) wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside will be out of action for Saturday’s game against the Cal Bears.
#2 Whiteside has a right ankle injury after he got tackled by Washington’s Bryron Murphy after an 11-yard touchdown.
#3 The Cardinal, who lost 27-23 last Saturday to the Washington Huskies, have lost four out of their last five games.
#4 Also not appearing this Saturday against Cal, Stanford kicker Jet Toner, OLB Joey Alferi, guard Foster Sarell…with three players out and five players as probables, this could be a tough game against Cal.
#5 Stanford’s bowl hopes gone, but coach David Shaw said that Arcega-Whiteside is a candidate for the NFL draft.
As you may already know, the Stanford Cardinal lost its last two games on the road to No. 8 Washington State and No. 25 Washington, respectively. So the Cardinal are looking to snap out of a losing skid, but more importantly, get set for Senior Day. The soon-to-be Stanford alumni have a lot to celebrate in the coming weeks, including this football game. Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game vs. Oregon State:
By the numbers
Stanford Cardinal (5-4, 3-3)
Oregon State Beavers (2-7, 1-5)
Nov. 10, 2018 at 6:00 pm PT
Stanford Stadium (50,424) in Stanford, Calif.
Television
Live national broadcast on Pac-12 Network with Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Chad Brown (analyst) and Camryn Irwin (sideline).
Radio
Live coverage on Stanford’s flagship station–KNBR 1050 AM–with Scott Reiss ’93 (play-by-play), Todd Husak ’00 (analyst) and John Platz ’84 (sideline). The broadcast begins one hour before kickoff with the Cardinal Tailgate Show and concludes with the postgame Cardinal Locker Room Report. The game can be heard on Stanford student radio–KZSU 90.1 FM–and online at kzsulive.stanford.edu.
1 • Stanford is 5-0 this season when forcing at least one turnover, and 0-3 when not forcing a turnover.
1 • Junior Kaden Smith ranks first in the nation among tight ends in receiving yards (601) and receiving yards per game (66.8). He is second in the country—first among Power 5 tight ends—with 44 receptions (only San Jose State’s Josh Oliver has more receptions with 49).
3 • Stanford football players have conducted interviews in three foreign languages this season—JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Spanish), Jesse Burkett (Japanese) and Osiris St. Brown (German). All other Stanford football interviews this year have been done in English.
4 • Stanford’s four losses this season have come against the AP’s current No. 3, No. 10, No. 20 and No. 26th-ranked teams in the nation (Notre Dame, Washington State, Washington, Utah). Those four teams have a combined record of 30-7 (.811) this season.
5 • One of the most disciplined teams in the nation, Stanford has the fifth-fewest penalty yards in the nation this year with just 37.00 per game–also the fewest in the Pac-12.
7 • Don’t expect many points immediately after halftime. Stanford has allowed just one touchdown and never more than seven points in the third quarter this season. The Cardinal has only allowed 25 third-quarter points in its first nine games (2.78). The only touchdown allowed was vs. Washington State.
8 • Stanford has won eight in a row against Oregon State.
8 • Smith has produced three games with 8+ receptions and 100+ yards this season (Utah, Washington State and Washington). The rest of the tight ends in the country have combined for five such games. He is the only tight end to do it more than once and has done it in back-to-back games. Smith is the first tight end to accomplish that feat three times in a season since Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro in 2013 (Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb were the Red Raiders’ quarterbacks).
11 • Senior wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside ranks second nationally–and first among Pac-12 players–with 11 receiving touchdowns. That’s the second-most in a season in Stanford history and the most receiving touchdowns for a Cardinal in 38 years–Ken Margerum had 11 in 1980, while James Lofton set the school record with 14 in 1978.
13 • In addition to his 49 receptions and 754 receiving yards this season, Arcega-Whiteside has drawn 14 penalties this year–12 pass interference and two holding calls for 190 penalty yards (1.6 penalties/game and 21.1 penalty yards/game).
15 • Sophomore cornerback Paulson Adebo ranks second nationally with 15 pass breakups and fourth in the NCAA with 16 passes defended. He ranks atop the Pac-12 in both categories.
20 • Junior quarterback K.J. Costello ranks among the Top 25 nationally in completion percentage (18th), completions per game (19th), passing efficiency (22nd), passing touchdowns (17th), passing yards (13th), passing yards per game (17th) and yards per attempt (21st). He leads the Pac-12 in efficiency (153.1) and is second in the conference in passing yards (2,512) and yards per attempt (8.46).
37 • Sure-handed senior wide receiver Trenton Irwin has at least one reception in 37 consecutive games, a streak that ranks seventh nationally.
