Tag: San Jose State

San Jose sports podcast with Ana Kieu: New Earthquakes coach, same old results; San Jose State has yet to defeat Hawaii in Nick Rolovich era

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On the San Jose sports podcast with Ana:

1. The San Jose Earthquakes fired head coach Mikael Stahre and assistant Alex de Crook last week. Assistant coach Steve Ralston has been serving as interim head coach since then, but was unable to win in his first match, as the Quakes lost 4-3 to Atlanta United at Avaya Stadium last Wednesday.

2. On a positive note, San Jose made Destinee Coronado, a young ovarian cancer patient, their honorary captain for the night versus Atlanta last Wednesday.

3. The Quakes were in L.A. to take on LAFC in MLS’ newest rivalry last Saturday. LAFC shutout San Jose 2-0. What went wrong?

4. The Quakes remain on the road. They’ll take on the Houston Dynamo this Saturday. Houston is an on-and-off team, so what should San Jose do in order to defeat them?

5. In Mountain West football, San Jose State has yet to defeat Hawaii in the Nick Rolovich era. The Spartans’ last win against Hawaii came in 2015 by a final score of 42-23.

6. The Spartan coaching staff was on the road last weekend to find new Spartans throughout California. Currently, there are 95 Spartans from California. How important is it to have hometown guys on this team?

Ana does the San Jose sports podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com!

San Jose State men’s basketball shakes up staff with two new additions

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SAN JOSE, Calif. – Ryan Cooper has been hired as San Jose State men’s basketball assistant coach and Trent Miyagishima as director of men’s basketball operations. Head coach Jean Prioleau made the announcement Thursday.

“I’m really excited about finalizing my staff,” Prioleau said. “Coach Cooper has done a lot of good work for us. He was kept over from the last staff. From the time I came in last year, he was on top of everything from an administrative point of view. He had everything lined up in terms of travel and study hall and things like that, and just had a good feel and good pulse of the team. I leaned on him a lot last year and now he is taking a step up. I think he is going to do a great job for us. He is connected in Northern California and was a high school coach in the Bay Area, so he has those connections and we are looking forward to continuing to work together. It’s his time now.”

Cooper joined the Spartans’ staff as the Prioleau’s third assistant coach along with Will Kimble and Julius Hodge. A San Jose, Calif. native, Cooper previously served as the Director of Basketball Operations at SJSU for the last two seasons. Prior to his stint with the Spartans, he served as head men’s basketball coach at three Bay Area high schools: Del Mar High (2008-2012), Oak Grove High (2013-2014) and Valley Christian High (2014-2016).

A 2008 Notre Dame de Namur University graduate, Cooper was also a standout college player who finished his playing career fourth on NDNU’s career scoring list, second in career assists and a member of the 1,000 point club–all while earning All-Pacific West Conference honors in three of his four seasons.

“I want to thank Coach Prioleau for the opportunity to be an assistant on his staff,” Cooper said. “I really enjoyed working with him in year one as the director of basketball operations. I love San Jose State and really enjoy our staff chemistry. I’m looking forward to a great season.”

Miyagishima, who has been involved with the Spartans’ program since 2015, will take over for Cooper as the director of basketball operations.

“When I think of Trent, I think of a young man that really deserves the opportunity,” Prioleau said. “He went to San Jose State and graduated from here, and he was actually volunteering for us all last year. He has shown that he really wants to be a part of this and has shown that he wants to be a head coach, and now I’m giving him the opportunity to step in to the Director of Basketball Operations position and I think he’s going to do a great job for us. He will be able to lean on Coach Cooper a little bit, because Cooper held that position for a couple years, and he will also be able to lean on me and the other coaches. This is going to be a big jump for Trent, but at the end of the day he just loves San José State and I think he will do a great job for us.”

A 2017 San Jose State graduate, Miyagishima previously served as the team’s video coordinator in 2017 and was the head manager in 2015 and 2016. The 24-year old product of Woodland Hills, Calif., will now oversee all of the men’s basketball day-to-day operations in his new role.

“I am blessed an honored to continue to be a part of this Spartan Program,” Miyagishima said. “As an alumnus, it means a little more to represent the Spartans. I just want to thank Coach Prioleau for giving me the opportunity to be the next director of basketball operations. I’m ready to get things rolling and excited to be a part of the upcoming season.”

San Jose State’s Bryce Crawford named a finalist for William V. Campbell Trophy

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By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State senior kicker Bryce Crawford is one of 179 national semifinalists for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments, according to an announcement by the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame.

