Tag: San Jose State

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

New San Jose State assistant football coach Scott White remembers his playing days at the University of Washington, A four-year starter at linebacker for the Huskies, he was a second-team All-Pac-10 Conference selection in his senior year.

White excelled by keeping the game as simple as possible. And, he has taken that credo and carried it over into his coaching career at stops that include Central Washington University, Palomar College and UCLA. Along the way, he paved the way for a number of linebackers at each school to excel and then move on to a professional career.

“That’s a big part of my job. I have a motto, ‘The brilliance is in the simplicity. How simple can I make that?’ without them having to figure it out on their own,” White said about his coaching philosophy.

“Let me do all the thinking. You guys can go out and play on your own. That’s how I approach it. Put them in a position, simplify things so they can go out and play football the best.”

“This group has been great to work with, great to be around, to develop. They’re working their butts off, getting better every day and learning how to play,” White said about the start of his first season as a Spartans’ position coach.

In 2018, White was a team analyst with no coaching responsibilities.

For senior Ethan Aguayo, the team’s leading tackler from last season, he appreciates White’s approach to the fine art of playing the linebacker position.

“Coach White’s been great. He’s been the one lining us up for success giving us the finer details of our assignments. He pushes us to be our best. He’s going to give us his best every day in the classroom and on the field. So, we have to be willing to do the same for him,” said Aguayo.

For the remainder of the week prior to the August 17 FanFest on the practice field, the message again is simple according to the Spartan senior.

“Focusing on our assignments and giving a ‘blue line effort’ — 100-100 every day. The one thing we can control is our effort and our attitude,” Aguayo said.

The FanFest begins with a 5:30 p.m. scrimmage followed by a 7:00 p.m. barbecue meal. To close out the day with the Spartans, the movie “Spider-Man; Into the Spider Verse” will be shown.

Tickets for the barbecue and movie are $25.00 each, but free to Shield 365 members. There’s no charge to watch the scrimmage.

Tickets for the San Jose State season opener versus the Northern Colorado Bears on August 29 and all home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.

Photo credit: @AnaKieu

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State Spartans football held its first fall scrimmage at CEFCU Stadium on a breezy Saturday. Popular rap tunes such as “Homecoming” by Kanye West and “Bring Em Out” by T.I. blasted at full volume, and fans and media members alike took advantage of the wind.

The Spartans took the field and made it obvious that they gave a 100 percent effort. Although the regular season hasn’t started yet, this was an all-around great effort by the team, who finished last season with a lowly 1-11 (1-7 Mountain West) record.

“Defense did great today,”linebacker Tysyn Parker said. “We took a lot of the instruction in the film room in our defensive meetings and translated it onto the field.”

“I think, collectively, as a group, we’re playing better and we’re more accomplished, but our offense hasn’t been forming as well in practices — getting turnovers on defense — and our goal for the year is to prevent turnovers.”

Of course, San Jose State had the heart, talent and preparation. However, a powerful push on a snap stopped them short of a touchdown as defensive end Cameron Alexander went down with an apparent injury. Alexander, however, managed to get up off the field to get checked out by doctors.

At halftime, San Jose State players and coaches recuperated from a few frantic plays to gear up for the second half. “Headstrong” by Trapt played, and that, my friends, was the perfect song to motivate the Spartans, especially its lyrics, “Back off, I’ll take you on / Headstrong to take on anyone / I know that you are wrong / Headstrong, we’re Headstrong.”

The Spartans continued to play their best in the final minutes of the scrimmage. There was another Spartan first down that led to a punt on first down and offensive lineman Scott Breslin caught the punted ball.

Obviously, there were quite a few improvements to be made, but I’m fairly certain that the Spartans will address their issues.

“We executed,” defensive back Brandon Ezell said. “We did our assignment. We’re locked in.”

“We did our job. Still, some things to work on, but overall, we executed.”

“It’s coming fast,” head coach Brent Brennan. “There’s a lot of work to do and I’m excited to get back to work.”

“Alex Gallant, Hunter Nye, Jordan Cobbs, all those guys have been spreading like fire,” added Brennan.

NOTES: Former Spartan defensive tackle Boogie Roberts returned to the Bay Area for his first NFL game with the Rams at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday.

