Tag: San Jose State Spartans

World’s Largest Mobile Kitchen has new home in CEFCU Stadium

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Resting in Silicon Valley, one of the America’s centers of innovation is the world’s largest mobile kitchen.

At 70 feet in length — much longer than the world record in the triple jump — nearly three-quarters of the length of a basketball court, and a greater distance than throwing a baseball from the rubber of a baseball pitching mound — The Powerhouse Kitchen is located at San Jose State University, north of CEFCU Stadium, the football home of the Spartans.

Also known as the “World’s Largest Mobile Kitchen,” The Powerhouse Kitchen is equipped with a massive commercial kitchen that chefs, barbecue pit masters, and cooks of all skill levels can produce high-end elegant meals or simple, traditional ball park food side-by-side or grill station to grill station.

The Powerhouse Kitchen is a self-contained entertainment center perfect in its current home of the Spartan Village Fan Zone, where people of all ages, interests and backgrounds can enjoy food, fun, and frolic for as long as three hours before every San Jose State home football game and through the first half.

The 16-foot retractable Jumbotron screen can show live footage of food being prepared inside The Powerhouse Kitchen, highlights of San Jose State Spartans’ Athletics events or feature-length movies like the Spartans did while hosting their annual “Evening with the Spartans.”

“We are thrilled The Powerhouse Kitchen will be an integral component of the San Jose State football tailgate scene,” said Marie Tuite, San Jose State University’s Director of Athletics. “It has a commanding presence in our Spartan Village Fan Zone. Our graphic design students created a standout visual that captures the essence of San Jose State University, school spirit, a zest for life, and the fun of eating and drinking responsibly at outdoor events.”

A creation of Cruising Kitchens, LLC, out of San Antonio, Texas, The Powerhouse Kitchen was purchased by Spartan Eats, the university’s food service concessionaire and a member of Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services. Thinking creatively, the Spartan Eats team enlisted San Jose State graphic design students to create the colorful, eye-catching and striking exterior that stands out from the upper deck of CEFCU Stadium and beyond.

Menus and price points are still being developed and tested. Fan favorites are certain to be on the menu. Don’t be surprised at the breadth of offerings that would reflect of the diverse cultures in Silicon Valley.

Regardless of your taste buds, interest in sports and outdoor activities, The Powerhouse Kitchen inside San Jose State’s Spartan Village Fan Zone at CEFCU Stadium will be your destination for some of the best food and entertainment in the city and throughout the greater Bay Area of six million residents.

San Jose State hosts New Mexico Friday night

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tickets

• sjsuspartans.com/tickets

• ticketmaster.com

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

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

Tickers for home games at CEFCU Stadium

• Modern family plan

• Group ticket pricing starting at $12.00 per ticket

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

Game promotions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

San Jose State loses to Air Force 41-24 in Colorado Springs

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Photo credit: @SanJoseStateFB

By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State football team had hoped to win two games in a row on Friday night against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Did it happen? Nope.

SJSU got the party started with a body blow. DeJon Packer punched it in from 1-yard out and the Spartans scored a touchdown on the opening drive for a 7-0 lead at 10:50 of the first quarter. Matt Mercurio kicked in the extra point.

But Air Force rained on SJSU’s parade and pretty much never looked back. Timothy Jackson scored on a 7-yard run to tie the game 7-7 with 4:57 left in the first. Jake Koehnke kicked in the extra point.

The game was tied 7-7 after the first.

Despite Bailey Gaither making a noteworthy catch on the sidelines and DeJon Packer having as many touchdowns so far this season (3) as in his first two seasons combined, Air Force poured in the points in the second quarter with 14. Donald Hammond III threw a pass to Geraud Sanders for a 64-yard touchdown with 8:43 left in the second. Taven Birdow plunged in from 1-yard out for the touchdown with 5:30 left in the second. Jake Koehnke kicked in both of the extra points.