The Campbell Trophy honors the top scholar-athlete in college football. Candidates for the Campbell Trophy must be a senior or graduate student in his final year of playing eligibility, have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA, be a first-team player and demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

“These 179 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 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. This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”

One of the best kickers in SJSU history, Crawford is a two-time Mountain West Scholar-Athlete, two-time Academic All-Mountain West honoree and a SJSU Dean’s Scholar.

Crawford’s contributions in the community are just as impressive and showcase the total student-athlete ideal. He served as a team representative to the Florida Hospital during the 2015 AutoNation Cure Bowl. He has participated in after school reading programs with students that have English as a second language. He has volunteered time at the Via Hermosa Senior Housing apartment complex in San Jose, assisting residents with daily chores. He has assisted with SJSU events such as the annual fall on-campus move-ins.

“Bryce Crawford is everything that is right about college football. He is a young man that takes his academics very seriously. He is an honor roll guy every semester. He works extremely hard at being the best he can be. He’s dependable, on time, a good leader for our team. Guys look up to him,” says SJSU Football Head Coach Brent Brennan.

“He shows up for everything (community service). He wants to give back. He totally appreciates and respects his opportunities as a student-athlete and recognizes the potential power and platform that he has to positively impact the community.”

“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 and 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.”

12 to 14 finalists will be selected and announced as 2018 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athletes on October 31 and receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. From the finalists, one will be designated as the William V. Campbell Trophy winner and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

In 2016, wide receiver Tim Crawley became SJSU’s first recipient of a NFF National Scholar-Athlete award.

Whether or not San Jose State defeats Hawaii, former Spartans to be introduced regardless

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State Spartans started the season in FCS and Pac-12, but will start their conference slate at CEFCU Stadium versus the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors this Saturday at 4:00 pm PDT on Spectrum Sports. Even if San Jose State won’t get past Hawaii, this conference game will be worth checking out.

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s Homecoming:

SJSU’s record
0-3, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost at #20/#23-Oregon, 35-22, on September 15.

Hawaii’s record
4-1, 1-0 Mountain West. The Rainbow Warriors defeated Duquesne, 42-21, on September 22.

The Last Meeting
SJSU 26, Hawaii 37 on October 14, 2017 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Big Plays, Costly Penalties Factor Into 37-26 Loss To Hawaii
SJSU had a season-high 504 yards of total offense, another long Bryce Crawford field goal and a kickoff return for a touchdown in its 37-26 loss at Hawaii.

Tickets
sjsuspartans.com/tickets

ticketmaster.com

Athletics Ticket Office, 1393 S. 7th Street, San Jose, CA 95112, weekdays, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

For home games at CEFCU Stadium
New modern family plan.

Spartan alumni season ticket pricing in a distinct seating section.

Play-by-play radio coverage
KLIV (1590 AM, San José) originates SJSU football broadcasts. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Hawaii broadcast begins at 3:30 pm with a pregame show.

SJSU’s network affiliate is KION (1460 AM/101.1 FM, Salinas).

KSJS (90.5 FM) also will broadcast the game. The pregame show starts at 3:45 pm.

Television
Spectrum Sports will provide play-by-play coverage of the SJSU-Hawaii game. Robert Kekaula calls the play-by-play. Rich Miano provides analysis and commentary.

The game will be available on the Stadium app for those on the mainland.

Residents of Hawaii can watch the game live on a pay-per-view basis.

Series history
Hawaii leads the series, 20-19-1, with one cancellation. The Rainbow Warriors have won the last two meetings between these teams including a 37-26 decision in Honolulu last year. The Spartans’ last win in the series was a 42-23 road victory in 2015. SJSU’s last victory over Hawai’i in San Jose was on October 14, 2011 when SJSU edged Hawaii, 28-27. The one cancellation in the series was the December 16, 1941 game in Honolulu. The game was canceled following the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. The Spartans traveling party arrived in Hawaii on December 3.

Mountain West openers
SJSU seeks its first win in a Mountain West opener since joining the conference in 2013. The Spartans lost Mountain west openers to Utah State (2013, 2017), Nevada (2014), at Air Force (2015) and at New Mexico (2016). The last time SJSU won a conference opener was in 2008 when SJSU staged a second-half comeback to win at Hawaii, 20-17, when both teams were Western Athletic Conference members.

