Tag: NCAA Football

SJSU football returns to action on Saturday at Arkansas

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

As the bye week comes to an end, San Jose State football will return to action at Arkansas on Saturday. In preparation for the upcoming road game, SJSU has been watching tape and holding practices, but we’ll see how things pan out since this is the Spartans we’re talking about.

Anywho, here are the details on Saturday’s game.

Game #3
San Jose State at Arkansas
Saturday, September 21, 2019,
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
6:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. PT, SEC Network

SJSU record: 1-1, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost a non-conference contest to Tulsa, 34-16, on September 7.

Arkansas record: 2-1, 0-1 SEC. The Razorbacks downed Colorado State, 55-34, on September 14.

Series history: This will be the first meeting between these teams.

Play-by-play radio coverage: KKSF (910 AM, Oakland), RealTalk 910, is the new flagship radio station for San Jose State football. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Tim Crawley provides commentary.

The Arkansas broadcast begins at 4:00 p.m. PT before game time with a pregame show.

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

The SJSU-Arkansas broadcast with Allegri and Crawley calling the action also will be carried on www.siriusxm.com Channel 986.

Television: The SEC Network will provide broadcast coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT/4;30 p.m. PT. Dave Neal calls the play-by-play. D.J. Shockley provides commentary. Dawn Davenport is the sideline reporter. The SEC Network is available on AT&T U-Verse Channel 607, Comcast Channel 421, DirecTV Channel 611, DISH Network Channel 404 and on Watch ESPN.

SJSU & Arkansas’ Super Bowl head coaching history: SJSU and Arkansas are two of the six colleges and universities claiming two alums as Super Bowl-winning head coaches.

For SJSU, Bill Walsh coached the San Francisco 49ers to victories in Super Bowls XVI (1982), XIX (1985) and XXIII (1989) and Dick Vermeil led the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV (2000).

For Arkansas, Jimmy Johnson coached the Dallas Cowboys to Super Bowl XXVII (1993) and XXVIII (1994) wins. Barry Switzer took over for Johnson and coached Dallas to a Super Bowl XXX (1996) title.

The other four schools with two alums coaching teams to Super Bowl victories are Dayton (Chuck Noll and Jon Gruden), Miami (Ohio) (Weeb Ewbank and John Harbaugh), Eastern Illinois (Mike Shanahan and Sean Payton) and the University of the Pacific, 70 miles east of SJSU and an institution that no longer has football (Tom Flores and Pete Carroll).

Arkansas ties: Current Arkansas assistant coach Barry Lunney, Jr., was SJSU’s quarterbacks coach during the 2003 and 2004 seasons and co-offensive coordinator in 2004. The Spartans’ starting quarterback in 2003 was Scott Rislov, who went on to play three seasons of ARENA and one season of ARENA2 football.

Lunney coached three different starting quarterbacks in 2004, all of whom played in the October 2 NCAA record-setting contest for most points scored by two teams in a regulation four-quarter game won by SJSU, 70-63, over Rice. The Spartans trailed, 34-7, and took their first lead of the game with their final touchdown in the fourth quarter. The FBS two-team scoring record for a regulation game lasted until Pitt defeated Syracuse, 76-61, on November 26, 2016.

Former Razorbacks assistant coach Dr. Fitz Hill (1992-00) was SJSU’s head coach for four seasons (2001-04). He compiled a win-loss head coaching record of 14-33. The Spartans’ best season was in 2002 with a 6-7 record playing 13 games, nine of them on the road, in 13 weeks.

Arkansas graduate Keith Burns was an assistant coach at SJSU during the 2004 through 2009 seasons primarily as the defensive coordinator.

Former Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson (2010-11) was a SJSU graduate assistant in 1979 coaching linebackers.

Aguayo has himself another week: For the second consecutive week, SJSU linebacker Ethan Aguayo is the FBS national leader in tackles per game at 17.0.

Aguayo opened the season matching a single-game career best 20 tackles in the Northern Colorado victory on August 29. He added a game-high 14 stops in the September 7 game vs. Tulsa.

John Ralston (1927-2019) once coached the SJSU Spartans

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By Ana Kieu

John Ralston was one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most popular and beloved college and professional sports figures and passed away peacefully in Sunnyvale, Calif., on September 14, 2019.

Ralston’s impact on the Bay Area sports scene spanned 60 years from his days as a linebacker on the 1947 through 1950 University of California, Berkeley football teams playing for legendary coach Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf” into the 21st century as a special assistant to the athletics director at San Jose State University.

HIS FOOTBALL COACHING CAREER: Ralston was best known as a football coach with a positive approach to life that took Utah State University, Stanford University and the Denver Broncos to unprecedented success.

Ralston began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at San Lorenzo (Calif.) High in 1953 and spent two seasons at Mt. Diablo High before returning to Cal. He returned to the University of California in 1956 as an assistant football coach and was on the staff for the 1958 Golden Bears’ team that played in the 1959 Rose Bowl.