San Jose State will host Retro Night at CEFCU Stadium on Thursday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. versus Northern Colorado.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State University offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven is in his second season. It’s the first time in three years anyone can make that claim.

Put it another way. Spartans quarterback Josh Love has learned three different offensive schemes in his four-plus seasons as a Spartan.

Through the early stages of fall camp, many veteran offensive players have said how much more comfortable or second-nature the offense is to them compared to a year ago. Hopefully, that familiarity turns into more points.

“There’s no question those guys are playing faster with the concepts we’ve had in since last year. It’s knowing the signals, going through the coaching, the repetition. Those guys are able to really focus on the finer details whereas some of the young guys are still not playing as fast, because they don’t understand it. But the guys who have been here have a high level of understanding,” said McGiven.

The 2018 Spartans scored 49 more points than the previous Spartan group, but this year’s squad believes it is capable of much more. With eight practices in the books, the core of the offensive scheme is installed. Going forward, it’s practice, refinement, execution, and the added tweak or wrinkle for the unexpected surprise.

The offense will be on display Saturday, August 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the team’s first scrimmage of the fall inside CEFCU Stadium. McGiven hopes to see at least three things come out of the scrimmage.

“When we get into those scrimmage situations, I like to see a clean operation. Everything that is under our control pre-snap — no procedure penalties, turnovers, all those things besides the scheme that can cost you the game. You like to see it clean from that standpoint. And, I anxious to see the development of the young guys, see who can make plays and can push the starters,” McGiven said with the implicit understanding the offense will score points.

There is no charge to attend the August 10 scrimmage. Parking is available across the street in the Park & Ride Lot at 7th & Humboldt Streets.

Tickets for the San Jose State season opener with Northern Colorado on Thursday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. and all home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State University Athletics and its multimedia rights holder, Learfield IMG College’s Spartan Sports Properties, announced Thursday that Real Talk 910 (KKSF-AM) in Oakland, Calif., will serve as the flagship station for Spartan football, effective through the 2021 athletics season.

As part of the agreement, Real Talk 910 will broadcast all Spartan football games live each season. The 2019 games can also be heard on PowerTalk 1460 AM (Salinas/Monterey), Power Talk 1360 AM (Modesto), and PowerTalk 1280 AM (Stockton). Broadcasts will begin with a 30-minute pregame show, the in-game broadcast, and conclude with a 30-minute post-game wrap-up. San Jose State football radio broadcasts will feature play-by-play announcer Justin Allegri, a.k.a. Voice of the Spartans, and analyst Kevin Richardson, who are entering their seventh season together.

“We’re delighted to be affiliated with San Jose State University as the flagship radio station for Spartan football,” said Kathryn Wilcox, iHeartMedia Markets Group President for the Northern California Region. “Our audience enjoys local content on Real Talk 910 and we are proud to offer programming affiliated with such a respected institution. While I don’t have any ‘lucky loafers’ like Coach (Brent) Brennan, we’ve still pulled out a win to be partnered with the team!”

In addition to tuning to Real Talk 910 during football season for game broadcasts, fans can also visit the Spartans’ official Facebook page for a live broadcast of the weekly Brent Brennan Show from the Hukilau restaurant in San Jose’s Japantown. The one-hour live show with the head football coach airs each week, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. PT, beginning Tuesday, August 27.

“We’re thrilled Real Talk 910 and the iHeartMedia Marketing Group are joining our Spartan Athletics family,” said Marie Tuite, San Jose State University Athletics Director. “We’re looking forward to this new broadcast agreement and appreciate their commitment to deliver exceptional, informative and entertaining Spartan football game day experiences over the airwaves for our fans.”

For those unable to tune in to Real Talk 910, the Spartan football broadcasts will also be available via the TuneIn app. In addition, Learfield IMG College’s Spartan Sports Properties, will oversee all aspects of the radio network on behalf of the university.

Real Talk 910 AM is the leading media outlet in the San Francisco market with multiple platforms, including its broadcast stations; live events; data; and its digital businesses and platforms, including mobile, social and its own iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital music, podcasting and live streaming radio service — with more than two billion app downloads and more than 130 million registered users.

