San Jose State coach Brent Brennan is well aware of the benefits of qualifying for a bowl game after achieving the feat last season for the first time in four tries as the Mountain West champion.
“It’s comparable to having an extra spring ball,” Brennan said. “In the month of December, they get two, three, four weeks of extra practice and then they get to play a game. That’s why, in my opinion, you see a lot of those teams are able to sustain a high level that way is because you get that extra work.”
The Spartans (5-4, 3-2 Mountain West) are unlikely to defend their title considering they sit in fourth place in the Mountain Division.
SJSU trails three teams in the standings:
- No. 23 Fresno State (7-2, 4-1), which it hosts on Thanksgiving Day in the regular-season finale.
- San Diego State (7-1, 3-1), who prevailed 19-13 in double overtime at CEFCU Stadium in mid-October.
- and Nevada (6-2, 3-1), the team the Spartans travel to face on Saturday.
Even if back-to-back conference titles don’t materialize, though, the Spartans can almost taste the postseason with a .500 record securing bowl eligibility.
“We’ve got to win one more, right?” Brennan said. “And we’ve got three games to do it. None of them are more important than the one we’ve got to play this week.”
What must San Jose State accomplish to win in Reno? Here are a few keys to victory to the last road game left on the schedule:
Strong arm the Wolf Pack
Nevada quarterback Carson Strong fuels the most potent offense in the Mountain West, which is averaging 37.6 points per game.
The NFL prospect is not very mobile, but has a cannon for an arm. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior out of Vacaville has thrown for 2,883 yards – fifth in the nation – with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions.
“I don’t think there’s any question that Carson Strong is an NFL player,” Brennan said. “He has an ability to diagnose and deliver the ball quickly and accurately. They’ve done a fantastic job of surrounding him with playmakers and combining that with a really effective and powerful downhill running game.
“When you put all those things together along with his decision-making and his accuracy, they’re incredibly hard to defend.”
The Spartans’ pass rush has come to life in recent weeks and must make Strong uncomfortable dropping back. Defensive end Cade Hall, last year’s Mountain West defensive player of the year, recorded consecutive sacks in the final two minutes to close out Wyoming in Saturday’s 27-21 victory, while fellow bookend Junior Fehoko leads the team with six sacks.
Keep QB upright
The Wolf Pack’s pass rush is on another level, ranking second in the nation with 33 quarterback sacks.
The pace setter is defensive tackle Tristan Nichols, a 6-4, 245-pound senior who is No. 1 in the country with 9½ sacks.
“They get after the quarterback,” Brennan said. “Their back end is long and active. This is a fantastic defense. … They’re incredibly stingy on third down.”
San Jose State is likely to turn to backup QB Nick Nash for a sixth straight game. Nick Starkel has been sidelined by an undisclosed upper-body injury he suffered during the 23-3 loss at Western Michigan on Sept. 25.
Brennan didn’t rule out the chance that Starkel will see the field in the near future.
“I absolutely hope that he’s available here sometime soon,” Brennan said. “You’re going to see him before the season is over with.”
Control time of possession
The Spartans ran for a season-high 238 yards against Wyoming.
Nash’s dual-threat skill-set was on display yet again, as the 6-1, 184-pound junior led SJSU in rushing yards for a second straight week – each time cracking the 100-yard barrier.
San Jose State averaged 180.6 rushing yards per game in five October games and rushed for eight touchdowns during those games.
Spartans tight end Derrick Deese Jr., who for a second year in a row is a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award which honors college football’s best at his position, leads the team with 36 catches for 634 yards and three touchdowns.
His receiving yards are second in the nation for a tight end, behind only Trey McBride of Colorado State.
But Deese, whose father was an offensive tackle in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the 49ers, also impacts the run game. The 6-4, 235-pound senior delivered a pancake block during a 33-yard run by Kairee Robinson in the third quarter against Wyoming.
Take advantage of inside knowledge
San Jose State wide receiver Charles Ross, a transfer from UNLV, played against the Spartans in 2020, though he didn’t catch a pass.
The 6-2, 170-pound transfer returns to his old stomping grounds for Saturday’s contest.
“I hope it’s not emotional for him,” Brennan said. “That’s something that everyone in America is going to be dealing with the onset of the transfer portal.”
Ross caught a key 44-yard touchdown against Wyoming for much-needed insurance points in the second half.
“He’s been a really great addition to our team,” Brennan said. “He’s got a great attitude, great energy, he likes to practice. I think the last few weeks you’ve seen him start to get a little more comfortable in the scheme and get a little more chemistry with Nick Nash, which has been great.”
Meanwhile, SJSU wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Eric Scott spent the previous three seasons on staff at Nevada as its wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator.
“I think the biggest thing on that is probably is insight into some of their personnel,” said Brennan, who warned against overanalyzing any inside knowledge of the opponent and any danger to deviate from tendencies. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword. You can get the old rope-a-dope pulled on you if you’re not playing sound, high-effort offense or defense.”
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