Gear Up For Game Day: San Jose State
SAN JOSE, Calif., -- As always, I love to utilize this space each week during the season to not only give you the important info -- game time, TV channel, betting lines, etc. -- but also drop a bit of randomness on your plate.
So here goes.
When I think about San Jose State football a few games immediately come to mind.
Remember Robert Herron's 93-yard touchdown snag against the Spartans back in 2013. Wyoming's senior speedster snagged a bubble screen from Brett Smith, made one juke and it was off to the races. Shaun Wick was a monster that day in the bay, rushing for 234 yards on just 17 carries. Brandon Miller chipped in with 82 more.
David Fales, though, was just a tad better.
The former Wyoming quarterback, who took a summer class in Laramie before returning to Monterey Peninsula College, completed 27-of-37 passes for 482 yards and five touchdowns. Three wideouts -- Tyler Winston, Chandler Jones and Billy Freeman -- all eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards that day, too. Jarrod Lawson added 128 more on the ground as the Spartans rolled up 642 yards of total offense.
It was a game like this that likely led to Dave Christensen's ouster at season's end. SJSU won 51-44. The Cowboys' defense gave up at least 48 points in four straight losses. The game that snapped that skid: a 59-56 victory over visiting Hawaii.
I still cringe when I think about the 2017 meeting inside CEFCU Stadium.
With Josh Allen on the sidelines in street clothes, Nick Smith completed just 17-of-37 throws for 171 yards, a touchdown and two picks. SJSU's only win to that point was over Cal Poly, an FCS team. The Spartans picked up No. 2 that night, knocking off the Cowboys, 20-17.
Even a 139-yard rushing performance by Kellen Overstreet couldn't stop that embarrassment.
The last time these two met back in 2022, still serves as Andrew Peasley's only home loss in a Wyoming uniform. His counterpart, Chevan Cordeiro, threw for 314 yards and a touchdown and running back Kairee Robinson gashed the Pokes for 102 yards and a score in a 33-16 homecoming victory inside War Memorial Stadium.
Peasley connected on just six passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing with 74, including a 61-yard jaunt. The defense gave up 456 yards of total offense. The offense punted six times. Ugly stuff.
Bottom line, SJSU has owned this series of late, winning five of the last six meetings. The Cowboys haven't won in San Jose since 1996.
Joe Tiller's 25th-ranked squad rolled to a 45-22 victory on the back of Len Sexton, who rushed for 184 yards and found the end zone three times. Josh Wallwork also added three touchdown passes in the win.
On a personal note:
I will be taking my 2-year-old daughter Holland to this game in San Jose. My step dad John, whether he likes it or not, is about to help with that task.
My sister Chelsea lives with her husband Riley and daughter Reagan at Vandenberg Air Force Base. My mom Kathy is there helping out while Riley heads up to Alaska to do important, I'm assuming, Space Force stuff.
They are going to make the near four-hour trip up the coast to come watch the Cowpokes and spend a few days with us.
We are kind of turning this into an annual thing. The family went to the UNLV game in Las Vegas last season. They sat in a luxury suite, thanks to some awesome Wyoming fans, inside Allegiant Stadium while I worked upstairs.
The jealousy was very real that night.
It's really important to me to expose my daughter to Wyoming athletics. Though she is still a little too young to really know what's going on, I want her to fall in love with the Cowboys like I did when I was a youngster. Going to games in Laramie was always so special. It still is. She has already been to Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, Vegas and now San Jose.
Hopefully one day she will gloat about that. I know I will, obviously.
MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* 7220sports.com Kickoff Show: Show Me Something Good
* Nick Nash a beneficiary of 'spread and shred' offense
* Wyoming's Harrison Waylee: 'I'm going to stay here"
* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 6
* Mountain West Officially Invites Hawaii as Fulltime Member
* Around the Mountain: Take a bow, Tory
* Know Wyoming's foe: San Jose State Spartans
* Midterm Report: Wyoming's defense at the midway point
* Midterm Report: Wyoming's offense at the midway point
* Wyoming Football: News and notes ahead of San Jose State
* Pokes can't hang on late, fall to visiting Aztecs, 27-24
* Turning point, unsung hero and what's next for UW Football
* LIVE FILE: Wyoming vs. San Diego State
* Rants and Raves: SDSU Edition
Who went to SJSU:
North Texas had some impressive alums, especially in the music category. San Jose State might give the Mean Green a run for their money.
Doug Clifford (drummer - Creedence Clearwater Revival), Stu Cook (base - CCR), Lindsey Buckingham (guitar/ co-vocalist - Fleetwood Mac), Stevie Nicks (vocalist - Fleetwood Mac), Tom Johnston (guitar/ vocalist - The Doobie Brothers), Patrick Simmons (guitar/ vocalist - The Doobie Brothers), Paul Kantner (guitar - Jefferson Airplane) and Bryan Mantia (drums - Primus, Guns N' Roses) all went to school in San Jose.
So did Kurtwood Smith, better known as Red Foreman, on That 70's Show, along with OJ Simpson prosecutor Christopher Darden and competitive eater Joey Chestnut.
There have been some impressive Spartan quarterbacks: Steve DeBerg, Jeff Garcia, David Fales and Roy Zimmerman. How about those coaches: Dick Vermeil, Bill Walsh, Jack Elway and Terry Donahue.
Here is all you need to know -- and the links -- for Saturday's tilt in San Jose:
WHO: Wyoming (1-5, 1-1) at San Jose State (4-2, 2-1)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. MST
WEATHER: High of 82, low 57, sunny, wind 8 mph
WHERE: CEFCU Stadium, San Jose, Calif., (30,456 capacity)
TRAVEL: CalTrans
STREAMING: Mountain West Network
TV: None
RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network
TICKETS: Wyoming Ticket office
BOX SCORE: ESPN
ROSTERS: Wyoming / SJSU
HISTORY: Wyoming leads the all-time series 7-6
BETTING ODDS: SJSU -11, O/U 50.5
HEAD COACHES: Jay Sawvel / Ken Niumatalolo
Meet the Spartans:
* Head coach: Ken Niumatalolo (1st year) 4-2 overall record, 2-1 in Mountain West play
* Offensive coordinator: Craig Stutzmann (1st year); Defensive coordinator: Derrick Odum (8th season)
* Record in 2023: 7-6 overall, 6-2 in Mountain West Conference
* Offense in 2024: Average 33.5 ppg, 416 ypg (84.3 rush, 331.7 pass)
* Defense in 2024: Allow 26.2 ppg, 373.8 ypg (166.2 rush, 207.7 pass)
* Key Players - Offense: Emmett Brown (QB - 118-200, 1,551 yds, 16 TD, 4 INT; 24 rush, -21 yds, TD), Walker Eget (QB - 32-45, 397 yds, INT; 4 rush, 19 yds), Floyd Chalk IV (RB - 71 rush, 334 yds, 7 TD; 4 catch, 27 yds), Jabari Bates (RB - 39 rush, 176 yds), Nick Nash (WR - 62 catch, 806 yds, 10 TD), Justin Lockhart (WR - 25 catch, 403 yds, 3 TD), TreyShun Hurry (WR - 13 catch, 205 yds, TD), Jackson Canaan (TE - 13 catch, 160 yds, TD), Jacob Stewart (TE - 16 catch, 136 yds, 2 TD)
* Key Players - Defense: Jordan Pollard (LB - 60 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 PBU, INT), Robert Rahimi (S - 38 tackles, sack, PBU, 2 INT), Jordan Cobbs (LB - 31 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT), Taniela Latu (LB - 29 tackles, PBU), Isiah Revis (DB - 28 tackles, 3 PBU), Ethan Powell (LB - 27 tackles, 2 PBU, INT), DJ Harvey (DB -26 tackles, sack, 3 PBU, 2 INT, FR, TD)