Tag: san jose

SJSU inducts former Green Bay Packers WR James Jones into San Jose Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame

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Photo credit: packersnews.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State Spartans inducted former Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones to the San Jose Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame during halftime of their 2018 Homecoming Game versus the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors inside CEFCU Stadium.

Photo credit: @AnaKieu

Of course, Jones was honored to be inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, but there’s more to the 34-year-old than you’d think and I’m not only saying because I’m a longtime Packers fan. Jones was born and raised in San Jose, Calif. to a poverty-stricken family. Jones lived in many homeless shelters with his mother before he lived with his paternal grandmother during his high school years at Gunderson High School, where he played three sports: basketball, track and field, and football. Jones later earned the quarterback MVP honors in his senior year at GHS.

Unlike some other football prospects, Jones chose to stay close to home and fine-tuned his existing skills at San Jose State University with the much-needed help of wide-out coach Keith “K-Dub” Williams. Jones played college football at SJSU for three years before entering the 2007 NFL Draft, where he was drafted 78th overall by the Packers in the third round. Jones had two stints with the Green and Gold–one from 2007-2013 and the other in 2015. Jones seized a Super Bowl XLV championship ring following the Packers’ 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on February 6, 2011.

Jones announced his retirement on September 6, 2017. After that, Jones became a NFL Network analyst.

Jones posted pretty good statistics in both stints with the Green and Gold. In the regular season, Jones had 45 touchdowns, 5195 yards and 360 receiving yards in 120 games and 62 games started. In the postseason, Jones had four touchdowns, 491 yards and 35 receiving yards in 13 games and six games started.

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.”

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.

Sharks fall to Golden Knights 5-4 in a shootout

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks were back to business at the SAP Center versus the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. In case you need a refresher, San Jose was knocked out by Vegas in the second round of the 2018 NHL Playoffs after sweeping the Ducks in the first round that postseason.

The official introduction of star defenseman Erik Karlsson broke the internet this week. The Karlsson trade changed the Sharks’ defensive pairings, as Karlsson will likely join a fifth in 2018. Karlsson also made headlines for not speaking to the Ottawa Senators’ management since last November when they asked for his no-trade clause. And, of course, the fact the CBA could derail Karlsson’s future in San Jose.

But, let’s focus on what happened on Saturday night inside the SAP Center.

Both teams picked up where they left off. The Sharks and Golden Knights played with a lot of grit, and at times, physicality. Vegas drew first blood as Max Pacioretty scored the opening goal just 43 seconds into the first period. Assists were handed to Erik Haula and Paul Statsny. San Jose, however, tied the score 1-1 just 40 seconds later. Brent Burns scored the game-tying goal. Assists were handed to Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier.

The Sharks took a 2-1 lead with 5:45 left in the first period. Meier’s goal helped put the Sharks in front. A lone assist was handed to Hertl.

Both teams played fairly rough, but the Sharks led the Golden Knights 2-1 after 20 minutes of play. Shots were tied 10-10. But the score wasn’t the only positive for San Jose, who got their first in-game sighting of Karlsson, who spoke to in-game host Jon Root for an entertaining interview.

Sharks fans gave a standing ovation as soon as Joe Thornton made his first appearance since January 23rd to open the second period. Thornton was happy to be back on the rink.

Barclay Goodrow scored a penalty shot goal to extend the Sharks’ lead to 3-1 at the 13:27 mark of the second period. The Golden Knights quickly made it a one-goal game as Oscar Lindberg made a top corner shot. A lone assist was handed to Alex Tuch.

Sharks goalie Martin Jones made a noteworthy glove save to fend off a potential Golden Knights goal with 2:11 left in the second period.

The Golden Knights’ Erik Brannstrom was called for holding, and as a result, the Sharks went on the power play. Logan Couture then worked his magic with a short-handed goal with just 58 seconds left in the second period. A lone assist was handed to Hertl.

