Boise State vs San Jose State University

#21 Boise State University (-16) at San Jose State University

Date: Saturday, November 2nd, 2019

Time: 8:30MT

Stadium: CEFCU “Citizens Equity First Credit Union” Stadium  (30,456)

TV: CBSSN

Know Thy Enemy

Do you know the way to San Jose? Well the Broncos (6-1,3-0) are about to find out as they travel to “The Capital of Silicon Valley” to take on Sammy Spartan and  San Jose State University. SJSU (4-4, 1-3) is coming into this week on a high note, beating Army 34-29 last Saturday and avenging a horrible 52-3 home loss to the Black Knights in 2018. The Spartans are much improved this season, having already surpassed their win total from 2017 and 2018 combined! With the 4-4 start to the season, the Spartans are on pace to finish 6-6 and go to their first bowl game since 2015. San Jose State still has Boise State, UNLV, Hawaii, and Fresno State left on their schedule and would have to win two of those four games to reach a bowl game. It seems as though Hawaii and UNLV are the Spartans best chances at getting those two wins. Last season, SJSU fell in triple overtime to Hawaii and have beaten UNLV eight out of the last nine times. Head Coach Brent Brennan said, “Our thing is always win the next game- that’s all you can do.” And that next game is against BSU.

The Spartans will feature a vertical passing attack that is lead by their Senior quarterback Josh Love. Love will have plenty of targets to throw to, with three receivers having at least 25 receptions and eight different players in double digits in receptions. Love’s main three targets are Tre Walker, Bailey Gaither, and Isaiah Hamilton. Both Walker and Hamilton had close to 100 yards receiving last week against Army. Don’t look for San Jose State to run the ball much on Saturday, as they are have carried the rock roughly  15 times in their last three games for an average of  a little over 50 yards per game. Their leading rusher, DeJon Packer only has 268 yards on the ground this season.

The Spartan Defense is lead by their terrific linebacker corps. Ethan Aguayo, the tastefully named Kyle Harmon, and Jesse Osuna all are in the top 5 in both tackles and sacks. Osuna, however, was ejected in the second half of last week’s game with a targeting penalty, which will cause him to miss the first half of this week's game. One other thing that the Spartans do well is create turnovers. SJSU is 2nd in the country in turnovers gained with 19. Their secondary, led by Nehemiah Shelton, Brandon Ezell and Bobby Brown II, all have three interceptions on the season.

Boise State and San Jose State have met 13 times in school history. Boise State is 13-0 in those games. The Spartans have fared better at home in this series, losing by 21.5 points per game as opposed to 33.14 points per game when playing on the Blue. Boise State will be just the second ranked opponent to come to San Jose State since the University of South Florida came to town in week 1 of the 2017 season.

What Happened Last Year in 2016

Due to the rotating Mountain West schedule, the Broncos and the Spartans last went toe-to-toe on the first Saturday of November in 2016.

The Broncos looked sluggish coming out of the gates, nursing a small lead of 7-6 into the second quarter. However, the Broncos got the spark they needed with a little trickeration. On 4th and 12 from their own 37 yard line, Boise State punter Sean Wale took the snap and raced 29 yards for a first down. Three plays later, Alexander Mattison scored on a 19-yard run to extend their lead to 14-6.

The Spartans would strike back and close the gap to 14-13 with just 10 minutes left in the half, but that is as close as SJSU would get. Boise State would extend their lead to 38-16 with touchdowns from Jeremy McNichols and Cedric Wilson. The Broncos would end up winning the game 45-31 behind strong performances from Jeremy McNichols and Alexander Mattison, racking up 298-yards on the ground combined. Brett Rypien was also a cool 16 of 21 for 219 yards and three touchdown tosses.

Players to Watch

SJSU

Rs.SR., Josh Love, QB #12

There is so much love for Josh Love on the SJSU campus. Love a Senior from Mission Viejo, California, has started every game for the Spartans this season and has started 17 games in his career. Love is a gunslinger, averaging just under 300 yards per game passing and has eclipsed the 400 yard mark three times so far in 2019. Love also has thrown for multiple touchdowns in 6 of 8 games, and has 15 total touchdown passes this season to go along with only 3 interceptions. The Spartans offense really runs through Love, and the Broncos will have to shut him down if they want to win.

Sr., Bailey Gaither, WR #84

Gaither, a senior out of Paso Robles, California, has been on a scoring streak as of late. Gaither has caught a touchdown pass in each of the last four games and has been one of the top pass catchers for the Spartans this season. Gaither is second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards, only behind Tre Walker, who is leading the team in both categories. Both Walker and Gaither are big targets for the Spartans, but Gaither seems to be the one more likely to get in the endzone. Look for the Broncos to key on #84.