Ralston was the head coach at Utah State (1959-62), Stanford (1963-71), Denver Broncos (1972-76), Oakland Invaders (1983-84) and San Jose State (1993-96). Combining his college and pro head coaching records, his teams amassed a 140-126-7 win-loss record.

Ralston’s Utah State teams played in the 1960 Sun Bowl and 1961 Gotham Bowl and his Stanford squads won consecutive Pacific 8 Conference championships and Rose Bowls following the 1970 and 1971 regular seasons. The Broncos’ first winning season in franchise history was in 1973, his second as a NFL head coach.

Ralston’s coaching tree included former NFL head coaches the late Bill Walsh, Dick Vermeil, Jim Mora, Sr., Mike White, the late Rod Rust, the late Jack Christiansen and college head coaches the late Roger Theder, the late Tony Knap, Ed Peasley and Rubin Carter.

Ralston’s best-known players included 1970 Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett at Stanford and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen at Utah State.

MORE THAN A FOOTBALL COACH: Ralston’s football experiences extended beyond coaching players and his assistants. He was the Broncos’ general manager and head coach. He was a Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach to Vermeil in 1978. He was the vice president of the San Francisco 49ers during the 1979 and 1980 seasons. He was the president of the Portland Breakers in 1984 and 1985.

Ralston scouted for the Seattle Seahawks in 1988 and 1989 and served three years — 1990 through 1992 — as the coordinator for Operation Discovery, a search for foreign-born football players of the World League of American Football. His search took him to the Soviet Union and a short-lived position as head coach of the Moscow Bears, the U.S.S.R’s first pro football team.

Ralston, a one-time Dale Carnegie Courses instructor, also served as an administrator for Major League Volleyball, a pro women’s volleyball league, and the general manager of the Sacramento Capitols team tennis franchise.

Ralston, a Oakland, Calif. native, was born on April 26, 1927, and spent parts of his youth in Norway, Michigan. He graduated from the University of California in 1951.

A World War II veteran, Ralston served in the Marine Corps, achieving the rank of corporal. He was stationed mainly on the S.S. Little Rock in the South Pacific.

SOME HONORS & ACCOLADES: Ralston’s lengthy list of accolades includes induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, the San Jose Hall of Fame in 2001; and the Sports Halls of Fame for San Jose State, Stanford and Utah State.

As a coach, Ralston was named Stanford’s “Coach of the Century” when the university celebrated its centennial anniversary of football in 1991 and the 1973 United Press International’s American Football Conference “Coach of the Year” in his second season with the Broncos.

Ralston is survived by his daughter, Terry (Ralston) Zaffonato, four grandsons, two granddaughters, and one great granddaughter. He was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Patty (Ward) Ralston; a son, Larry; a daughter, Sherry (Ralston) Brown, the twin sister of Terry; and Virginia Fanelli, his life partner following the passing of Patty.

A celebration of life for Ralston will be announced in the near future.

SJSU’s Aguayo is FBS National Leader in Tackles per Game

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

For the second consecutive week, San Jose State linebacker Ethan Aguayo is the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) national leader in tackles per game.

Aguayo, a senior and three-year starter opened the 2019 season matching a single-game career best 20 tackles in the Northern Colorado win on August 29. He followed up with a game-high 14 stops against Tulsa on September 7 for national-leading 17.0 tackles per game average.

When Aguayo first stepped foot on campus in 2015, he had no idea the kind of impact he was going to make for the Spartans’ football program. A walk-on that played receiver and defensive back in high school at JSerra Catholic High in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., he joined the team for fall preseason drills prior to the 2015 season and impressed the coaches enough to earn a spot on the scout team. Still, he had a long way to go to achieve his goal of becoming a starter.

Fast forward to the start of the 2019 season. Aguayo, now standing 6’2″ and weighing 228 pounds, is no longer an undersized wide receiver and defensive back. He’s the Spartans’ top returning linebacker with 277 career tackles to his name and a chance to earn a spot in the school’s top 10 all-time in career tackles before the season comes to an end.

So what was the catalyst for Ethan in his transformation from receiver to linebacker, his ability to earn a scholarship and become a leader of the program? In his words, it’s all about consistency. He strived for consistency in all aspects of his game back in 2015 and continues to do the same things to do this day.

“Being in the situation I am now, I look back and still fall back on the same things that I was doing as a walk-on,” Aguayo said. “That means staying consistent on the field, staying mentally locked in, go to the meetings and just give a full effort every day.”

IMPROVING EVERY YEAR: After redshirting that first season, Aguayo immediately began to make a bigger impact as a redshirt freshman in 2016, appearing in 12 games and making 10 starts. The following season, he started nine more games and was ninth in the conference with 8.4 tackles per game.

Last season was when Aguayo put everything together. He earned an honorable mention All-Mountain West nod after finishing fifth in the conference and 29th nationally with 9.6 tackles per game while making 11 starts. He posted a team-high 106 total tackles and had a game to remember in front of the home crowd of CEFCU Stadium on November 17 against Nevada. He racked up 20 tackles against the Wolf Pack — the first Spartan to do so since Keith Smith in 2013 at Minnesota.