About iHeartMedia San Francisco Bay Area
iHeartMedia San Francisco Bay Area operates KIOI-FM, KISQ-FM, KKSF-AM, KMEL-FM, KOSF-FM, and KYLD-FM, and is part of iHeartMedia. iHeartMedia is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month — and with its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. The company’s leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms including more than 850 live broadcast stations; streaming music, radio and on demand via its iHeartRadio digital service available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, TVs and gaming consoles; through its influencers; social; branded iconic live music events; and podcasts as the #1 commercial podcast publisher globally. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics and attribution technology for its marketing partners, using data from its massive consumer base. iHeartMedia is a division of iHeartMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: IHRT). Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

About San Jose State Athletics
San Jose State University sponsors 22 (nine men’s and 13 women’s) NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports programs for approximately 490 student-athletes annually. In football, the Spartans are a member of Division I’s FBS, the NCAA’s highest level of competition, and compete in the Mountain West.

San Jose State has 10 NCAA team championships and 52 NCAA individual titles. 62 Spartans competed in one or more Olympic Games. SJSU athletes have won seven gold, six silver and seven bronze medals at the Olympics. Annually, about one-third of the student-athlete population earns either an institutional, conference or national recognition based on outstanding academic performance.

About Learfield IMG College
Spartan Sports Properties is the San Jose-based Learfield IMG College team that works alongside the athletics administration. Learfield IMG College unlocks the value of college sports for fans, brands, universities and conferences. The company is a longtime advocate for intercollegiate athletics and the student-athlete experience. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

Even though he was San Jose State’s leading rusher in each of the last two seasons, Tyler Nevens is focused on the present. The third-year running back and the Spartans would be thrilled this season to match his two-year career total of 1,224 rushing yards.

As he puts it, more importantly, Nevens and his fellow teammates plan a more cohesive approach on offense with the goal of finishing plays better than the past.

“As a running back group, we’ve been working really hard. We’ve been disciplined on the field and off the field as well. We learned a lot from our mistakes of last year and spring ball as well. We’re trying to get right and have the proper technique to finish plays and make big plays,” says Nevens, who had team-high totals of four rushing touchdowns and a long run of 38 yards last year.

According to running backs coach Alonzo Carter, this year’s offense plans to run the ball as much as possible. Coach Carter believes the Spartans have options at running back — power, experience, speed, change-of-pace, players capable of running through tackles, catch passes and can provide sufficient pass protection.”

“We have the ‘Harlem Heat’ as I call them — Tyler Nevens and DeJon Packer. They’re a pair of big 220-pound downhill runners and physical backs. Then, we have Kairee Robinson. He’s the difference maker. He changes the pace. He comes in. He gives you all the juice. Adding to that downhill style is Hunter Nye. And (Brendan) Manigo, he’s one of the fastest guys on the team. So, he can take off at any time,” says Carter.

The Spartans’ running backs coach also has goals for his group taking each play one play at a time. The reward, not necessarily, a bonus is more opportunities to run the football.

“Finishing. We want to be able to finish off plays, run through arm tackles, get to space, and, most importantly, make sure we protect the quarterback. In our room, “no block, no rock.” So, you have to block and be able to protect the quarterback. That comes with ‘maxing’ the protections and keep Josh Love clean,” Carter says.

Nevens concurs. He and his fellow running backs will be able to put words into action, especially during the Spartans’ first fall scrimmage on Saturday, August 10 at 5:30 p.m. in CEFCU Stadium.

Tickets for the San Jose State season opener with Northern Colorado on Thursday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. and all home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.

NOTES: Tyler Ervin (2014, 15), Brandon Rutley (2010, 11) and Nevens are the three Spartans to lead the team in rushing in consecutive seasons in the last 10 years.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

The range of celebrities born on August 6 includes Hall of Fame basketball player David Robinson, pop icon Andy Warhol, legendary comedienne Lucille Ball, ESPN Sports Radio host Mike Greenberg and San Jose State University football’s Terry Malley.

Actually, it would be Santa Clara County’s Terry Malley for his 35-plus years coaching high school, college and professional football in the Bay Area, particularly in the South Bay.