The Sharks carried a 4-2 lead to the locker room after 40 minutes of play. Shots were 18-16 in favor of San Jose.

The remaining 17 seconds of Joe Pavelski’s slashing penalty was carried over into the third period. The Sharks killed off their captain’s penalty, but the Golden Knights gave the home team a hard time as they pulled within one again. Lindberg earned credit for the goal, which was his second of the night, 5:05 into the third period.

The Golden Knights weren’t far from quitters, as Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored a short-handed, game-tying goal to tie the score 4-4 (and his team killed their penalty, too) with less than two minutes left in the third period.

The score remained in a 4-4 tie, and both teams went to overtime for the first time this preseason.

Neither team was able to score in overtime, so the game had to be decided by a shootout.

In round one, Pavelski was the first shooter, but Golden Knights goalie Maxime Lagace made a notable save to prevent a potential Sharks point. In round two, both Couture and Tuch scored. In round three, neither Pacioretty or Evander Kane scored. In round four, neither Hertl or Brandon Pirri scored. In round five, neither Burns or Lindberg scored. In round six, Thornton missed his shot, while Brannstorm scored the shootout winner to lift the Golden Knights to a 5-4 win over the Sharks.

Notes
Sharks’ starters: Brenden Dillon, Joe Pavelski, Evander Kane, Joe Thornton and Justin Braun.

Sharks’ scratches: Ryan Merkley and Sasha Chmelevski.

Tonight’s featured player was Logan Couture.

Tonight’s attendance was 15,496.

Sharks Fan Fest will be held on Sunday, September 23 from 1-7 pm PDT. More information can be found at sjsharks.com/fanfest.

The San Jose Barracuda will begin the 2018-19 AHL season on Friday, October 5. More information can be found at www.sjbarracuda.com/news/detail/barracuda-home-opener-two-weeks-away-oct-5.

Up Next 
The Sharks head to Calgary to take on the Flames in a preseason tilt on Tuesday, September 25 at 6:00 pm PDT.

Sharks rout the Ducks 4-1 in preseason game No. 1

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Photo credit: @SiriusXMNHL

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — No, the regular season hasn’t started yet, but the San Jose Sharks opened up the preseason at SAP Center versus the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

For the Sharks, the recent acquisition of Ottawa Senators star defenseman Erik Karlsson might signal the dawn of a new era in San Jose. The Sharks welcomed Karlsson to San Jose with a full page color ad in Monday’s edition of The Mercury News. The Sharks reportedly will offer Karlsson an eight-year contract extension.

Karlsson revealed that he never wanted to leave Ottawa after a season full of controversy, but I’m almost certain that he’ll get comfortable with California now that he’s expected to practice with the Sharks on Wednesday.

In other news, Mike Hoffman’s fiancee, Monika Caryk, said she won’t sue Karlsson’s wife, Melinda Currey, over allegations of cyberbullying.

For the Ducks, there has been a lot of debating over questions surrounding their training camp. The Ducks’ recent trades may or may not change the balance of power in the Pacific Division, but I’ll wait for the regular season to start before commenting on that.

Anyhow, let’s get to the Sharks vs. Ducks preseason game.

Despite an action-packed first period, the game was in a scoreless tie. Shots were 14-6 in favor of San Jose.

Just moments after Gibson’s penalty expired, Brenden Dillon was called for tripping at the 16:30 mark of the second period. And, to make things worse, Anton Rodin gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead with his first power play goal of the preseason at the 15:31 mark of the second period. Assists were handed to Corey Tropp and Brandon Montour.

But the Sharks bounced back nicely. Rourke Chartier scored the game-tying goal at the 12:23 mark of the second period. A lone assist was handed to Ivan Chekhovich.

The Ducks pulled Jared Coreau in favor of Kevin Boyle with 8:06 left in the second period. However, the Ducks’ decision didn’t work in their favor.

The Sharks took a 2-1 lead with 4:35 left in the second period. Chekhovich scored his first goal of the preseason. A lone assist was handed to Barclay Goodrow.