SJSU cut their deficit to 11, thanks to Matt Mercurio’s 25-yard field goal with 48 seconds left in the second. After that, Air Force drove to the 4-yard line, but Jesse Osuna recovered a fumble and it was the Spartans’ football.

The Spartans trailed 21-10 at halftime.

Air Force, however, was ruthless in the third quarter. The Falcons opened the second half with a touchdown. Christian Mallard ran for a 3-yard touchdown for his first score of the season at 12:05 of the third quarter. Mallard then rushed for his second score, a 7-yard touchdown, at 10:10 of the third. The Falcons also held the Spartans on the 1-yard line and took over on downs. Jake Koehnke’s first kick was blocked, but his second kick was a success for the extra point.

The Spartans trailed 34-10 after three.

Once again, Air Force started things off in the fourth quarter. Taven Birdow ran for a 3-yard touchdown for a 41-10 lead with 7:48 left in the fourth. Jake Koehnke kicked in the extra point.

SJSU heated up late in the fourth, but it was too little, too late. Props to the Spartans for showing no quit though.

Nick Nash threw a pass to Andre Crump for a 30-yard touchdown to pull within 24 with 3:51 left in the fourth. The Spartans then got a 4th down stop on their own 22-yard line and it was their ball. Nash wrapped up the scoring with a pass to Derrick Deese Jr. for a 6-yard touchdown to pull within 17 with just 52 seconds left in regulation. Matt Mercurio kicked in both of the extra points.

The Spartans (2-2) lost to the Falcons (3-1) by a final score of 41-24.

The Spartans return home to host the New Mexico Lobos on Friday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on CBS Sports.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Quakes’ unforeseen losing skid continues; plus more

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On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Quakes lost to the defending MLS champion Atlanta United 3-1 last Saturday.

2. The Quakes lost to the Philadelphia Union 2-1 on Wednesday.

3. The Quakes host the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

4. San Jose State left Arkansas with a 31-24 win last Saturday.

5. What does San Jose State need to do in order to beat Air Force tonight?

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose State quarterback Josh Love named Campbell Trophy semifinalist

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By Ana Kieu

San Jose State quarterback Josh Love led the Spartans to a 31-24 comeback road win over Arkansas on September 21 and is now one of 185 national semifinalists for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy presented by Mazda.

Now in its 30th year, the award recognizes college football’s top scholar-athlete for combined academic success, football performance and leadership on the field and in the community. The National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame oversee the prestigious awards program.

Love, a senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., is in his third season as a starting quarterback for the Spartans. After three games, Love is realizing his best season at the major college level. He has completed 62.7 percent of his passes with only one interception for 815 yards and five touchdowns. More significantly, he led San Jose State on a fourth-quarter game-winning 75-yard touchdown drive at Arkansas after the Razorbacks tied the score at 24-24 with less than 3:00 remaining in regulation play.

Love, a business management information systems major, is a three-time Academic All-Mountain award recipient.

During his college career, Love has been very active in the team’s Beyond Football program. Most recently, he organized a presentation to the team by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). He is one of the many Spartans to participate in the Silicon Valley YWCA’s annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes fundraiser to raise awareness that any form of violence directed towards women must end.

To be eligible for consideration, a football student-athlete must be a senior or graduate student, in one’s final year of athletics eligibility, possess a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale, be a significant contributor on the team, and demonstrate strong leadership and citizenship traits.

“These 185 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively.

“For more than 60 years, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program has showcased more than 800 college football players who have been successful on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. And we are excited to celebrate the 30th year of the William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, which honors the best of the best. This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $11.7 million.

“The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist’s achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates.”

From the 185 semifinalists, 12 to 14 finalists will be announced on October 30. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and travel to New York City for the 62nd annual National Football foundation Scholar-Athlete awards dinner in December.

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $11.7 million.

In the history of the program, San Jose State wide receiver Tim Crawley was the Spartans’ first National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 2016.