So., Kyle Harmon, LB #45

Kyle Harmon a sophomore from Antioch, California, is having a very productive year for the Spartans. With 62 to his name, Harmon is third on the team in total tackles, including a 14 tackle performance last week against Army. That was Harmon’s second double digit tackle game of the season. Harmon has had more than 7 tackles in 6 of 8 games this season. Harmon has also been somewhat of a havoc creator, forcing three fumbles this season, two of which came against New Mexico. With Osuna out for the first half of this week’s game, look for Harmon to pick up the slack for the SJSU defense.

Boise State

Fr., George Holani, RB #24

George Holani has begun to gain the trust of the Bronco coaching staff and may start to get most of the touches depending on how severe the injury is to Robert Mahone. When asked about the freshman, Coach Harsin said, “He came from a good program and it shows...his whole work ethic is really special.” Holani looks like he can handle a more prominent role for the Broncos; in their last game he went for a cool 100 yards on 20 carries. With that performance, Holani now has 463 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Rs.JR., Avery Williams, CB #26

Williams, the junior out of Pasadena, California, hasn’t been lighting up the stat sheet this year, but for good reason: opposing quarterbacks won’t throw to the receiver that he is covering. More times than not, Williams will be tasked with covering the other team’s #1 receiver. This week yet again he will be match up across from Tre Walker, the Spartans top target. Look for Williams to play a big part in the Broncos success on Saturday.

Rs.JR., Jalen Walker, CB #15

Jalen Walker, the junior out of Lawndale, California, is the corner that lines up across the defense from Williams. Walker has more stats this season than Williams, but mostly that is due to the fact that opposing teams like their chances against Walker than they do against Williams. Walker has done well in his first season as the primary starter at corner, making 26 tackles and having four pass break-ups. This week all eyes will be on Walker and Williams to see how they defend the SJSU passing attack. Look for Walker to also play a big part in shutting down the Spartans offense.

Focus Position Group: Defensive Back

The Broncos secondary has been somewhat confusing this season. Players that usually make plays aren’t making plays, leaders have gone down with injury, and the lack of turnovers is dumbfounding. Two weeks ago, Boise State gave up an average of 8.5 yards per pass attempt and 14.7 yards per pass completion, and 10 out of 16 of BYU’s third down conversions were through the air. They played soft coverage and allowed the Cougars to do whatever they wanted in the passing game. This week, they face a team with three very dynamic receivers and quarterback that can more than hold his own. The Defensive secondary has to show up this week and play lock down coverage if the Broncos stand a chance against the Spartans.

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

1.     Pressure, Pressure, Pressure

Josh Love is the real deal. He is big, he looks like he can make all the throws, and for the most part takes care of the football. His 5-to-1 Touchdown to interception ratio is top 15 in the country. Love’s pass protection has been phenomenal this year, with the Spartans O-line only giving up 8 sacks on the season and only 1 in the last three games. On the flip side, Boise State’s pass rush has gone missing in their last couple games, only averaging one sack per game over their last two, compared to almost 4 per game over their first five games. This week, the Broncos must force Love to be uncomfortable in the pocket, which may cause him to make questionable reads in the passing attack.

2.     Discipline (trick plays)

Boise State fell victim to two big trick plays, both of which ended up scoring touchdowns in the loss to BYU. This week, San Jose State is going to give Boise State their very best effort. The Broncos are the highest ranked opponent to come into San Jose in the past two seasons and you have to imagine that the players and fan base are pumped after last week's win against Army. The Spartans will pull out all the stops to try and steal a win against BSU, which may include some trick plays. Boise State will need to keep their “eye discipline” in check and not fall victim to any tricks.

3.     Hold on to the Football

Two week ago Broncos quarterback Chase Chord made two throws that he probably wishes he could have back. Both of Chord’s INTs gave the Cougars the ball in plus territory and BYU would have scored off of both turnovers if it weren't for a missed field goal in the second quarter. Whether it’s Bachmeier or Chord behind center for the Broncos, they will be facing a ball hawking secondary. The Bronco’s can’t afford to give the ball away, especially on the road.

Editorial Note:

The Broncos have had two weeks to think about what happened to them in Provo. In Coach Harsin’s weekly press conference he assured media members that, “we didn’t sit there and sulk...we used that to our advantage.” If the Broncos aren’t prepared and ready, this week could be another one of those sleeper/pitfall type games. SJSU hasn’t averaged more than 16,000 in attendance this season in a stadium that fits twice as many. Combine that with another late start and a team that is fighting for a bowl chance, Boise State could be in for a dog fight. BSU and SJSU have played a couple of nail-biters in the past, including a double overtime game in 2004, and a last second field goal in 2006, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that this one could end the same way. 

 November is the put-up-or-shut-up month in college football, and there is still a lot on the table for the Broncos. First and foremost: a Mountain West Championship.

Broncos find a way to grind out an ugly win.

Boise State 24, San Jose State 17