“That was a game that sticks out to me,” Aguayo said. “I had always imagined what 20 tackles would be like, so that was a cool experience to get that in my pocket.”

READY TO LEAD: Despite his success on the field, Aguayo remains one of the most humble members of the Spartan football team. He knows his role and wants to excel at it, but at the end of the day, he’s just there to help the team win. He has grown throughout the years and is a clear-cut leader on the defense — another role that he relishes in.

“I just want to be consistent on the field, stay locked in and do my job in getting everybody right,” Aguayo said. “When things start to go sideways, being able to draw everyone back together and let them know that it is a four-quarter game not to panic. I want to be that voice for our defense.”

As you look back over Aguayo’s career, it’s easy to imagine anyone pulling for the guy to succeed. His consistency since his first day in a Spartan uniform has led the way and it shows on paper. His tackle total has increased each season and jumped from 53 as a freshman to 106 as a junior. He overcame adversity, rose to every challenge and is the leader of the defense. He believes that if he can do it then anyone can and encourages players in similar situations to follow in his footsteps.

“People love to see consistency whether it’s on the football field, in life or in the work space,” Aguayo said. “Consistency is what is going to get you to the top. For me personally, being consistent is what got me to where I am now. Now, I tell some of that guys that are currently walk-ons that it is consistency that will get them where they want to go.

“It doesn’t matter where you start on the depth chart. All that matters is that you’re willing to give that effort and have that consistency every day,” Aguayo added.

Talk about consistency, Aguayo picked up right where he left off in 2018. In the 35-18 win over Northern Colorado in the season opener, he was in on 20 tackles, a quarterback sack, and 2.0 tackles for loss. If that sounds familiar, his 20 tackles matches his career-high 20 tackles in last year’s game vs. Nevada.

HIKING WITH “NOODLES”: With a nose for the ball and a tenacious personality on the field, it surprises some to learn that off the field, he’s a quiet, reserved young man that has a heart of gold. He’s a huge dog lover and met his best friend, Noodles, back in 2017. The two have formed a bond that has made them inseparable.

“I adopted Noodles from the San Jose Animal Shelter,” Aguayo said. “He loves to go on hikes. He’s pretty friendly, but when he gets tested he will fight back a little bit. He’s small but he’s aggressive. He and I like to hang out. We both like to nap together. Whatever I do, he’ll do. He’s kind of my best friend.”

Whether he’s spending time with Noodles or spending time in the opponent’s backfield, Aguayo’s poised to have a big career ahead of him, whether that career will be in the NFL or elsewhere. Either way, he’s prepared for it.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, of course,” Aguayo said. “I think that anyone that has played football dreams about getting to that next level. But I also know that football doesn’t last forever. So while I’m interested in the NFL, I’m interested in the rest of my life, too.”

Stanford kicks off against #17 UCF on Saturday

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

Backing up two of the most accomplished players in program history wasn’t easy for fifth-year senior and team captain Cameron Scarlett. Well, at least not for a guy who ran for nearly 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns his last two seasons at Central Catholic High in Portland, Oregon.

“When I was behind Christian (McCaffrey) and Bryce (Love), I was just trying to absorb everything I could,” said Scarlett. “I knew they had this out-of-this-world talent and were going to have crazy years. My biggest thing was just trying to fit in where I could and make plays for the team.”

Scarlett became a short-yardage specialist and workhorse in the fourth quarter, helping preserve leads. Last year, he excelled on kickoff returns, his 1,008 return yards ranking first in the Pac-12 and second in the nation. Scarlett brought back 12 kicks for 30 or more yards — the top figure in the country — nearly breaking several.

“I was trying to return every kick for a touchdown knowing that I didn’t have that big of a role,” Scarlett said this week, as the Cardinal (1-1, 0-1 Pac-12) prepares for Saturday’s nationally-televised game against No. 17 UCF (2-0) in Orlando, Florida.

Through two games, Scarlett has rushed for a team-best 179 yards on 39 carries (4.6 average) and recorded a career-high 97 in the opener against Northwestern. Named to the Doak Walker Award watch list, he has 233 all-purpose yards, second-most on the team.

A two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection who earned his degree in science, technology and society last June, Scarlett weighed his options after the 2018 season. His older brother Brennan came to Stanford from Cal in 2016 as a graduate transfer and now serves as a starting outside linebacker with the Houston Texans.

“There were some question marks,” said Scarlett. “It just came down to talking to my family and figuring out what was going to be best for my future. I still felt like I had a lot to prove here. I’ve had some ups and downs, but I’ve never had the opportunity to take over and be the guy. That was my goal when I came here.”

Once Scarlett made the decision to return, he was all in.

“I knew I was going to have to take on more of a leadership role,” Scarlett said. “The offense goes as the running backs go. I changed my mindset of leading by example and being more vocal. Being one of three fifth-year guys, I knew people were looking up to me.”