San Jose State football earns more than just a win over Arkansas

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State Spartans football team earned more than just a 31-24 win over Arkansas inside Razorback Stadium last Saturday. The Spartans were also honored as Mountain West Players of the Week and the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week, respectively.

Here are the respective press releases:

Spartans Honored As Mountain West Players Of The Week
San Jose State quarterback Josh Love and defensive Bobby Brown, II were named the Mountain West Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, by the conference office.

Both players were instrumental in San Jose State’s 31-24 win at the University of Arkansas on Saturday, September 21.

Love completed a single-game career-high 32 pass on 49 attempts with one interception for 402 yards and two first-half touchdowns. With the score tied 24-24 late in the fourth quarter, Love engineered a five-play, 75-yard game-winning touchdown drive for San Jose State’s first win against a SEC opponent in school history.

Brown, II intercepted two passes and was credited with seven tackles in the team’s first road win since the 2016 season. His second interception came on Arkansas’ final offensive play of the game to ensure the Spartans’ victory.

San Jose State Named Reveal Suits National Team Of The Week
The Spartans scored on DeJon Packer’s 19-yard run with 1:13 left to break a 24-24 tie and win their first road game since 2016 and record their first non-conference road win since 2012, posting a 31-24 at Arkansas that superseded a host of other worthy candidates. For winning their first game over an SEC school, San Jose State (2-1) has earned the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 21.

The announcement came on “Full Ride” on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM. Each Monday during the season the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week will be unveiled on the network. The FWAA’s All-America Committee selects the weekly winner and all Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.

This is the first time for San Jose State to win the FWAA’s National Team of the Week honor and the first for a Mountain West conference member since Wyoming on October 29, 2016.

The Spartans never trailed and led 24-7 at halftime — their largest lead in any game dating back to the 2016 season — and broke a 26-game losing streak to teams from the Power 5 conferences that dated back to 2006 at Stanford.

San Jose State got contributions in all three phases. Quarterback Josh Love completed a career-high 32 passes in 49 attempts for 402 yards and two touchdowns, his second career 400-yard game. The Spartan defense snagged five interceptions, most since 2008 at Hawaii. Kicker Matt Mercurio hit a career-long 47-yard field goal in the second quarter to extend the lead to 17-7.

“What a night for these players, these coaches and these fans,” head coach Brent Brennan said. “Obviously, when you look at the schedule, this is one of those games that everybody talks about. Sometimes it’s hard to get your team to focus on anything else because you are going on the road to play a SEC opponent like Arkansas with its history, how special this place is, the stadium, the crowd and all that stuff. Coming off a loss two weeks ago, our players just went to work. We practiced during the bye week a lot. I’m sure the players didn’t like that, but I think now they understand why. I’m just really proud of them because this has been a team.”

Here’s the scoop on what’s going on this week:

When asked about how he’s going to prepare for Air Force, head coach Brent Brennan said, “We’re going to get an incredible test of physicality and that’s something that we have to prepare for and be ready for because of who we’re playing, the type of team that we’ll be playing, and of course, the type of football that they’ll play.”

“The difference is that you’re playing an SEC school and they’ve got a bunch of big bodies — big, long, athletic bodies. Now, you’ve come to the Air Force Academy and they have some of those, but they don’t have a team like those. What they got is a bunch of badass dudes that like to play football and they’re going to do it right every time. These guys are being trained to defend our country and I’m pretty sure they’re going to be physical. They’re violent and nasty and we got to be ready for them.”

Up Next: The Spartans open Mountain West action on Friday, September 27 at Air Force in a 5 p.m. PT conference contest.

San Jose State stuns Arkansas in 31-24 road win

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By Ana Kieu

San Jose State hit the road for the first time this season to face the Arkansas Razorbacks in a nationally televised game on SEC Network.

SJSU started on offense and got on the board first. Fifth-year senior quarterback Josh Love threw a 3-yard pass to JaQuan Blackwell for the first touchdown of the game (and on the first drive). Matt Mecurio kicked in the extra point. It was 7-0 SJSU at 12:44 of the first quarter.