100 • Smith is the first Stanford tight end with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Alex Smith did it in three straight games in 2004. Smith had 112 against Washington State and 107 against Washington. Smith is also the first Cardinal tight end since Zach Ertz with three 100-yard receiving games in a season. Smith’s career-high 120 yards receiving against Utah (Oct. 6) were the most by a Stanford tight end since Zach Ertz’s 134 vs. Cal in 2012.
249 • Stanford made a school record 249 consecutive extra-point attempts between Oct. 26, 2013 to Nov. 3, 2018. During the streak: Colin Riccitelli–2-2, Jet Toner–79-79, Conrad Ukropina–108-108, Jordan Williamson– 60-60.
1000 • Smith is the fourth Cardinal tight end with 1,000 career receiving yards (1,015). He joins Coby Fleener (1,543), Zach Ertz (1,434) and Alex Smith (1,291).
San Jose State looks to rebound at No. 14/16 Utah State this Saturday. That’s not going to be an easy task for the Spartans, but hey, anything could happen in the crazy world of college football. That’s what makes college football one of the greatest sports in the world.
In case you missed it, check out Spartans head coach Brent Brennan’s press conference in the video below.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game.
Saturday football San Jose State at No. 14/16 Utah State
Saturday, November 10, 2018,
Merlin Olson Field at Maverik Stadium,
Logan, Utah, 1:00 pm PT
Facebook Live
San Jose State’s record 1-8, 1-4 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost at Wyoming, 24-9, on November 3.
Utah State’s record 8-1, 5-0 Mountain West. The Aggies made it eight consecutive victories with a 56-17 rout of Hawaii on November 3.
Series history San Jose State leads the series, 20-17-1. The Aggies have wins in the last seven meetings between these teams including a 61-10 victory in San Jose, Calif. a year ago.
The Spartans’ last win in the series was a 30-7 blowout in the 2008 season. San Jose State’s last victory in Logan, Utah was a 23-20 win in 2007.
Radio Coverage KLIV (1590 AM, San Jose) originates San Jose State football broadcasts. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Utah State broadcast begins at 12:30 p.m. (PT) with a pregame show.
Television Facebook LIve will provide play-by-play coverage of the San Jose State at Utah State game. Ari Wolfe calls the play-by-play. Max Starks provides analysis. Dani Klupenger is the sideline reporter. The live telecast is scheduled for 1:00 pm PT.
Weekly press conference The weekly San Jose State football press conference is in the Simpkins Stadium Center Gold Room on Mondays at 1:00 pm PT.
Last victory against a nationally-ranked opponent? San Jose State’s last win against a nationally-ranked opponent was a 62-52 triumph over No. 16 Fresno State on November 29, 2013. Since then, the Spartans are 0-4 against nationally-ranked opponents.
Positive turnover margin For the second time this season, San Jose State has a positive turnover margin of +2 after recovering two fumbles and not committing a turnover in the Wyoming game on November 3.
In the last three games, the Spartans have taken the ball away six times (three fumble recoveries and three interceptions) and lost the ball once on an interception vs. UNLV and a fumble at San Diego State.
After nine games this season, San Jose State lost the ball 14 times. A year ago after nine games, the Spartans had committed 31 turnovers (13 interceptions, 18 fumbles).
Love is in the air
San Jose State quarterback Josh Love, a Mission Viejo, Calif. native, is not related to Utah State signal-caller Jordan Love from Bakersfield, Calif. The two opposing starting quarterbacks are ranked 29th (Josh Love) and 36th nationally (Jordan Love) in passing yards per game. Combined, they account for 3,938 yards and 32 touchdowns.
100-100-100 When looking at a San Jose State football player’s helmet, the decal 100-100 stands for 100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time. Three Spartan seniors are nearing 100 career receptions.
Wide receiver Justin Holmes is the closest with 99. Wide receiver Tre Hartley is next with 95. Tight end Josh Oliver has 91. Since 1974 when Ike McBee became the first Spartan to catch 100 passes in a career, 27 additional San Jose State players have 100 or more career receptions.
Crawford stands out from the crowd For the third time this season, senior Bryce Crawford is the only FBS kicker nationally ranked in the top 25 in field goals per game (22nd tied) and punting average (24th).
Oliver continues to lead Since the beginning of the season, Josh Oliver is the leading pass receiver among FBS tight ends.
Oliver is tied 48th nationally in receptions per game. He is the only tight end listed among the FBS’ top 50 pass receivers in games played through November 3.
33 of Oliver’s 49 receptions this season resulted in a Spartan first down.
Monroe remains tied for third For the second consecutive week, Spartan defensive back Dakari Monroe remains tied for third among FBS players in passes defended with his 1.9 average. Monroe was the FBS national leader in games played through October 6.