David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, has been impressed by Scarlett’s work ethic and mentoring with the younger running backs.

“Once he made the decision to come back, he’s pushed himself,” said Shaw. “He’s in phenomenal shape, he’s quicker than he’s ever been, he’s explosive, and he’s taking a lot of pride in it.”

Scarlett, however, is hardly satisfied.

“Just assuming that role as the No. 1 back has given me more confidence,” Scarlett said.

“I put more stress on myself to make plays. I’ve left a lot of yards out there and want to keep improving.”

INJURY UPDATE: Shaw announced Tuesday that quarterback K.J. Costello will return to the starting lineup. He’s missed the last six quarters after taking a late hit against Northwestern.

Junior starting left tackle Walker Little, injured late in the game against Northwestern, won’t return this season.

“We look forward to him coming back full go,” Shaw said.

Freshman Walter Rouse will start for the second straight game in his absence.

“Walter played really well last week,” Shaw said of his showing against USC. “Not perfect, but really hard. He’s only going to grow and improve.”

Additionally, junior right tackle Foster Sarell is doubtful against UCF. Freshman offensive tackle Barrett Miller saw action against USC and is in the mix for Saturday.

The good news is that Stanford has depth on the offensive line and the roster includes five talented freshmen. Shaw won’t make any decisions on his starters until later in the week and will likely rotate players in the hot and humid conditions.

“More young guys are going to get playing time,” Shaw said.

Promising sophomore inside linebackers Ricky Miezan and Jacob Mangum-Farrar are unlikely to play. Miezan is sidelined indefinitely and Magnum-Farrar is doubtful.

SERIES HISTORY: In the only previous meeting against UCF in 2015, Stanford rolled to a 31-7 home victory as Kevin Hogan passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns and McCaffrey had 166 all-purpose yards and scored on a pass reception. Love, a freshman, dazzled the home crowd with a 93-yard catch-and-run, a glimpse of things to come.

CHALLENGING CONDITIONS: The last time Stanford played in Florida was on Jan. 3, 2011, when they beat No. 12 Virginia Tech, 40-12 in the Orange Bowl in Miami. Saturday’s forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms and a high of 85 degrees and 73 percent humidity.

“There are a lot of variables,” said Shaw. “When they line up to play on Saturday, we want to make sure they are properly rested, have proper nutrition and are properly hydrated. And the guys have to buy in and be active participants.”

The team will bring 80 players — the same as a Pac-12 game — and departs Thursday. Stanford will conduct a light, non-contact workout on Friday at UCF’s indoor practice facility.

Given the climate, extra day of preparation and likelihood of rain, the training staff shipped an extra palette of Gatorade earlier this week. The equipment staff packed extra practice gear, rain gear and doubled the balls they usually take, bringing 24.

“You’re packing for a bowl game, but instead of a week it’s two days,” said equipment director Greg Valenzisi. “The biggest thing is if you don’t have it, you’re not going to get it.”

Extra staff will make the trip to distribute water.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS: “They’re very fast and very confident,” Shaw said of UCF. “They’re very aggressive and do a lot on the defensive side. A lot of different coverages and blitzes. This will be the quickest tempo team we’ve played in years. The biggest thing is you have to communicate quickly and get lined up.”

UCF’s no-huddle offense doesn’t give opponents a chance to substitute on defense.

“The guys who are out there have to stay out there,” said Shaw. “But we have to give different guys series’ so they can stay fresh and I think we’re deep enough to be able to do that.”

ELIMINATING ERRORS: Penalties have hampered the offense and Shaw expects the group to reduce them going forward, especially up front.

“Always harping on that,” Shaw said. “We want to go the whole game without saying their names. That’s something we have addressed many times and will continue to address because we don’t want penalties erasing big plays.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

PLAYING TIME: Through two games, eight players have made their first collegiate starts: Henry Hattis (right guard), Houston Heimuli (fullback), Davis Mills (quarterback), Rouse (left tackle) and Sarell (left tackle) on offense, and J.J. Parson (nickel back), Andrew Pryts (inside linebacker) and Curtis Robinson (inside linebacker) on defense. In addition, Ryan Sanborn has handled the punting duties.

FROSH CONTRIBUTORS: In the early stages, 10 first-year student-athletes have contributed: wide receiver Elijah Higgins, running back Austin Jones, safety Brock Jones, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, cornerback Zahran Manley, safety Jonathan McGill, Miller, running back Nathaniel Peat, Rouse and Sanborn.

NOTES: Under Shaw, Stanford is 20-6 coming off a loss … The Cardinal has forced five turnovers in two games and ranks No. 14 nationally … Brock Jones has made two tackles on special teams … The coaching staff will take advantage of the trip to watch potential recruits and visit with counselors in Florida, Georgia and other regions on Friday … Stanford will host Oregon at 4 p.m. PT next Saturday on ESPN. It will mark the fourth contest played before the autumn quarter starts on Sept. 23. Game themes include Hall of Fame Recognition, Set the Expectation and New Student Orientation.

