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What’s new with San Jose State football on this much-needed bye week?

Published on September 17, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @mercnews

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — While other college football teams will play this weekend, San Jose State got a bye week at a much-needed time. The winless Spartans knew they were in for a long season this year. Although the Spartans’ 0-3, 0-0 MW record doesn’t show their progress, SJSU has been making strides from Washington State to No. 20 Oregon.

This bye week should help the Spartans recuperate, regroup and reevaluate their ways. The Spartans will be facing an improved Hawaii Rainbow Warriors team at SJSU’s Homecoming game on September 29th. And, if you’re a Spartan alumni, don’t forget to RSVP for the Fire on the Fountain Alumni Social by September 24th.

As usual, Spartans head coach Brent Brennan held his weekly press conference at Simpkins Stadium Center on Monday. Here’s my Q&A with Brennan.

1. How are you going to make sure the Spartans will build on their most recent performance for a win versus the Rainbow Warriors?
The greatest thing is that we have this bye week so this will give us the chance to prepare with an extra few days of practice. When we went on that trip last week, we had 75 guys on the plane–50 of them were first or second year players. The traveling team was pretty young, but when they were on the field that was loud and rowdy, they were able to handle it well. The team needs time to develop. They need to practice this week so we’ll get a week of practice. We’re going to have a really good week of practice today, Tuesday and Wednesday, and we’re going to let them have two days off, and hopefully, we get a little bit refreshed. … Some of those young guys need to go home and see their families as they haven’t seen them in a couple of months and maybe go watch their high school teams play or something like that and then we get back to work Sunday. We got a big week of work and I’m excited to put in the work and get ready to go.

2. How are you going to get a more effective run game?
We’re going to work on it this week and I think that hopefully the work the offensive line has been doing is kind of going to show that we’ve come together. Obviously, that’s a really important piece for us. When you’re going against a front like Oregon, you know it’s going to be a tough battle running the football against that group. It’s just with their size and their length. I thought there were a couple more runs there that we just missed or kind of got out of a gap. … But the forefront is what we’re talking about offensively right now. We gotta find a way to run the football.

3. What did Army do to hand Hawaii their first loss on the season and how are you going to help the Spartans stifle the Rainbow Warrior offense?
I’d say stifling the Rainbow Warrior offense is an incredible challenge. They did really, really good. Their quarterback is an excellent player. They got great guys on the skill positions. They looked really good and their offensive line…we know a lot of guys from that coaching staff, a lot of good offensive minds on that staff starting with their head coach Nick Rolovich. Our team, our defensive staff has a real challenge getting into dialed into what they do. … The Army game against Hawaii–the biggest thing is that they controlled the possession of the ball and did a really nice job.

This morning, Dr. Harry Edwards talked to the Spartans and told them that the shortcut was hard work and there was no actual shortcut, which were some wise words coming from an even wiser man.

“That’s what this week is all about,” Brennan said. “The physical practices, a lot of focus on fundamentals, a lot of focus on getting our young guys more up to speed and closer to being game ready. … As we get into our conference games, it’s going to be a long stretch and these guys got to be ready to play.”

NCAAFB podcast with Michelle Richardson: Alabama’s Tagovailoa throws all day against Ole Miss in blowout; Ohio State puts away TCU 40-28; plus more

Published on September 16, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @RyanCFowler

On the NCAAFB podcast with Michelle:

#1 Tua Tagovailoa, the Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) quarterback, had himself an afternoon with a 646-yard, eight touchdown game–throwing all day in the 62-7 win over Ole Miss (2-1).

#2 Ohio State (3-0) defeated the TCU Horned Frogs (2-1) 40-28 as the Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw for 344 yards, averaging 9.1 for two touchdowns for the convincing win.

#3 Fresno State (2-1) shocked the football world with a win over the UCLA Bruins (0-3) 38-14. The Bulldogs quarterback Marcus McMaryion threw 22-for-23 for 270 yards and a touchdown to beat the winless Bruins.