Three consecutive home games
For the first time since 2007, SJSU’s playing three consecutive games as a home team starting with Hawaii on September 29. The Spartans host Colorado State on October 6 and Army West Point at Levi’s Stadium on October 13. In 2007, SJSU hosted UC Davis, Idaho and Hawaii on consecutive weeks.

Homecoming: The Hawaii game will be SJSU’s Homecoming Game for the 2018 season. SJSU has a record of 47-32-2 in Homecoming Games. When Hawai’i was in San Jose in 2016, the Rainbow Warriors were the Homecoming opponent and emerged with a 34-17 victory.

SJSU’s 1-2 in Homecoming games when Hawaii’s the opponent. The Spartans defeated the Rainbow Warriors, 28-27, in the 2011 Homecoming contest and lost 45-38 in 2005.

Hall of Fame weekend
The Hawaii football game caps a week of SJSU Sports Hall of Fame activities. The 2018 induction ceremony is Friday, September 28. This year’s Hall of Fame class will be introduced during halftime of the football game. After this year’s class, there will be more than 380 individuals and teams enshrined in the SJSU Sports Hall of Fame.

2018 Inductees
Charlie Clark (deceased), track & field & cross country–NCAA steeplechase champion; cross country All-American.

Krazy George, cheerleader (1968-present).

James Jones, football (2003-06)–Super Bowl XLV champion; Most NFL pass receptions by a SJSU football player.

Pat Martinez, softball (1993-96)–Only four-time all-region player.

Juliet Moss, women’s water polo (2006-09)–First Spartan selected to the USA National Team.

Gerardo Padilla, judo (1979-82)–Three-time Olympian representing Mexico.

Lisa Walton, women’s golf (1991-94)–Three-time All-American; 1992 NCAA championship team member.

1971 men’s water polo team–NCAA Championship runner-up with a 20-1 record.

Crawford’s kicks
Senior Bryce Crawford is listed among the top-50 kickers in three categories for the second week in a row. He ranks 33rd in both field goals per game (1.33/game) and field goal accuracy (80.0 percent) and 35th in punting (43.0/punt).

No other FBS kicker is listed in the top-50 in those three categories.

Third in the nation
Senior Dakari Monroe ranks third nationally in passes defended heading into this week’s action. Monroe has a 2.67 per game average with two interceptions, one vs. UC Davis and his second at Oregon, and six pass break ups.

SJSU’s Homecoming is going to be lit, so you should come on down and cheer for the Blue and Gold. The Spartans need more than just luck to snap the three-game losing skid and get their first conference win of the season.

Brent Brennan talks San Jose State homecoming vs. Hawaii in Monday’s presser

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — This week, San Jose State’s goal is to beat Hawaii for the first time since 2015. The Spartans haven’t defeated the Rainbow Warriors since Nick Rolovich was sworn in as Hawaii’s head coach in 2016. But, of course, that’s easier said than done. The Spartans can’t take the 2018 Homecoming game with a grain of salt.

Here’s my Q&A with Spartans head coach Brent Brennan. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading.

1. I saw this past weekend the Spartans’ coaching staff went on the road to find more Spartans from the state of California. How did that search go and were there any players worth noting?
Brennan was unable to talk about the players worth noting, but reassured everybody there were a lot of players worth noting.

Brennan added, “I, and our coaching staff went all over California–Northern California, Sacramento, Southern California, San Diego, Inland Empire and Los Angeles–and we found a lot of talented, hard-working players in the state of California.”

2. Boogie Roberts and Demanuel Talauati earned spots on the PFF College Team of the Week as the two highest-graded defensive linemen in the Mountain West. What could the younger defensive players learn from these two?
For your information, Demanuel Talauati is a true freshman who is learning every time he steps on the field, whether it’s a practice or a game; but he’s a talented young man.

Brennan spoke of Boogie Roberts, saying, “Boogie has been a great leader for us. He has been playing his tail off and I’m really proud of him. And, that defensive front, that group is playing really hard. Bryson Bridges, Sailosi Latu…there are lots of young guys playing there. Obviously, D-Man (Demanuel Talaluati), but there’s also Cameron Alexander, E.J. Ane and many other guys. … I’m encouraged by their play and I’m really proud of Boogie (Roberts).”