QUOTE: “We have to try and find a way to raise our level of expectations in all three phases against a team that doesn’t give games away.” — David Shaw

Stanford receiver Connor Wedington named to 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

Junior wide receiver Connor Wedington was named to the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team on Thursday. Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the news. A total of 22 student-athletes and one honorary coach were selected to the team after 137 were nominated.

“Because being a student-athlete is about more than their performance on the field, we’re honored to share the stories of these deserving young men who embody the ‘good’ in college athletics,” said John O’Donnell, president of Allstate’s Western Territory. “At Allstate, we are inspired by their positive impact and we unite in this passion to serve local communities.”

Wedington has made an impact in the community through his organization, Hope Given By, that he helped start in January of this year. Hope Given By is a nonprofit organization that aims to foster relationships between Stanford students and San Francisco’s homeless population. Wedington was integral in organizing members of the team to go to the city each weekend during the offseason to provide basic necessities and items to the homeless such as food and clothing items like socks, shoes, pants and jackets.

Hope Given By’s outreach team has been able to serve and connect with more than 1,000 members of the homeless community of the Tenderloin, San Francisco, with many of the items donated and collected by the Stanford football team.

“I’ve had the privilege of not only being a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, but also witnessing firsthand how these young men are able to inspire and ultimately change the lives of those around them,” said Tim Tebow, two-time national champion and former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member. “Each year, I’m impressed by the way that Allstate and the AFCA share the important stories of these players’ ‘good works,’ and I’m honored to be part of such a special program that has become a source of inspiration in the college football community.”

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be invited to the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl and will join Tebow and Allstate volunteers to give back to New Orleans through a special community service project. Allstate will recognize the team during the halftime show.

Fans are invited to visit ESPN.com/Allstate to vote for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain once per day, now through Nov. 22. The team captain will be honored at the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN later this season.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was selected by an esteemed voting panel, which includes Tebow, Herbstreit and O’Donnell, along with Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team), Wes Counts (Middle Tennessee State, 1999 team), media members Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star), and Paul Myerberg (USA TODAY), Frank Solich, 2019 AFCA President and Ohio University head coach, and Joe Taylor, 2001 AFCA president and athletic director at Virginia Union University.

“This is the 12th year that Allstate has partnered with the AFCA to help honor deserving football student-athletes on the Good Works Team,” AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry said. “This award embodies what is great about the human spirit, football student-athletes and coaches from all parts of the country dedicated to one thing, giving of their time and energy to make a difference in their communities.”

San Jose State heads into first of two bye weeks

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

San Jose State headed into the first of two bye weeks. The first began on Monday, September 9th and the second will take place on Sunday, November 10th following the Spartans’ road game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in Halawa, Hawaii Saturday, November 9th.

Here are the details on SJSU’s next game.

Game #3
SJSU at Arkansas
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
6:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. PT, SEC Network

SJSU record: 1-1, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, SJSU lost a non-conference contest to Tulsa, 34-16, on September 7.

Arkansas record: 1-1, 0-1 SEC. The Razorbacks lost at Ole Miss, 31-17, on September 7. Arkansas hosts Colorado State on September 14 before facing SJSU.

Series history: This is the first meeting between these teams.

Aiming for a road victory: SJSU plays its first road game of the season at Arkansas. The Spartans are seeking their first road win in 14 games since leaving Fresno State with a 16-14 triumph on November 26, 2016.

The last time SJSU won a road game in Central Time Zone was a 52-24 victory over UTSA in the Alamodome on October 20, 2012. Since then, the Spartans are 0-6 in games played in the Central Time Zone with losses to Auburn and Minnesota, twice each, and Tulsa and Iowa State, once each.

Another chance for 2-1: SJSU has its next opportunity to have a 2-1 win-loss record after three games when it plays Arkansas.

The last time the Spartans had a 2-1 record after three games was in 2012 when SJSU topped Colorado State, 40-20, in its third game of the season en route to an 11-2 overall record and a #21-ranking in the final AP poll.

Since then, the Spartans had chances in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

Play-by-play radio coverage: KKSF (910 AM, Oakland), RealTalk 910, is the new flagship radio station for SJSU football. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Tim Crawley provides commentary. The Arkansas broadcast begins at 4:00 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).

Television: The SEC Network will provide broadcast coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT/4;30 p.m. PT. The SEC Network is available on AT&T U-Verse Channel 607, Comcast Channel 421, DirecTV Channel 611, DISH Network Channel 404 and on Watch ESPN.

Aiming for a road win: SJSU plays its first road game of the season at Arkansas. The Spartans are seeking their first road win in 14 games since leaving Fresno State with a 16-14 triumph on November 26, 2016.

Returning to Arkansas: SJSU has the opportunity to play in its third different football venue when it plays Arkansas on September 21.

Previously, the Spartans won their 2002 season opener against Arkansas State at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, 33-18, on August 31.