Michelle Richardson does the NCAAFB podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Three takeaways from SJSU at Oregon

Published on September 16, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

After thousands of folks predicted that the San Jose State Spartans would suffer a blowout from the No. 20 Oregon Ducks, SJSU proved those folks wrong. No, SJSU didn’t pull off an upset over Oregon (though, that would’ve been one of the biggest storylines in the college football world), but they lost by just 13 points, 35-22, at Autzen Stadium.

Here are three takeaways from SJSU at Oregon. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

3. Underdogs, maybe?
The Spartans came into Autzen Stadium as 41.5-point underdogs. Not even the Spartan fans were confident in the Spartans coming close to the Ducks, but the Spartans managed to beat the spread, which was a step in the right direction.

The Spartans shook off a slow start after trailing the Ducks 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. SJSU scored six points in the second and third quarters and 10 in the fourth quarter. Oregon held on for a 35-22 win for a 3-0 record. Yes, SJSU’s record fell to 0-3, but the hapless Spartans put up a gutsy show against a talented Ducks team. The Spartans just need to refresh themselves during the bye week and build momentum for the SJSU Homecoming game vs. Hawaii on September 29th.

2. Solid Spartan defense
The solid Spartan defense looked good–if not, great–against the high-octane Duck offense. Also, the Spartans’ kicking game looked spectacular. Bryce Crawford went 3-for-3 on field goals. Two of Crawford’s field goals came in the second quarter–a 31-yarder and 28-yarder–and the latter came in the fourth quarter–a 25-yarder.

Also, the Spartans’ special teams caught the eyes of Spartan fans everywhere. Of course, there was the blocked field goal; but there was also Thai Cotrell’s amazing return game. Cotrell had two kick returns for 121 yards, However, one of Cotrell’s stood out and that was his 96-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter. Cotrell’s kickoff return was a career-long (and the longest kickoff return) by a Spartan player without scoring a touchdown in school history.

1. Struggling Spartan offense
The struggling Spartan offense needs a tune up in the bye week. So the bye week couldn’t have come at a better team for the Spartans, whose wide receivers were tormented by the Ducks’ substantial secondary.

Sure, Josh Oliver and Bailey Gaither were the bright spots when it came to Spartans’ wide receivers, but this past Saturday proved to be too much for the Spartan offense. The Ducks’ aggressive pass rush was another factor that stifled the Spartan offense.

Although the Spartans had offensive struggles, they still had a lot to be happy about their most recent road performance. There’s nowhere to look, but up.

Before I hit the publish button, I’d just like to wish Jeremy Kelly and Duane Tuitasi their respective belated birthdays. Have a great bye week, guys.

SJSU shows improvement, despite 35-22 loss to Oregon

Published on September 15, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @lawrencefansjsu

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans had a tough customer in the No. 20 Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Autzen Stadium is one of the best stadiums in the country. Both Ducks and Spartans fans flocked to Eugene, Ore. to watch their favorite teams go head-to-head with each other. Though, the latter lacked in quantity in the Pacific Northwest. Still, this FBS and Pac-12 matchup was a sight to see.

Turnovers have been an issue for the Spartans, who suffered from another mishap Saturday. Josh Love’s pass was intercepted by Jevon Holland early in the first quarter. Then, the Ducks took a 7-0 lead at the 11:18 mark after four plays over 23 yards in a 1:36 span. Cyrus Habibi-Likio scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown. Zach Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

The Spartans have struggled with moving the ball and the deficiencies showed when the Ducks took a 14-0 lead with 7:10 left in the first quarter. Jacob Breeman scored a 66-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Justin Herbert. Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

The Ducks led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Spartans finally got on the board at the 10:56 mark of the second quarter. Bryce Crawford kicked in a 31-yard field goal to reduce the SJSU deficit to 14-3.

The Spartans worked some more magic into the scoreboard. Crawford kicked in a 28-yard field goal to cut the SJSU deficit to 14-6 with 2:58 left in the second quarter.

The Ducks, however, extended its lead to 21-6 just 30 seconds later. Johnny Johnson III scored a 39-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Herbert. Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

The Spartans shocked most of the 54,000 fans in attendance as Tre Webb tipped the ball to Dakari Monroe with only seven seconds left in the second quarter. This was Monroe’s second interception of the season.