3. Beyond Football partnered with Brenda Tracy for a Set The Expectation game on October 6th. What are a few things the fans should know about this upcoming game?
Brennan said, “So that’s going to be our game versus Colorado State in two weeks or 10 days. … Brenda Tracy came and spoke with our team last spring and it was just a really powerful message for everyone who has ever heard it or was in the room that day. … It’s really important for young men, young women, everybody, including adults. … Her story is incredibly compelling. … Partnering with her and Set The Expectation is going to be a really exciting step for our program. I’m excited for our players to be involved with something this proactive and this healthy. … Society–how men and women interact and get along–needs a better step in the right direction.”

Brennan emphasized, “The most important thing…The coaches’ wives are going to be selling t-shirts at the game with Set The Expectation and all the proceeds will be going to Tracy’s program.”

4. SJSU has to heal after back-to-back games against the Pac-12. How prepared are the Spartans coming into Homecoming and how can they get their first conference win of the season?
Brennan said, “We had a good week of practice last week during the bye and we need to have another good week of practice this week. The only way for us to get better is to put in the work and keep taking the steps in the right direction everyday–whether that’s academically, off-the-field, weight room or in the practice environment. The thing I love about this team is that they come to work everyday and they really enjoy being around each other. We got an awesome day today with the San Jose Police Department and they were totally engaged with the lessons and were into the moments. They just enjoyed being around each other.”

Brennan added, “I honestly believe if we continue to work and continue to do things the right way, it’s going to pay off for us. And, in order to beat Hawaii, we need to do a lot of things right. We gotta start by not turning it over. We need to hold up against their offense. Obviously, our offense needs a tune up. We need to do a great job finding and moving the football on the field.”

SJSU has the rest of the week to gear up to host Hawaii this Saturday at 4:00 pm PDT.

San Jose State football kept busy during bye week

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State football team went back to work during the much-needed bye week. There was nearly a week of football practices along with two rest days for the players, especially the out-of-town freshmen, to return home and see their friends and families.

Spartans head coach Brent Brennan will address the media members in his weekly press conference at Simpkins Stadium Center on Monday afternoon. But, in the meantime, let’s take a look at what you need to know before the the Spartans’ much-anticipated homecoming game versus the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

Game #4
Upcoming game
San Jose State vs. Hawaii
Saturday, September 29, 2018
CEFCU Stadium, San Jose, Calif., 4:00 p.m. (PT) Spectrum Sports/Stadium

SJSU record
0-3, 0-0 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost at No. 20/No. 23 Oregon, 35-22, on September 15th.

Hawaii record
3-1, 1-0 Mountain West. The Rainbow Warriors lost at Army West Point, 28-21, on September 15th.

Tickets
sjsuspartans.com/tickets or ticketmaster.com.

The Athletics Ticket Office is located on 1393 S. 7th Street, San José, CA 95112 on weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

What’s new at CEFCU Stadium? 
• New modern family plan
• Spartan alumni season ticket pricing in a distinct seating section

Radio Coverage
KLIV, 1590 AM, San Jose originates SJSU football broadcasts. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Hawaii broadcast begins at 3:30 pm PDT with a pregame show.

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

Television Coverage
Spectrum Sports will provide play-by-play coverage of the SJSU vs. Hawaii game. Robert Kekaula calls the play-by-play. Rich Miano provides analysis and commentary.

Series History
Hawaii leads the series, 20-19-1, with one cancellation. The Rainbow Warriors have won the last two meetings between these teams, including a 37-26 decision in Honolulu last year.

The Spartans’ last win in the series was a 42-23 road victory in 2015. SJSU’s last victory over Hawaii in San Jose was on October 14, 2011 when SJSU edged Hawaii, 28-27.

The one cancellation in the series was the December 16, 1941 game in Honolulu. The game was canceled following the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor. The Spartans’ traveling party arrived in Hawaii on December 3rd.

Three Consecutive Home Games
For the first time since 2007, SJSU’s playing three consecutive games as a home team starting with Hawaii on September 29th. The Spartans host Colorado State on October 6 and Army West Point at Levi’s Stadium in nearby Santa Clara, Calif., on October 13. In 2007, SJSU hosted UC Davis, Idaho and Hawaii on consecutive weeks.

Homecoming
The Hawaii game will be SJSU’s Homecoming Game for the 2018 season. SJSU has a record of 47-32-2 in Homecoming Games.

When Hawaii was in San Jose in 2016, the Rainbow Warriors were the Homecoming opponent and emerged with a 34-17 victory.

SJSU’s 1-2 in Homecoming games when Hawaii is the opponent. The Spartans defeated the Rainbow Warriors, 28-27, in the 2011 Homecoming contest and lost 45-38 in 2005.