The Spartan defense held the Razorbacks to a 3-and-out on their first possession. Arkansas went for it on 4th and 2 from the 4-yard line and “stuffed” so the Spartans took over on downs with 6:02 left in the first.

With his first reception as a Spartan true freshman, Isaiah Holiness went for 32 yards to the 50-yard line. However, Mercurio’s 46-yard field goal attempt was no good.

After that, Arkansas took over as they scored on a 62-yard pass play to tie the game 7-7 with 1:07 left in the first. Nick Starkel threw a 62-yard pass to Mike Woods for the touchdown. Connor Limpert kicked in the extra point.

Love attempted to hit Isaiah Hamilton on the deep ball, but it was intercepted by Arkansas, who took over at the 34-yard line with 32 seconds left in the first.

The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the first.

SJSU went on a bursting run in the second quarter. Ethan Aguayo recorded his first interception of the season and the Spartans took it back on the first play of the second. Two plays later, freshman quarterback Nick Nash ran for a 15-yard touchdown to help the Spartans regain the lead 14-7 at 14:18 of the second. Mercurio kicked in the extra point.

Mercurio hit a career-long 47-yard field goal to give the Spartans a 17-7 lead with 6:09 left in the second. Love then threw a 26-yard pass to Holiness for the touchdown. Mercurio kicked in the extra point. The Spartans led 24-7 with 1:06 left in the second and carried a 24-7 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Arkansas pulled within 14 on Limpert’s 48-yard field goal with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

SJSU led 24-10 at the end of the third.

Arkansas continued to pull closer. Starkel threw a 30-yard pass to Tyson Morris for the touchdown. Limpert kicked in the extra point. Arkansas, however, still trailed 24-17 at 13:10 of the fourth quarter.

The Spartan defense made a big stop on the third down. As a result, SJSU got the ball back on their own 44 with 9:09 left in the fourth.

The Spartans were concerned for a bit as the Razorbacks tied the game 24-24 with 2:56 left in the fourth. Starkel threw a 8-yard pass to Trey Knox for the touchdown. Limpert kicked in the extra point. But the Spartans came through at the right time when DeJon Packer ran for 19 yards for the final touchdown and Mercurio kicked in the final extra point for a 31-24 lead with 1:13 left in the fourth.

SJSU (2-1) defeated Arkansas (2-2) by a final of 31-24.

SJSU heads to Falcon Stadium to take on the Air Force Falcons on Friday, September 27 at 5 p.m. PT.

New Spartan Club targets young San Jose State alumni

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By Ana Kieu

Young San Jose State University alumni and Spartan fans now have an exclusive new way to connect and engage with San Jose State Athletics through the launch of the New Spartan Club.

Alumni and fans ages 32 and under who give $50.00 or more to the Spartan Athletics Fund will be enrolled in the New Spartan Club.

Join the New Spartan Club and check your email for invitations to exclusive events and game day experiences. When signing up online, please include “New Spartan Club” in the Special Instructions field.

The New Spartan Club will open doors to some of San Jose State’s best game day experiences while supporting Spartan student-athletes.

Join now and register for the New Spartan Club’s launch event — a watch-party for the September 27 San Jose State at Air Force football game — at Fourth Street Pizza in downtown San Jose located at the corner of Fourth & San Carlos Streets. Kickoff and the watch party starts at 5:00 p.m. PT.

In addition to the upcoming watch-party, hospitality benefits of the New Spartan Club include: An exclusive 2019 Homecoming football experience on October 19, New Spartan Club night at the Hardwood Lounge during basketball season, and networking events in downtown San Jose.

The New Spartan Club benefits the Spartan Athletics Fund, which provides resources for student-athletes and coaches in San Jose State’s 22 NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics programs. For questions regarding the New Spartan Club or the Spartan Athletics Fund, dial (408) 924-1450 or email spartanathleticsfund@sjsu.edu.

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.