SJSU’s first trip to Arkansas resulted in a 21-7 loss to Arkansas State at Indian Stadium, now known as Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro.

Spartans break onside trend: For the first time since the November 1, 2014 Colorado State game, SJSU recovered an onside kick when Christian Webb came up with the football in a successful attempt in the Tulsa game.

The Spartans had gone 0-for-10 in onside kick attempts during the 2015 through 2018 seasons.

Two games, no pass interceptions thrown: After two games, SJSU hasn’t given up the football via a pass interception. In comparison to the 2018 season, Spartan passers three interceptions.

The last time SJSU did not have a pass intercepted after the first two games was in the 2004 season. The Spartans played their first three games without an interception in 67 pass attempts and were intercepted on their third pass attempt in the 70-63 comeback win over Rice.

Mills amazes on big stage in Stanford game against USC

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

The last time Davis Mills started was in the state title game during his senior year at Greater Atlanta Christian in 2016 when he sustained a knee injury. Rated the top recruit in Georgia by several publications and the No. 1 pro-style quarterback prospect in the country, he threw for 6,290 yards and 66 touchdowns.

On Saturday night, Mills received his first college start under the bright lights on a big stage in front of a national television audience, quarterbacking No. 23 Stanford (1-1, 0-1 Pac-12) against USC (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12). After missing all but one contest the last two seasons due to knee injuries, the junior held his own in the 45-20 defeat to the Trojans.

“It felt great to get back out there,” said Mills. “It has been a long time. I struggled with a couple injuries my first year out here but getting back on the field always feels great … unfortunate result.”

Replacing injured senior K.J. Costello, Mills completed 22-of-36 passes for 237 yards, the most by a Cardinal signal-caller in their first career start since Kevin Hogan in 2012 (254). Composed and comfortable most of the way, despite a crowd of 62,109, Mills was sharp and tossed his first collegiate touchdown on a perfectly executed screen pass to junior wide receiver Connor Wedington in the first quarter.

Mills missed a few throws and was intercepted once, but he showed confidence, command and fight. He’ll grow from the experience.

“I thought we did pretty well at some things,” Mills said. “Definitely some things we can improve on going into the next couple of weeks. It’s a long season and we have a lot to work on.”

Arguably, Mills’ most impressive pass came on the first series of the third quarter, when he avoided the rush, stepped up and alertly shuffled the ball with is right hand to fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett on third-and-long to prolong the drive.

David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, saw the positives in Mills’ performance.

“I thought he played well,” Shaw said. “It’s just about not missing those opportunities. But I think he’s going to be outstanding. He’s got a great mind for the game. He’s athletic, has a great arm, he’s accurate. He’s going to be really, really good.”

Costello provided input on the sideline.

“He was in my ear pretty much between every possession,” Mills said. “I could bounce some stuff off him because he has all the experience. He was great helping me out throughout the game.”

WORK TO DO: Leading 20-10 with 7:57 remaining in the second quarter, Stanford surrendered 35 unanswered points.

“Honestly, we didn’t come out there and execute,” said fifth-year senior outside linebacker Casey Toohill. “That hurts to say. You never, ever want to look back and realize it was completely on your own execution, that it was completely in your control, but it was. We just didn’t have a good game, didn’t execute.”

Toohill expects the Cardinal to bounce back.

“We got a lot of games left — a lot of football left to be played after this,” he said. “After this, we’ve got to look hard at the film, look at our performance and improve from there. Next week is a new opportunity, a new week, and that’s what we look forward to.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

PLAYMAKERS: Wedington, Scarlett and Colby Parkinson had big nights. Wedington produced a career-high 197 all-purpose yards, catching five passes for 67, ran once for 17, and returned three kickoffs for 103 yards, taking one 60 yards.

“At the end of the day, we had the lead, we just need to play like it’s 0-0 and not get complacent,” Wedington said.

Wedington called his touchdown was a group effort.

“It was a quick screen behind a great block by (junior) Foster (Sarell) on the edge,” Wedington said. “Great toss by Davis, too, and I had great blockers out there.”

Parkinson caught seven passes for 89 yards, while Scarlett ran hard for 82 yards on 17 carries.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

SPECIAL TEAMS: Wedington’s long return and a fumble recovery by sophomore outside linebacker Tobe Umerah on a USC kickoff return forced by junior outside linebacker Thunder Keck were highlights.

Senior kicker Jet Toner converted two field goals but missed from 39 yards and another attempt from 47 yards was tipped. The Trojans came close to blocking freshman Ryan Sanborn’s first punt.

DECEIVING STATS: In the third quarter, Stanford possessed the ball for 11 minutes and didn’t score. The Cardinal finished with a nearly seven-minute time of possession advantage and each team recorded 23 first downs.

Using a new Air Raid, no huddle offense, USC piled up 492 yards behind freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis and a host of talented playmakers. Stanford struggled to generate a pass rush and missed a lot of tackles.