Spartan defense comes up with a huge turnover going into the half!! Let’s go!! pic.twitter.com/LbUa9pcwgk

— San José State Football (@SanJoseStateFB) September 15, 2018

The Spartans trailed the Ducks 21-6 at halftime. But SJSU’s offense has started to wake up and that was a good thing.

Josh Oliver made a flawless catch off a pass from Josh Love for a 7-yard passing touchdown with five minutes left in the third quarter. The Ducks challenged the Spartans’ play, but the call on the field stood. The Spartans then went for the two-point conversion, but it was overturned as Bailey Gaither was unable to slide his foot. The score stood at 28-12 in favor of the Ducks.

The Spartans trailed the Ducks 28-12 at the end of the third quarter.

The Ducks expanded its lead to 35-12 at the 14:49 mark of the fourth quarter. Johnson III scored his second touchdown of the game–a 22-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Herbert–and Emerson’s PAT kick was good.

Crawford kicked his third field goal of the game–a 25-yard field goal–just 1:07 later to bring the Spartans within 20. The Ducks held on to a 35-15 lead.

Make it three field goals in a game by @Bryce__Crawford for the fifth time as a Spartan. @oregonfootball 35, @SJSUSpartanFB 15, 13:42 in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/L2exy3cvGy

— Lawrence Fan (@lawrencefansjsu) September 15, 2018

Spartan fans breathed a sigh of relief as the Spartans scored its first touchdown of the game to pull within 13. Malik Roberson scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown for his first of the season. Crawford’s PAT kick was good. The Ducks held on to a 35-22 lead with 4:03 left in the fourth quarter.

Spartans will the big 4th down stop and take control with 1:08 left😤💪⚡️ pic.twitter.com/RdsaP5dKgT

— San José State Football (@SanJoseStateFB) September 16, 2018

There weren’t any brownie points in college football, but the Spartans put on a much-better show at Autzen Stadium, despite the 35-22 loss to No. 20 Oregon.

Notes
Spartans’ starters
Offense: Montel Aaron, Justin Holmes, JaQuan Blackwell, Malik Roberson, Jackson Snyder, Trevor Robbins, Jake Colman, Deano Motes, Troy Kowalski, Bailey Gaither and Josh Oliver.

Defense: Jesse Osuna, John Toussaint, Tre Webb, Sailosi Latu, Boogie Roberts, Bryson Bridges, Dakari Monroe, Jonathan Lenard Jr., Tysyn Parker and Ethan Aguayo.

Up Next
The Spartans have a much-needed bye week and then return to CEFCU Stadium to host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday, September 29 at 4:00 pm PDT.

Stanford survives slow start to down UC Davis 30-10

Published on September 15, 2018September 15, 2018 by jeremy2878Leave a comment

Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By Jeremy Harness

STANFORD, Calif. – It’s a good thing that the scoreboard doesn’t have pictures or game film.

The quality of play left a lot to be desired from both teams. Saturday morning’s game at Stanford Stadium featured shanked punts, botched fake punts, scratch-your-head interceptions, late hits that were not called, and just overall bad football.

However, the Stanford Cardinal pushed through all of that to get their third straight win to start the season and keep its No. 9 national ranking intact with a (30-3) win over UC Davis. What was much more deceiving than the score was the official attendance on Saturday, which was announced as 31,772. Looking into the stands, which were more than half empty, a four-digit number would have been much more accurate.

Getting past all of that, one thing is abundantly clear going forward: Stanford will have to play a lot better if they are going to beat a much-improved Oregon team, which will be waiting for the Cardinal upon their arrival in Eugene next Saturday.

Quarterback K.J Costello overcame a horrific start to lead the Cardinal to victory. He completed 17 of his 30 throws for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He was visibly off target in the early going, as he also threw two interceptions, both coming in the first quarter. Although he completed his first pass of the game for a first down, that momentum quickly fizzled, and the Cardinal’s opening drive resulted in a punt.