Malley, who would downplay any celebrity status, is in his second season as an analyst on head coach Brent Brennan’s staff. Jokingly, he said on his 65th birthday, he balances out the average age in the room, but he means a lot more than that to the Spartans.

“When I came on with Brent (Brennan), I sit in on all the offensive meetings and go to all the practices. I’m involved in the evaluation of all the recruiting. It’s different from coaching because I can’t coach people on the field,” said Malley, who was a quarterback for his dad Patrick “Pat” Malley at Santa Clara University during the 1972 through 1975 seasons before he went into coaching.

“My role is they needed an older guy on the staff to balance out the younger guys and give some feedback on things that need to be addressed.”

Through time, Malley has seen the game of football evolve in many ways. One area he discussed was the approach to fall camp at the college level.

“It’s amazing how much it’s changed. In the old days, you had three weeks before the first game. You had two weeks of ‘double days’ and the last week was singles. So, you had three weeks total. We don’t have a ‘double day’ at all,” said Malley, who coached six NCAA Division II nationally-ranked Santa Clara teams in eight seasons and was an offensive coordinator for the San Jose SaberCats’ four Arena Bowl championships before joining the Spartans.

“The interesting thing is you have as many injuries practicing once a day as you did in the old days practicing twice. The other change is having kids around all summer long allows you to run into camp with a little bit of steam as afar as kids knowing what to do and getting practice going at a lot quicker pace than what you did in the past.”

Malley treasures the relationships he built in the game particularly with players from all his teams and the experiences that come from them.

“The awesome thing is the people you’re involved with — the great kids that came to play for you. I did the (San Jose) SaberCats. You had older guys, but they were older guys who still liked to play. They were special. I’ve fallen in love with the kids who play here for a good four to five year period,” said Malley, who first joined the Spartans in 2009 and oversaw the development of wide receivers Chandler Jones and Noel Grigsby, one-two on the San Jose State career receiving lists.

“I got to work with my dad (Pat Malley) at Santa Clara. When we first took over there, we were very good and it was very enjoyable. Our time with the SaberCats and winning the Arena Bowl is hard to beat. And, coming here going from not very good to 11-2 was just an awesome experience.”

“The best one still is yet to come. I think we’re going to finish this off here with this group pretty soon. I’m excited to have the best one still to come.”

“I’m very lucky to be involved with them.”

And, San Jose State is fortunate to have him as important member of the Spartan football family.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

Future San Jose State University football teams will be facing non-conference opponents with air and ground nicknames starting in 2023 in home-and-home series with the University of Toledo Rockets and the University of Texas El Paso Miners. Athletics director Marie Tuite made the announcement on behalf of San Jose State.

The Spartans and the Rockets will embark on regular-season football for the first time, Saturday, September 16, 2023 in Toledo, Ohio. The return game is set for Saturday, September 9, 2028 in CEFCU Stadium, Home of the Spartans.

San Jose State and Toledo played in the inaugural California Bowl in Fresno, Calif., in 1981. Despite the Spartans overcoming a 21-3 second-half deficit and taking a 25-24 lead with 0:52 remaining in the game, the Rockets still won, 27-25, on a 41-yard field goal with 0:15 left on the clock.

Toledo becomes the third Mid-American Conference school member on San Jose State’s future football schedules through the 2028 season. The Spartans have home and home non-conference games with Western Michigan (2021 — away; 2022 — home) and Central Michigan (2020 — away, 2025 — home).

San Jose State and UTEP have games scheduled for September 26, 2026 in San Jose and September 25, 2027 in El Paso’s Sun Bowl.

The Spartans and the Miners have a much longer football history than the Spartans and Rockets. Dating back to 1966. San Jose State and UTEP have split 10 meetings. Nine of the 10 games occurred between 1996 and 2004 when both schools were Western Athletic Conference members. San Jose State came away winners in five of those WAC games. UTEP is the first Conference USA team on the Spartans’ future football schedules.

Presently, tickets for the San Jose State season opener with Northern Colorado on August 29 and all home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

For San Jose State University football head coach Brent Brennan, the first day of practice in full pads and full contact mode was about coming together on the field and by five standout seniors with soaring goals when their football careers are completed.

The team practiced with game officials as players, coaches and officials and experienced live situations for the first time this fall.