For the season, Monroe has four pass interceptions and 13 pass break-ups.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The title pretty much explained the question. But there’s three games left in San Jose State’s season and Spartans head coach Brent Brennan held his weekly press conference inside Simpkins Stadium Center on Monday afternoon to talk about what’s next for his team.
Here’s my Q&A with Brennan:
1. There was a little snow in Laramie, Wyo. Do you think the local weather played a role in the Spartans’ loss to the Cowboys? I do think we handled it well. I think there was more of a little bit of not a balance for us offensively and defensively throughout the game. It seemed like during the game, we played really good defense and we had trouble getting our offense going, and then in the second half, it kind of flipped.
But I give our kids credit. We don’t often get a first down on a fourth down play, and three plays later, (Jonathan) Lenard Jr. goes there and knocks the ball out of the hands to recover it and then go down to score, and all of a sudden, we score to make it a close game again and had the chance to win it. We needed a stop there and we didn’t get it done, so I don’t think it was much of the weather as opposed to us not playing good offense and good defense at the same time.
2. The Spartans recovered two fumbles, but were unable to do anything with one of them. Was this loss a matter of Cowboys quarterback Sean Chambers being that great or were the Spartans just that bad? I thought (Sean) Chambers was really good, but we scored a touchdown on the second fumble so I thought at that moment we did a nice job handling the sudden change and got some points in the fourth quarter.
3. Most, if not all, fans and media said that Josh Love deserves credit for his most recent performance. Do you agree with that opinion and do you think Love needs more playmakers around him? I think Josh (Love) has really come a long way and I’m really proud of him. It’s awesome to see him delivering the football and making the accurate throws. He had a couple of big-time throws on Saturday. It just kind of shows his progress and his development.
I think the guys have been making plays around him. I think we have a good group of playmakers there, and I think there’s gotta be some opportunities where it all comes together sometime to break down the offensive line. Sometimes, it’s a bad route or Josh (Love) gets moved off his spot because of pressure or he misses a block or a point of attack and Tyler (Nevens) can’t get anything out of it, so it’s a product of us continuing to grow and develop as a football team–especially as an offensive football team.
The Spartans experienced a tough battle against the Cowboys, but all they can do is move on. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s time for the team to learn so they can prepare for the next game at No. 14 Utah State.
San Jose State suffered a 24-9 beating from Wyoming on a chilly, snowy Saturday in Laramie, Wyo. As a result, San Jose State’s record fell to 1-8, 1-4 Mountain West, while Wyoming upped its record to 4-6, 2-4 Mountain West. Neither record calls for bragging rights, but the Cowboys were arguably the better team, not the Spartans.
With that said, here are three takeaways from San Jose State’s game against Wyoming.
SJSU needs more than just Love
Spartans quarterback Josh Love deserves credit for his performance on Sunday. After a fumble, Love threw 17-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tre Walker was the Spartans’ lone TD of the game. Unfortunately, a bad snap on the kick led to the Spartans’ unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt, so there’s that, too.
But Love took hard hits and continued to pick himself up off the ground throughout the game. It’s not everyday where you see a college quarterback act like a grown man in the pros. It’s just Love needs more playmakers around him to finish off those game-changing plays.
Wyoming had the upper hand Like I mentioned in the introduction, the Cowboys were arguably the better team.
Sure, the Cowboys’ first drive wasn’t perfect as the team had to settle for a 3-0 lead 4:24 into the game, thanks to Cowboys kicker Cooper Ruthe’s 26-yard field goal. But the Cowboys gained 424 yards on the ground and 473 total yards. Also, Cowboys quarterback Sean Chambers singlehandedly increased the Cowboys’ lead to 17-3 after using his 6’4″ frame to sneak for a first down on the three-and-one from 64 yards.
Third time might’ve been the charm The Spartans were inside the Cowboys’ 20-yard line twice in the fourth quarter, but came away with only one touchdown. The Spartans answered on their second possession set up by linerbacker Jesse Osuna’s fumble recovery of the Cowboys running back Nico Evans’ fumble in the Spartans’ secondary. Walker flawlessly timed his shoulder turn to Love’s pass in the near right corner of the end zone to cut the deficit to 17-9. Spartans punter Brian Papazian was unable to set the snap for the extra point down, but the Spartans were back in the game with 8:48 remaining.
This has been something that some fans have been pondering. What if the Spartans were inside the Cowboys’ 20-yard for a third time in the fourth quarter? Would the Spartans actually capitalize on that opportunity? We’ll never know what could’ve happened.
The Spartan defense had 4 players with 10+ tackle performances this weekend⚡️⚡️
photo from mercurynews.com: Stanford’s Frank Buncom tries to strip the ball from Myles Gaskin on a 6-yard touchdown run by the Washington back.
By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Despite a late charge, Washington safety Taylor Rapp’s interception on the game’s final play secured a 27-23 Pac-12 football win over visiting Stanford Saturday.
