SAN JOSE — San Jose State’s quick begin has raised various eyebrows.
However there are nonetheless some inquiries to be answered heading into Friday night time’s sport towards fellow unbeaten Washington State in Pullman, Washington.
“People want to see this game,” SJSU first-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo stated. “Are we for real?”
Each groups are 3-0 and Niumatalolo is aware of that this sport can go a good distance in displaying the place SJSU stands within the school soccer world.
“This is far and away the best football team that we have played to date and will probably be one of the top teams that will play this season,” Niumatalolo stated of the Cougars, who not solely are undefeated, however coming off an enormous Apple Cup win over cross-state rival Washington.
Friday’s sport is a homecoming of types for SJSU quarterback Emmett Brown, who spent the previous two seasons with the Cougars.
“It’s a really stout defense,” Brown stated of a WSU protection that’s permitting barely three touchdowns per sport and outscored Washington, Texas Tech and Portland State by a mixed whole of 131-65. “I’ve known them for two years coming from there.”
Brown nonetheless stays associates with lots of his former teammates from Pullman, texting them each day aside from this week.
“So I made a joke right after the (Kennesaw State) game,” Brown stated. “I said, ‘Sorry, I can’t text y’all until next week, it’s hate week.’”
Brown additionally stated his former WSU teammate Ron Stone Jr., who graduated final yr, lives in San Jose and jokingly threatened to return to Brown’s home to offer him nightmares and enhance with Cougars merchandise.
Offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann coached at WSU from 2020-2021, however says this sport shouldn’t be private for him.
He did recall early conversations with Brown this yr discussing this week’s sport.
“We talked about it when we first got here, ‘man we play Washington State,’” Stutzmann stated.
Brown was each a walk-on at WSU and SJSU. He performed in a single sport with the Cougars final season, finishing 2 of 4 makes an attempt for 14 yards and an interception towards Northern Colorado.
Now he’s on scholarship for the Spartans and undefeated as a starter.
“What they’re telling you is you’re not good enough,” Stutzmann stated. “So he’s gonna have a chip on his shoulder and my job this week is to balance that.”
Stutzmann stated it’s essential for Brown to not let his play get emotionally hijacked.
Each Stutzmann and Niumatalolo believed Brown performed his finest sport as a starter towards Kennesaw State final week. Brown was 26 of 38 for a career-high 355 yards and 4 touchdowns. In three video games he’s handed for 915 yards and 9 TDs and finishing practically 61 % of his makes an attempt.
“His biggest leap was being able to not overthink things,” Stutzmann stated. “He’s a guy that likes to study a ton and overthink every possible scenario.”
Niumatalolo stated most significantly Brown has to prepare for a very good protection.
“You gotta take all that emotional stuff, or whatever the other stuff is and just find a way to be able to get ready the best he can to lead our football team,” Niumatalolo stated.
Large receiver Nick Nash has been doing the heavy lifting for SJSU’s offense. Nash leads all FBS gamers in receptions with 34, receiving yards with 485 and receiving touchdowns with six this season.
Nash was named Mountain West Offensive Participant of the Week after his career-high 17 receptions and a career-best 225 yards with three landing catches towards Kennesaw State.
“He’s a former quarterback, he’s seasoned, he’s a savvy football player and so when he has the numbers he does, it’s like, yeah that’s what it should look like because he does it the right way, ” Stutzmann stated of Nash.
However this week gained’t be straightforward for Nash and the SJSU offense.
“I think they’re going to shade (Nash) a little bit with the safety and try to take him away and have us fight left handed,” Stutzmann stated. “So it’s going to be up to us in a short week, how can we devise a plan to to maybe neutralize what they do on defense, to still be able to get the ball to (Nash) and then also be able to run the football well and take advantage of of our other guys.”
The Spartans protection is going through a giant problem as properly.
WSU quarterback John Mateer is the crew’s main rusher with 314 whole dashing yards along with passing for 712 yards and 7 TDs.
“We’ve played some guys that are athletic but this guy’s in a different league,” Niumatalolo stated of Mateer, a sophomore who is also a first-year starter. “Their quarterback is as dynamic as a quarterback as there is in the country.”
SJSU could possibly be with out captain linebacker Taniela Latu who’s questionable to play. Latu is third in whole tackles on protection.
“He’s banged up because he throws his body around. Nothing he does is half speed. Everything’s 1,000 miles per hour,” Niumatalolo stated of the previous Serra Excessive and School of San Mateo star. “He plays reckless out there, not from the standpoint of he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he’s a very cerebral, smart football player.”
WSU is coming off a 24-19 rivalry win over Washington, profitable the Apple Cup at Lumen Area in Seattle.
Niumatalolo as soon as coached in an intense rivalry, the Military–Navy sport.
“Winning your rivalry game is huge and it takes a lot,” Niumatalolo stated. “Emotionally, it’s taxing because you give everything to win that game.”
However he believes WSU’s teaching workers may have their gamers properly ready for Friday night time.
“We have to play at our best to even have a chance against these guys,” Niumatalolo stated.
Brown, who’s all too conversant in the Cougars, says he’s solely targeted on the duty at hand.
“Obviously there’s gonna be a lot of emotional things,” Brown stated. “At the end of the day it’s just another team we gotta play.”