Spartans Match 2017 Interception Total
Only three games into the season, SJSU’s six interceptions matches its season total for 2017. The Spartans presently rank seventh nationally with their six interceptions heading into the action the week ending September 22nd. Dakari Monroe and Jesse Osuna share the team lead with two interceptions each and rank tied for 10th nationally in pass interceptions.

A National Co-Leader
Dakari Monroe is one of three players sharing the national lead in passes defended. Monroe has a 2.67 per game average with two interceptions, one vs. UC Davis and his second at Oregon, and six pass break ups.

Tops At His Position
For the second consecutive week, Josh Oliver is the leading pass receiver among FBS tight ends. After three games, Oliver is averaging 6.33 receptions a game and has 19 catches for the season.

Oliver’s the only tight end listed among the FBS’ top 50 pass receivers in games played through September 15th. His 178 receiving yards is second among FBS TEs. USF TE Mitchell Wilcox is first with 182 yards on 14 receptions. Oliver caught a single-game career best eight passes for 86 yards in the opener vs. UC Davis, six at Oregon, including his first touchdown of the season, and five balls for 51 yards at Washington State. 13 of his 19 receptions this season resulted in a SJSU first down.

A High Five For Bryce Crawford 
Bryce Crawford kicked three field goals in a game for the fifth time in his career in the Oregon game. Crawford converted his three attempts of 31, 28 and 25 yards. For the season, he’s 4-of-5 in field goal kicking. His only miss this season is from 53 yards.

San Jose sports podcast with Ana Kieu: Both Earthquakes and Spartans can use paper bags

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes and @SJSUSpartanFB

On the San Jose sports podcast with Ana:

1. The San Jose Earthquakes returned to Avaya Stadium…only to lose to Sporting Kansas City 5-1.

2. Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski put the Native American community first before the match vs. Sporting KC at Avaya Stadium. Wondo is half Native American through his mother, Janis Hoyt, who was born into the Kiowa tribe from Oklahoma. Wondo is also a member of the Kiowa tribe.

3. The Quakes host the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta United at Avaya Stadium tonight. Do you think the Quakes will get blown out again?

4. Despite the 35-22 loss, the San Jose State Spartans put on quite a show against No. 20 Oregon at Autzen Stadium.

5. After the bye week, the Spartans will welcome the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors for this year’s Homecoming game on September 29th. Coach Nick Rolovich and his Rainbow Warriors have proved they weren’t the same team they were last year. What should coach Brent Brennan and his Spartans do in order to prepare for this Mountain West contest? Also, do you think the Spartans can beat Hawaii?

Ana does the San Jose sports podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com!

San Jose State men’s basketball announces 2018-19 TV schedule

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State men’s basketball will play on a nationally televised stage five times during Mountain West play during the 2018-19 season. The conference and its national TV partners finalized the schedule and made the announcement on Wednesday.

“I’m excited that our team will get multiple opportunities to play on a national stage, especially at home,” head coach Jean Prioleau said. “We enjoy having the chance to make some noise and perform at a high level in front of a lot of viewers. The national spotlight is great exposure for this program and I’m excited for our fans and the San Jose community as a whole.”

Two of the five games broadcasted will be played in the Event Center. The Spartans welcome UNLV for a 2 pm PT contest on Sunday, February 16, and New Mexico for a 7 pm PT tip on Tuesday, February 26. Both games will be broadcasted by AT&T SportsNet.

The Spartans’ fans’ first chance to catch SJSU on television will be Wednesday, January 9th at Nevada on CBS Sports Network. The Spartans also have televised road contests slated for Saturday, January 19th at UNLV and Wednesday, February 13th at New Mexico.

Additionally, any SJSU men’s basketball game not on national television will be broadcasted on the MW Network via watchstadium.com. Links for those games will be available all season long on the MBB schedule page and TheMW.com.

Date                                     Location                            Opponent         Network                           Time

1/9/2019                           Reno, Nev.                          Nevada               CBS Sports Network     8:00 p.m. PT

1/19/2019                         Las Vegas, Nev.                 UNLV                    AT&T SportsNet             4:30 p.m. PT

2/13/2019                         Albuquerque, N.M.          New Mexico      AT&T SportsNet             6:00 p.m. PT

2/16/2019                         The Event Center            UNLV                    AT&T SportsNet             2:00 p.m. PT

2/26/2019                         The Event Center            New Mexico      AT&T SportsNet             7:00 p.m. PT

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

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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.”

Three takeaways from SJSU at Oregon

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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.