Stanford’s second possession ended up abruptly when Costello’s pass over the middle was intercepted, giving UC Davis the ball on Stanford’s 12-yard line. The Aggies converted that into a field goal to give them an early 3-0 lead.

Stanford averted disaster on its third drive when Costello appeared to have thrown an inadvertent backward pass and was ruled a live ball, which linebacker Nas Anesi scooped up and jaunted into the end zone untouched to give the Aggies a shocking 9-0 lead.

That play was reviewed, and it was then determined that the ball was thrown forward, therefore an incomplete pass, and the touchdown was taken off the board.

That good fortune vanished into the wind on the very next play, however, as Costello sailed another pass over the middle and had it picked off by sophomore defensive back Isaiah Thomas (not to be confused with the point guard for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets).

The defense held up remarkably well during that stretch, and the offense eventually got itself together in the second quarter. That’s when the Cardinal drove deep into UC Davis territory and took the lead, as J.J Arcega-Whiteside posted up cornerback Vincent White in the end zone, giving Costello a relatively easy 9-yard touchdown pass.

Late in the quarter, Stanford got into the red zone and Arcega-Whiteside got position in the end zone again, this time on cornerback Jordan Perryman. Costello found him once more, and the 8-yard score capped off a seven-play, 62-yard drive and gave the Cardinal a 17-3 lead, which stood at halftime.

A botched fake punt gave the Cardinal the ball on the Aggies’ 19-yard line for its first possession of the second half. After a three-and-out, Stanford settled for a field goal, increasing its lead to 20-3.

Following a Stanford touchdown, UC Davis had another crack at a score, pushing into the red zone. However, that hope was dashed when freshman Thomas Booker picked off a tipped pass.

That was, until UC Davis converted a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown, which was rather meaningless – college fantasy football does not exist, folks – but it changed the overall score nonetheless.

The No. 9 Cardinal head to Autzen Stadium next Saturday, September 22 to take on the No. 20 Oregon Ducks at 5:00 pm PDT on ABC.

SJSU football can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk?

Published on September 14, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

Instead of tweeting hashtags like #Blueline and #ProveIt, San Jose State has to salvage something against No. 20 Oregon, who will enter Saturday’s game with a 0-2 record following two blowouts: 62-14 over Portland State on Sept. 8 and 58-24 over Bowling Green on Sept. 1.

The hapless Spartans, who will enter Saturday’s game down 0-2, know that the nationally-ranked Ducks will be a tough opponent. I mean, the Spartans are ranked 124th in team defense and 127th in passing defense. And that’s out of 130 FBS schools across the country. The Ducks can choose to strike on land or air. Also, the Spartans are ranked 123rd in rushing offense. That’s obviously not good news, as SJSU has to operate against an Oregon defense that can hold opponents to 2.2 yards per rush. And it doesn’t really matter which quarterback the Spartans put on the field, as Josh Love, Montel Aaron and Michael Carrillo all got lit up in their starts.

The Spartans have been celebrating quite a few players and coaches birthdays lately. Of course, that’s a good thing that they care about the milestones of their football program, but you can’t solely focus on the culture, you also have to pick up wins in the regular season along with bids for bowl games.

Yes, SJSU is nationally tied for fifth with four interceptions in their first two games of the season. That’s part of the Spartans’ effort to statistically win the turnover battle. But the Spartan offense has to wake up and capitalize on the opportunities given by the Spartan defense.

The Spartans have been tweeting out photos of their dedicated practices at the University of Oregon. Autzen Stadium is full of energy, so the Spartans can’t get lost in the moment and forget about their main purpose, which is to beat Oregon. Obviously, it’s easier than done, so it’s important to get better–not only during practices, but also on the field.

Josh Oliver nationally leads all tight ends with 13 receptions and 68.5 yards per game through the first two games of the season. Hopefully, Oliver will work his magic against Oregon.

After all, SJSU should be fired up to take on Oregon for the first time since 1998 when the No. 22 Ducks downed the Spartans 58-3 on Sept. 19.