An announced crowd of 69,069 watched Rapp make a leaping pick of Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello and take a knee in the end zone, allowing the Huskies (7-3 overall, 5-2 Pac-12) to remain in the thick of the conference race.
After Washington took a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, the Cardinal (5-4 overall, 3-3 Pac-12) rallied in the second half. Costello’s 33-yard scoring pass to Trenton Irwin with 3:24 remaining pulled Stanford to within 27-23, though Cardinal kicker Jet Toner missed the PAT attempt.
Washington caught a break on the Huskies’ next play, when Myles Gaskin fumbled at the end of a 10-yard run, and tight end Drew Sample recovered it at the Huskie 35. The Cardinal defense held, and Washington had to punt to Stanford, which started its last drive at its own 15 with 2:05 to play and no timeouts.
After Costello completed four straight passes, moving Stanford to the Huskie 35, he spiked the ball there with 10 seconds remaining. With two shots at the end zone, Costello’s first pass was incomplete; the second one was perfectly timed by Rapp, the Huskies’ third interception of the night.
Gaskin, the Huskies’ all-time leading rusher, gained 148 yards on 28 carries after returning from a shoulder injury.
Costello finished 29 of 43 for 347 passing yards, two touchdowns, and the three picks. Bryce Love carried 18 times for 71 yards, and Kaden Smith snared eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
The Cardinal return home next Saturday to host Oregon State. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
The San Jose State Spartans have nothing to play for and nothing to lose, but with four games left in the team’s season, the team has a desire to finish off strong…and beat the Wyoming Cowboys for the second straight season.
Game 8 between San Jose State and Wyoming at Memorial War Stadium was nothing short of exciting. There was a little bit of snow, but it didn’t hurt any of the Spartans. After all, the Spartans had proved to the general public that they were all in on offense and defense in the last few weeks or so.
The Cowboys opened the scoring as Cooper Rothe kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead at the 10:36 mark of the first quarter.
The Cowboys led the Spartans 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. But, of course, a three-point lead could disappear in an instant. That, however, wasn’t the case for Wyoming.
The Cowboys went up 10-0 at the 14:50 mark of the second quarter. Nico Evans ran for 58 yards for a touchdown and Rothe kicked in an extra point.
The Spartans caught a break midway the second quarter as Jonathan Lenard Jr. recovered a fumble at the 10:45 mark, but that didn’t help the cause. The Spartan offense was fairly silent. Yes, there was a lot of football left, but the Cowboys carried a 10-0 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.
The Spartans looked to narrow the lead, and they did just that, as Bryce Crawford kicked a 26-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3 at the 11:09 mark of the third quarter.
But the Cowboys were resilient in the snowy weather. Sean Chambers ran 64 yards for a touchdown and Rothe kicked in the extra point to increase Wyoming’s lead 17-3 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
The Spartans were down by two touchdowns 17-3 at the end of the third quarter. San Jose State drove hard for a big comeback and reportedly swore they were going to get the job done. San Jose State was partially right.
Josh Love threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tre Walker. The Spartans went for the two-point conversion, but failed on the attempt. The Spartans settled to reduce the deficit to 17-9 with 8:48 left in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans were still in the game and refused to back down, but the Cowboys diminished all of San Jose State’s hopes when they expanded their lead to 24-9 with 1:04 left in regulation. Chambers threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Austin Fort and Rothe kicked in the extra point.
Time wasn’t on the Spartans’ side and the down-to-the-wire penalty for roughing the passer aggravated the situation. Charlie Ramirez Jr. appeared to be hurt and it was unclear as to what happened to him from there.
The Spartans got routed by the Cowboys 24-9.
Notes
The Spartans donned their white uniforms. The Cowboys sported their gold tops and brown pants.
The Spartans fans in the South Bay showed up to Stanley’s Sports Bar to cheer on the Blue and Gold.
Up Next
The Spartans head to Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah to take on the No. 18 Utah State Aggies next Saturday at 1:00 pm PT on FCBK and STAD.
1. The San Jose Earthquakes wrapped up the 2018 MLS season in Seattle. The Quakes lost to the Seattle Sounders FC 2-1 in full-time. What more could you say about the Quakes’ future?
2. Reno 1868 FC wrapped up the 2018 USL season in Orange County, Calif. with a 1-0 loss to Orange County SC. Do you think Reno will be back stronger in 2019?
3. The San Jose State Spartans defeated the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 50-37 inside CEFCU Stadium on Saturday. This was the Spartans’ first win since November 25, 2017 versus the Wyoming Cowboys.
4. Spartans sophomore receiver Tre Walker celebrated his birthday on Sunday just a day after the 50-37 win over the Rebels. How great was that?
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