For the coaching staff, they now can pinpoint the progress made in the first week of fall camp, what is going well and areas for improvement. And, they are ready to learn what they have as they embark on week two in preparation for the August 29 season opener with Northern Colorado in CEFCU Stadium, at 7:00 p.m.

“It was a great day. It was intense the way it should be in full gear. We took turns making plays on both sides of the ball. Now, we’re going to have some tape of playing real football that we can evaluate and see where we are at,” Brennan said about the August 4 practice session.

“I love the way this team comes to work, the excitement, the energy and the enthusiasm they bring. Today, with pads on, I liked the intensity. There was some physicality and big plays. It’s all part of that learning and growing process that goes in training camp.”

While practice is the primary focus for players and coaches this time of the year, Brennan also can be proud of the number of seniors enrolled this fall in San Jose State University master’s degree programs. From an athletics eligibility standpoint, tight end Brett Foley, punter Alex Galland, defensive back Chandler Hawkins, and offensive linemen Deano Motes and Quinn Oseland plan to add a master’s degree to their San Jose State experience.

Foley, Hawkins and Motes could be considered home grown after earning their bachelor’s degrees from San Jose State. Foley and Motes majored in business administration; Hawkins in psychology. Galland graduated from Yale majoring in mechanical engineering. Oseland majored in business marketing at the University of Minnesota.

“It means I’m getting as much out of this opportunity here at San Jose State as possible,” said Motes, a 2018 Academic All-Mountain West award winner enrolled in a M.B.A. program.

“It (the M.B.A) will help me see more of the real-world applications of the things I learned in my undergraduate experience.”

Foley also is enrolled in the M.B.A. program. He plans to be the first in his family to earn a master’s degree and was something he had in mind when he came to San Jose State from Archbishop Mitty High in 2015.

“One of those key criteria I looked at (when choosing a college) was the fact they (San Jose State) allow people to pursue a master’s degree and that is something I wanted to go after and I am happy to have that opportunity here,” said Foley, a 2019 San Jose State University Dean’s Scholar.

“It (a master’s) will help immensely, especially in this area. I know a lot of high-level execs (executives) come to San Jose State for their master’s program. It gives us a great opportunity to network with those people as a 22-year-old kid and learn as much as possible from them. It will help me down the road for sure.”

Galland and Oseland began their master’s degree program in public administration when they transferred to San Jose State last spring. Oseland enjoyed being Galland’s classmate in some classes. They both see how their choice of public administration will expand their horizons when they enter the business word.

“I will have a very wide array of skills and abilities and it will allow me to take on more and more responsibilities anywhere I go and add more value to whatever job I end up going,” said Galland, whose summer job experiences included working for a leading manufacturer of helicopters.

“Here I wanted to stay with the business mindset, because I could keep ‘stacking’ my degrees. So, I went with the public administration program here. It made the most sense,” said Oseland. “It gives a chance to see both worlds — the bachelor’s at Minnesota gave me a look at the private sector. Now, I’m taking public administration courses and that gives me a look at the public sector. I’m getting an eye on both.”

One could see early on that Hawkins would be a likely candidate for a master’s degree. The three-time Academic All-Mountain West award recipient also is a 2017 Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar who majored in psychology. He can be the first in family to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree program.

“It means a lot to be in a master’s program. I was focused on being the first in my family to achieve (being admitted into) being in a master’s program and to continue my dream playing football, said Hawkins, who is enrolled in an educational counseling program.

A master’s degree will help me a lot due to the fact I can learn a lot more and pursue opportunities at San Jose State and in the Silicon Valley. It also allows me to learn more about what I want to do career-wise.”

Oseland agrees with Hawkins on the added value of a master’s degree when his football career comes to a conclusion. As the 6-foot-6, 300-plus pound offensive lineman said, “A master’s degree is something I can hold on forever.”

“That’s what college football is all about — graduating from college and playing your best football. The bonus of starting a master’s program and getting on that path in furthering their education is something we preach to all of them,” said Brennan.

“When you look at those five guys who are all good players and good examples of doing things right, doing things the right way and taking that step for their life in the big picture, it fits exactly what we talk about here.