San Jose sports podcast with Ana Kieu: What’s new with the Quakes?; What on earth is going on at SJSU?; plus mailbag time

Published on September 12, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the SJ sports podcast with Ana:

1. What are your three takeaways from Quakes vs. Vancouver WhiteCaps at Avaya Stadium last Saturday?

2. Going into Saturday’s game vs. Sporting Kansas City, what are three things the Quakes need to do in order to pick up a win or at least settle for a draw?

3. Vako and Guram Kashia helped the Georgian Football Federation to their first-ever win in UEFA Nations League History last Thursday.

4. The Quakes caught up with Cal Golden Bears defender and Quakes Academy alum CJ Grey last Thursday night.

5. The Quakes will have beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh-Jennings at their training facility on September 28th for her Platform 1440 event at Avaya Stadium.

6. MLS commissioner Don Garber reminded fans and media members alike that finding cures for childhood cancers remains as important as ever. Garber also said that MLS Works will donate $5 to the Children’s Oncology Group each time #ScarvesUp is used on Twitter and Instagram throughout September.

7. What are three things that fans should know about San Jose State football and athletics in general?

8. It’s time to look over some items in Ana’s mailbag!

1) Juan from Fresno, Calif. wrote, “It all starts with the president and AD. If they only care about the bottom line, they won’t hire coaches that understand the terrain. That is how it was with Tim Deruyter, who didn’t care about recruiting in and around the Central Valley. He was exposed once the last of Pat Hill’s recruiting classes left. SJSU need to go look for former alums who know the lay of the land.”

2) Ryan from Wilmington, Del. wrote, “Great article (on the shenanigans at SJSU) even though Boise State is my second favorite team.”

3) Joe from Akron, Ohio predicted that WSU would beat SJSU 54-21.

Catch Ana on the SJ sports podcast each week at SportsRadioService.com!

SJSU to take on No. 20 Oregon on Saturday

Published on September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJSUAthletics

By: Ana Kieu

Things aren’t going to get any easier for the San Jose State Spartans, who will take on the No. 20 Oregon Ducks this coming Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. at 2:00 pm PDT. Of course, you can check out the action on the Pac-12 Network.

SJSU’s record: 0-2 (0-0 MW). The Spartans got blown out 31-0 at Washington State on Sept. 8.

Oregon’s record: 2-0, (0-0 Pac-12). The Ducks downed Portland State, 62-14, on Sept. 8, to earn a spot in the national weekly polls.

Play-by-play radio coverage: KLIV 1590 AM originates SJSU football broadcasts. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play, while Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Oregon broadcast begins at 1:30 pm PDT with a pregame show.

SJSU’s network affiliate is KION 1460 AM/101.1 FM.

Television: The Pac-12 Network will provide play-by-play coverage of the SJSU-Oregon game. Roxy Bernstein calls the play-by-play. Anthony Herron provides analysis and commentary. Lewis Johnson is the sideline reporter.

DISH Network subscribers can watch the game on Channel 409.

For local Comcast subscribers, the Pac-12 Network is on Channel 433.

Weekly press conference: The weekly SJSU football press conference is in the Simpkins Stadium Center Gold Room on Mondays at 1:00 pm PDT.

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

Series history: The Ducks lead the series, 12-6. These teams split their last 10 meetings and are playing each other for the first time since 1998 when No. 22 Oregon routed SJSU, 58-3, on Sept. 19. In that game, current Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo became the third SJSU freshman to start a game at quarterback since freshman eligibility was reinstated in 1972.

By design, Arroyo played the first and third quarters. He completed 9-of-16 passes with an interception and led the Spartans to their only scoring drive of the game–a 33-yard field goal by left-footed kicker David Silberstein–in his first year on the SJSU football home game statistics crew.

The Ducks have wins in the last three meetings between these teams. Oregon’s 1985 and 1986 victories preceded SJSU in 1975, 1982 and 1983. The Spartans’ 1975 victory was by the highly unusual score of 5-0.