“It didn’t have to do with the air raid or anything, it has to do with us rushing the passer,” said Shaw. “We’ve just got to beat guys one-on-one. We got to him a couple times, but not enough.”

Junior cornerback Paulson Adebo led the Cardinal with eight tackles and broke up two passes.

BROTHERLY LOVE: Stanford junior wide receiver Osiris St. Brown played against his brother, USC sophomore receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and both had their moments. Osiris caught two passes for 19 yards and displayed his athletic ability by leaping over a Trojan defender. Amon-Ra had his way with the Cardinal secondary, grabbing eight receptions for 92 yards and two scores.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

UP NEXT: The Cardinal travels to Orlando, Florida next Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. PST game at Spectrum Stadium (44,206) against No. 17 UCF. The Knights (2-0), who play in the American Athletic Conference, have beaten Florida A&A (62-0) and Florida A&M (48-16).

UCF is 27-1 the last three years and lost to LSU, 40-32, last season in the Fiesta Bowl.

True freshman Dillion Gabriel recorded his first start at quarterback on Saturday and threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The UCF ground attack eclipsed 300 yards for the second straight week.

NOTES: Costello’s status for Saturday will be determined during the week … Freshman Walter Rouse received his first start at left tackle, becoming the second true frosh to earn the distinction since Walker Little in 2017 … Sophomore strong safety Kendall Williamson equaled his career-high with seven tackles … Freshman running back Austin Jones made his first career reception and caught two passes for 19 years … Stanford has not allowed a first quarter touchdown in five games … The Cardinal continues to hurt itself with holding penalties and mistakes. After two games, Stanford leads the Pac-12 in penalties with 16 for 160 yards … USC compiled 10 tackles for loss … Wedington ranks No. 1 in the conference in kickoff returns (32.0), No. 3 in all-purpose yards (140.5) and No. 5 in receptions (12/136) … Adebo ranks first in the Pac-12 with five passes defended … Toohill rates No. 2 in tackles for loss and No. 4 in sacks … Gene T. Sykes, MBA ’84, managing director at Goldman Sachs, served as the honorary captain. He has been a member of the Stanford Board of Trustees since 2014 and is member of the GSB Advisory Council.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

QUOTE: “It’s definitely going to test us. It’s our first loss of the season, not something we expected. We just have to drive it back, watch the film and keep going.” — Connor Wedington

Tulsa hands San Jose State first loss of the season, 34-16

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State hoped to wrap up the back end of a two-game home-and-home series with a win over Tulsa at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday night. The Spartans beat Tulsa for the first time since November 16, 2002. But that didn’t happen.

Shamari Brooks ran for a nine-yard rushing touchdown to help the Golden Hurricane open the scoring. Jacob Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 7-0 with 7:48 left in the first quarter.

Tulsa stopped the touchdown, but Matt Mercurio kicked a 22-yard field goal — his first collegiate field goal — to get the Spartans back within four with 3:59 left in the first.

San Jose State trailed 7-3 at the end of the first.

Zach Smith cashed in with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Carter, who scored an eight-yard passing touchdown to extend the lead. Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 14-3 at 14:53 of the second quarter.

Josh Love found a wide-open Jermaine Braddock for a 23-yard touchdown. The Spartans got within four with 6:31 left in the second. Love also had a 17-yard completion alongside Bailey Gaither.

The Spartans held the Golden Hurricane to a field goal late in the first half. Rainey kicked a 27-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-10 with 2:50 left in the second.

San Jose State trailed 17-10 at the halftime break.

The Spartans stopped the touchdown, but Rainey kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 20-10 with 3:03 left in the third quarter.

San Jose State trailed 20-10 at the end of the third.

The Spartans continued to struggle with stifling the Golden Hurricane offense in the fourth quarter. TK Wilkerson ran for a three-yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead. Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 27-10 at 13:21 of the fourth.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Wilkerson scored his second touchdown of the game–a 17-yard rushing touchdown–to extend the lead. Rainey kicked in the extra point to make it 34-10 at 10:12 of the fourth.

Nick Nash scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown to pull the Spartans within 18 with 2:37 left in the fourth. However, it sparked some controversy as the Spartans went for the onside kick and recovered it, the play was under review and the call stood. It was a San Jose State ball.

The Golden Hurricane ran out the clock and the Spartans called it a night. San Jose State (1-1) lost to Tulsa (1-1) by a final of 34-16.

The Spartans have a bye week then take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Razorback Stadium on Saturday, September 21. Game time TBD.

San Jose State stays home to host Tulsa, aim for 2-0 record

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State opened the 2019 season with a 35-18 victory over Northern Colorado at CEFCU Stadium last Thursday. In addition, fifth-year linebacker Ethan Aguayo ranked second in the nation with 20 total tackles and one sack. But can the Spartans keep up in Saturday’s home game vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane? We’ll see.

Here’s the SJSU football weekly press release!