“It’s this holistic development of the young man. It’s not just football; it’s not just school. It’s all of it – social life, school, football, post-grad opportunity — all those things coming together. When you have five guys like that, that have done it right and are in that position, that’s exactly what we should be doing.”

There’s no practice on Monday, August 5. The first practice open to the public is Tuesday, August 6, at 9:40 a.m. The team’s first scrimmage is Saturday, August 10, 5:30 p.m. in CEFCU Stadium. There’s no admission charge.

Tickets for the San Jose State season opener with Northern Colorado on August 29 and all home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans football team has relied heavily on pass catching by the tight end for years. Between all-conference players Ryan Otten, Billy Freeman and Josh Oliver, they’ve accounted for 336 pass receptions since 2009.

And, in the last four seasons, the team benefited, too, from the blocking abilities, first from Josh Oliver, and, more recently, Billy Humphreys back for his junior season.

With Oliver pursuing his new career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Jose State still expects to use multiple tight ends in a variety of ways this season.

Matt Adkins, who coached the tight ends last season, has the same responsibility this year. For starters, there are Humphreys, senior Brett Foley and junior Derrick Deese, Jr., continuing their battle from the spring for the number one job. Junior Jackson Burrill and freshmen Dominick Mazotti and Noah Sanchez are also in the group.

Adkins sees the potential in his group to make a real mark on the offense this season.

“I love Josh. It was a blessing to coach him. I’m really excited about this group. I’m really excited about the depth I think we’re going to have. We have a bunch of guys with a bunch of skill sets. We’ll be able to be creative with what we do offensively using these guys,” Adkins said. Adkins also praised the group with how quickly they’re picking up concepts and schemes so far in fall camp.

“There is a bunch of opportunities in the offense this year. We’re really excited since we have the same offensive coordinator (Kevin McGiven) and same tight ends coach (Matt Adkins). The ’12’ personnel (one back and two tight ends) and the ’13’ personnel (one back and three tight ends) will be a really good option for us this year,” said Humphreys, who has seven starts heading into the season. The 245-pound tight end has 11 receptions his first two seasons, actually four more than what Oliver had going into his junior year.

“We all complement each other really well. We all have a lot of similar things (traits) and complement each other, force each to get better every day by seeing what the others are doing and try to beat each other at that,” said Foley, who moved from linebacker to tight end last year with positive results. Foley’s first major college reception was a touchdown catch in the UNLV win.

“I like being able to run and have the ball in my hands, making plays. There’s no other thing like it,” Foley added.

For Deese, Jr., he saw action in three games last year and retained his third year of athletics eligibility. Like Foley, Deese, Jr. has made adjustments from his days at Golden West College to San Jose State.

“I had always been a blocker on the outside. I was known for blocking on the perimeter and catching the ball. The only thing different is putting my hand in the dirt and a different stance off the ball. And, being in the box more,” said Deese, Jr., who had 47 receptions in two seasons at Golden West College.

Regardless of who earns the most playing time, Adkins foresees big things from his tight end group.

“It’s a great group of guys. We’re going to be able to stretch the field. And, on a short down and distance, be physical and run the ball down hill with these guys as well,” Adkins predicts.

The first week of practice concludes Sunday, August 4. The practice open to the public is Tuesday, August 6, at 9:40 a.m. The team’s first scrimmage is Saturday, August 10, 5:30 p.m. in CEFCU Stadium. There’s no admission charge.

The season opener is Thursday, August 29, with San Jose State hosting Northern Colorado in a 7:00 p.m. non-conference game. Tickets for all San Jose State home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.

Notes: Bene Benwikere is back in the NFL. The co-recordholder for San Jose State career interceptions with 14 was signed by the Minnesota Vikings on August 3 to compete for playing time as a cornerback. Benwikere was a 2014 fifth-round draft choice by the Carolina Panthers. There now are 12 Spartans on a NFL roster heading into the first week of preseason games.

Former Spartans Daniel Bradbury (2012-14), a wide receiver and holder on special teams, and offensive lineman Nate Velichko (2014-17) were visitors on day four of fall practice. Both are campus police officers. Bradbury works for the UCLA Police Department and Velichko is a member of the San Jose State Police Department.