The Sharks brought a 2-1 lead to the locker room following a gutsy second period. Shots were 29-15 in favor of San Jose.

The Sharks were feisty late in the third period. Barclay Goodrow tallied a goal–his first to extend the Sharks’ lead to 3-1 with 1:49 left in regulation. Assists were handed to Tim Heed and Radim Simek. Shortly after, Chekhovich scored his second goal of the game (and preseason) to expand the Sharks’ lead to 4-1. Assists were handed to Goodrow and Dylan Gambrell.

The Sharks defeated the Ducks 4-1 in their first preseason game of 2018.

Notes
Tonight’s attendance was 13,926.

Sharks’ roster 
Forwards: Dylan Gambrell, Marcus Sorensen, Barclay Goodrow, Joonas Donskoi, Antti Suomela, Vincent Praplan, Tomas Hertl, Lukas Radio, Sasha Chmelevski, Rourke Chartier, Kevin Labanc, Ivan Chekhovich and Maxim Letunov.

Defensemen: Brenden Dillon, Ryan Merkley, Joakim Ryan, Radim Simek, Nick DeSimone, Tim Heed and Jeremy Roy.

Goalies: Antoine Bibeau and Zachary Emond.

Up Next
The Sharks head to Anaheim to take on the Ducks in a preseason rematch on Thursday, September 20 at 7:00 pm PDT.

About time: Earthquakes part ways with both head and assistant coaches

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes made headlines Monday morning when they announced that they’ve parted ways with head coach Mikael Stahre and assistant coach Alex de Crook.

For many fans, however, these firings should’ve happened a long time ago. Like, 10 or more matches ago. The Quakes made the MLS Wild Card match last year and lost to the Vancouver WhiteCaps, but this year, this team will not see the playoffs.

Here’s the official press release, courtesy of the San Jose Earthquakes.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has parted ways with head coach Mikael Stahre and assistant coach Alex de Crook. Assistant coach Steve Ralston has been elevated to interim head coach for the team’s final six matches of the 2018 MLS regular season, while Alex Covelo will serve as an assistant on Ralston’s staff. The Earthquakes have begun their search for a permanent head coach.

“I would like to thank Mikael and Alex for their hard work and professionalism this season,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “Mikael has qualities, both as a person and a coach, that will be missed by players, staff and the front office alike.

“We felt we needed a change and decided that the six remaining games represent an opportunity for all of us to begin heading in a new direction and to evaluate our options actively with a single goal in mind: to strengthen our First Team for the upcoming season and beyond.”

Stahre and de Crook were two of the three additions to the coaching staff ahead of the 2018 season, along with goalkeeper coach Jyri Nieminen. Nieminen will continue in his role with San Jose.

Ralston, 44, joined the Earthquakes as an assistant coach in 2015 after four years in the same capacity with the Houston Dynamo.

A native of St. Louis, Ralston retired from Major League Soccer in 2010 as the league’s all-time leader in assists (135), games played (378), starts (372), and minutes (33,143). He played in four MLS Cup finals for New England and was named an MLS All-Star seven times. He received MLS Best XI recognition three times during his 15-year playing career and is the only three-time recipient of the MLS Fair Play Award in league history.

Internationally, Ralston scored four goals in 36 appearances for the United States National Team, including the game-winning goal against Mexico on September 3, 2005 to clinch qualification for the World Cup.

Covelo, 40, joined the Earthquakes in April of 2017 as the team’s Director of Methodology. He later served as an assistant coach for the Quakes during the last four months of the 2017 season, helping the club reach the playoffs after recording a 5-1-1 record in their final seven home matches. He returned to his original role following the 2017 season, where he’s worked extensively with San Jose’s young Homegrown Players and youth academy.

These firings came a little too late, but who knows, maybe the Quakes will pull off an upset over Atlanta United this coming Wednesday.

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

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Photo credit: @mercnews

By: Ana Kieu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the SJ sports podcast with Ana:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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