Game #2
SJSU vs. Tulsa
Saturday, September 7, 2019
CEFCU Stadium, 6:00 p.m. PT, ESPN3

SJSU record: 1-0, 0-0 Mountain West. The Spartans opened the season with a 35-18 win over Northern Colorado.

Tulsa record: 0-1, 0-0 American Athletic Conference. The Golden Hurricane lost at Michigan State, 28-7, in their season opener.

Series history: Tulsa leads the series, 4-3. This game is the back-end of a two-game, home-and-home agreement. Most recently, Tulsa downed SJSU, 45-10, in the 2016 season opener for both teams.

Previously, the two squads faced each other annually between 1999 and 2004 when both schools were members of the Western Athletic Conference.

SJSU’s last win in the series was a 49-38 victory in Tulsa on November 16, 2002. The Spartans’ last victory against Tulsa at home was a 63-27 triumph on October 27, 2001.

Play-by-play radio coverage: KKSF (910 AM, Oakland), RealTalk 910, is the new flagship radio station for SJSU football. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Tulsa broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. PT with a pregame show.

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

The SJSU-Tulsa broadcast with Justin Allegri and Kevin Richardson calling the action also will be carried on www.siriusxm.com Channel 991.

KSJS (90.5 FM, San Jose) also will broadcast the SJSU-Tulsa game starting at 5:45 p.m. PT.

Television: ESPN3 will provide broadcast coverage of the SJSU-Tulsa game. Trey Bender provides the play-by-play coverage. Al Groh offers analysis and commentary. The ESPN3 coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. (PT).

Weekly press conference: This week only, the weekly SJSU football press conference is in the Simpkins Stadium Center Gold Room on Tuesday, September 3, at 1:00 p.m. PT.

The Mountain West Network streams the press conference live through www.sjsuspartans.com/videos. The press conference also is archived at sjsuspartans.com.

Brent Brennan on KRTY FM: SJSU head coach Brent Brennan is heard weekly on KRTY (95.3 FM, San José), Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. PT during home game weeks. Gary Scott Thomas and Julie Stevens serve as co-hosts.

Brent Brennan Show on Facebook Live: The Brent Brennan Show is available weekly on Facebook. The next show is Wednesday, September 4, at 5:30 p.m. All Brent Brennan Shows originate from the Hukilau restaurant located at 230 Jackson Street in San Jose’s Japantown district.

Game promotions: The Tulsa game is First Responders’ & Band Night. Pacific Gas & Electric will be providing free tickets to “first responders.” There will be a t-shirt giveaway to the first 1,000 SJSU students at the game courtesy of the Mountain West. Band Night will consist of local high school bands joining the Spartan Marching Band for a halftime performance.

Season-opening win: SJSU’s 35-18 triumph over Northern Colorado was its first season-opening victory since defeating New Hampshire, 43-13, to open the 2015 season.

Potential 2-0 start: SJSU has an opportunity to begin a season with a 2-0 record for the first time since 1987 as a result of its 35-18 victory over Northern Colorado. In 1987, the Spartans opened the season with a home win over Eastern Illinois, 24-3, and won the following week at California, 27-25, on a 20-yard field goal by Sergio Olivarez on the final play of the game.

Since 1987, SJSU had nine opportunities to be 2-0, but ended up 1-1. The Spartans now are 42-53-4 in season-opening games since 1898.

Opening a season with two home games: Since 1946, it has been the rare occasion for SJSU to begin a season with at least two home games. In 1947, the Spartans played their first three games at home and would finish with a 9-3 win-loss record.

San Jose State football continues to grind

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — An enthusiastic offseason led to an extraordinary season opener at CEFCU Stadium. San Jose State defeated Northern Colorado 35-18 on Retro Night, which meshed well with the existing Throwback Thursday trend.

San Jose State (1-0) beat Northern Colorado (0-1) and will continue to grind, despite the fact it’s Labor Day weekend.

After the game, I asked head coach Brent Brennan if he was going to emphasize anything to make sure the team was going to prepared and ready before next week’s game.

Brennan told me the team will have practices Friday and Sunday so there’s a chance for them to get ahead, put Thursday’s game to bed and get ready for Tulsa. The team will have Saturday off, but the coaches won’t have Saturday off as they’ll have to put a game plan together.

Brennan said: “Coaching college football, there’s no off days … It’s the season. It’s time to go.”

Let’s keep in mind the Spartan offense cruised, while the Spartan defense held things down finishing with four sacks and nine tackles for loss while turning over the Bears twice. The defense was the “bend, but don’t break” type and linebacker Ethan Aguayo had 20 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Fellow linebacker Jesse Osuna had eight tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. However, Osuna was affected by a targeting penalty in the final minutes ejecting him from the game and disqualifying him for the first half of next week’s game.

If the Spartans want to make it two wins in a row, they’ll have to take the first lead of the game, jump start their offense and maintain an all-around persona going into next week’s game. After all, quarterback Josh Love said, “I think we need to not stay so high, keep an even-keel attitude … We’ve got Tulsa next week and we have to move on and keep going forward.”