Last win over a ranked opponent: SJSU plays its first nationally-ranked opponent of the season Saturday at Oregon. The last time the Spartans defeated a nationally-ranked opponent was on November 29, 2013 in a 62-52 triumph over No. 16 Fresno State in San Jose. Since then, the Spartans are 0-3 against nationally-ranked opponents.

First-time starters: Sophomore Trevor Robbins at center, redshirt freshman Jesse Chamberlain at right guard, junior Jesse Osuna at a linebacker position. Senior John Toussaint at cornerback and sophomore Tre Webb were first-time starters in the UC Davis season opener.

In the WSU game, wide receiver Austin Liles, offensive tackle Deano Motes and defensive back Tre White made their first starts at the major college level.

Three interceptions at WSU: SJSU’s three interceptions against Washington State has the Spartans ranked tied for fifth nationally in team interceptions with four entering the Oregon game. Osuna, cornerback Nehemiah Shelton and linebacker Kyle Harmon each had their first major college interception in the WSU game. Dakari Monroe had an interception against UC Davis.

Tops at his position: For the second consecutive week, Josh Oliver is the leading pass receiver among FBS tight ends. After two games, Oliver has been averaging 6.5 receptions a game and has 13 catches for the season.

He is the only TE listed among the FBS top 50 pass receivers in games played through Sept. 8. His 137 receiving yards also is tops among FBS TEs. UCLA TE Caleb Wilson is close with 128 yards on eight receptions.

Oliver caught a single-game career=best eight passes for 86 yards in the opener vs. UC Davis and five balls for 51 yards at WSU.

Nine of his 13 receptions this season resulted in a SJSU first down.

What can we learn about SJSU following Pac-12 laugher against WSU?

Published on September 10, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — As you should already know, the San Jose State Spartans had a rough road test against the Washington State Cougars, who blanked the visiting team 31-0 inside Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash.

SJSU, however, may endure a more severe beating this Saturday, September 15 by the No. 20 Oregon Ducks. This will be yet another Pac-12 opponent for the Spartans. The Spartans have already suffered a loss to the Cougars. Plus the Ducks come into Saturday’s game 2-0 with wins over the Portland State Vikings and Bowling Green Falcons. The Spartans enter Saturday’s game with an opposite record of 0-2.

I know I’ve predicted that SJSU will win five games this season, but there’s only so many losses the Spartans could suffer before deciding not to give a darn. Last year’s 2-11 (1-7 MW) record can speak for itself, but it’s 2018 and the Spartans must get at least three wins or else. I spoke to some Spartan fans and all of them told me the offense has to do something this coming Saturday.

So what can we learn about SJSU following their Pac-12 laugher against WSU? Scroll down for the latest with Spartans head coach Brent Brennan.

What can you say about the Spartans’ vanishing offense?
“Well, I hope I could make it un-vanish,” Brennan said. “That was us playing a group in Washington State. They did a great job mixing up the pressure. They did a great job mixing up the movement with the offensive line and the defensive line. Their moves gave us problems all day that gave us some penalties. … I think we’re working hard to put the finishes touches on the offensive line. … Hopefully, this will give us a better chance if we continue to go up from here.”

The Spartans won the turnover battle, came up with three interceptions and only gave the ball away once on a fourth-quarter interception. What else did they need in order to win?
“Well, I think we need to continue to re-define what our effort looks like on both sides of the football,” Brennan said. “I thought the thing that needs to make another really important push for us is just our effectiveness on third down. That has to change. And then we got to find a way to run around the football. That has been hit-or-miss, as we certainly struggled with that a week ago. But we need to find a way to move the football, and if we don’t, it’s going to be a long day.”

The Spartans’ offensive line had a rough night with penalties and pass protection at Washington State. Will Montel Aaron get help on the offense against Oregon?
“Well, I sure hope he does,” Brennan said. “That’s why we practice. Obviously, there were some things we weren’t getting. Washington State did a nice job making it hard on our o-line. … I really believe in coach (Kevin) McGiven and coach (Joe) Bernardi. Bernardi does a great job and he’s going to get those guys running. … If they continue to play together and continue to get some chemistry when they’re up there, I think we’ll get results.”