WEEK 11 GAME SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 9, 2024
San Jose State Spartans vs Oregon State Beavers
Series History
Series Record………………………OSU leads, 5-2
Last Meeting…………………….. 2023 (W, 42-17)
First Meeting………………………..1979 (L, 14-24)
Streak………………………………………………….. Won 5
Last 10……………………………………………………….5-2
In Corvallis ……………………………. OSU leads, 3-1 I
n San José…………………………… OSU leads, 2-1
Neutral site…………………………………………….None
San Jose State Spartans Notes
OPENING DRIVE
• The defending co-regular season Mountain West champions look for their fourth bowl game in the last five years and a third bowl game in a row for the first time in SJSU history. • With a win, the Spartans would be bowl-eligible for the third season in a row for the first time since having four straight seasons with winning records from 1989-92. • The Spartans are 11-4 in their last 15 games overall and are 9-2 in their last 11 conference games. • At 5-3, the Spartans have the best record out of every California FBS school. • The Spartans have won seven bowl games ever; new head coach Ken Niumatalolo has six bowl wins as a head coach. • The Spartans had 11 first-time FBS starters in their game vs. Sac State (8/29/24), which was the fifth most in the country. The Spartans have started 20 first-time FBS starters through six games, the country’s third-most. • The Spartans have seven home games for the first time since 2006 and are 14-2 in their last 16 games at CEFCU Stadium and 20-5 at CEFCU Stadium since 2020. • The Spartans had five takeaways against Sac State (8/29/24), which was the most takeaways for SJSU since having six against New Mexico on Oct. 4, 2019. • SJSU has forced 19 turnovers this season, which is good for third in the nation. The Spartans’ 14 interceptions are good for third in the nation and first in the Mountain West. • The Spartans’ have an even turnover margin which is good for 69th in the country. • Against Nevada (10/5/24), the Spartans had no turnovers for the only time this season. • According to Stats Perform, Nick Nash has a receiving touchdown in eight consecutive games, the longest active streak in FBS and an SJSU record. It’s the longest streak to start a season in MW history. • Also according to Stats Perform, Nash has seven games this season recording at least 90 yards, the most by any FBS player. Nash had at least seven receptions in each of those seven games. The last MW player to have more games with 90+ receiving yards and 7+ catches in a single season than Nash was Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins in 2014 (nine). • This season, Nash leads all FBS players outright in receptions (80), receptions per game (10.0) and receiving touchdowns (12). Nash is the third FBS player since 1996 to have 50+ receptions and 8+ touchdown receptions through the team’s first four games of the season (Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree in 2007 and Louisiana Tech’s Troy Edwards in 1998). • Nash is second in FBS in receiving yards per game (124.4) and second in the country with 995 receiving yards. • Nash was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week (9/16/24) following his career-high 17 receptions for a career-best 225 yards with three touchdown catches in the game. It was the second time in his career Nash has caught three touchdown passes in a game (8/26/23 at No. 6 USC). • Nash is second in SJSU history with 21 receiving touchdowns and has only been a true wide receiver for 22 games. He is eight away from the record by Chandler Jones from 2010-13 and his 12 touchdowns are three away from the SJSU single-season record of 15 by Jones in 2013. • Nash broke the SJSU regular-season reception record of 15 against Kennesaw State with 17 receptions (9/14/24) set by Tuati Wooden (vs. Tulsa, 2003), Steven Pulley (vs. Stanford, 1999), and Guy Liggins (vs. Fresno State, 1986). • Nash had 17 (9/14/24 vs. Kennesaw State) and 16 receptions (9/20/24 at WSU). The 17 receptions are tied for the most for an FBS wide receiver in a single game this season. • Nash has 10 or more receptions in four games this season, which ties an SJSU record (Evan Jurovich, 2007). • Pro Football Focus (PFF) has Nash ranked as the sixth-best wide receiver in the country with a grade of 87.4 and he’s rated as the top slot receiver in the country. • Nash also threw his first touchdown pass since Oct. 30, 2021, and the 11th of his career when he found Jacob Stewart for a 26-yard score (8/29/24 vs. Sac State). Nash is the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass for the Spartans since Tre Walker threw a 54-yard touchdown pass in 2017 against San Diego State. • Nash is only the third FBS player in the last three years to throw a passing touchdown and have two receiving touchdowns in the same game (KJ Concepcion of NC State in 2023 and Xavier Worthy of Texas in 2022). • Nash threw his second touchdown pass of the season against Nevada (10/5/24).
• Nash’s 80 catches this season are only nine away from the SJSU single-season record of 89 in 2011 by Noel Grigsby. Zay Jones has the FBS single-season record of 158 in 2016 for ECU. • According to Stats Perform, Nash is the first Mountain West player to have at least 10 receiving touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in a season. The last FBS player to have such a season was North Carolina’s Quinshad Davis in 2013. • The Spartans have the best passing offense in the Mountain West and are seventh in the country with 2,596 yards, which is 324.5 yards per game. • Only two games this season the Spartans haven’t hit 320 or more yards passing. • The Spartans’ most passing yards in a game last year was 325 and the most this season is 375 yards (Washington St., 09/20/24). • SJSU had a season-high 498 yards of offense against Wyoming (10/19/24). This was the most since the Spartans had 531 yards of total offense at New Mexico on Oct. 14, 2023. • Emmett Brown started for the first time in his SJSU career (Sac State, 8/29/24) and threw for 298 yards which is the most since Clint Carlson in 2001, who threw for 366 yards against Texas-El Paso in his first SJSU start. • Brown threw for 355 yards and four touchdowns against Kennesaw State (9/14/24). The 355 yards passing were the most for the Spartans since Dec. 20, 2022, when Chevan Cordeiro threw for 366 yards, and the four touchdown passes were the most for the Spartans since Cordeiro against Utah State (11/19/22). • Walker Eget started for the first time in his career against Wyoming (10/19/24) and went 20-for-38 with 318 yards and his first career touchdown. • Jordan Pollard led the Spartans with a career-high 17 tackles against Air Force (9/7/24) on his way to winning his first Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week award (9/9/24). • Pollard’s 17 tackles in the game are the eighth most in a game this season. • Pollard has 73 total tackles this season, which is good for third in the Mountain West and 22nd in the nation. • Pollard also had his first career carry at Wash. State (9/20/24) thanks to a fake punt as he ran nine yards for the first down. • Niumatalolo won his first game at SJSU with a 42-24 win over Sac. State (8/29/24), and he is the first SJSU head coach to win his SJSU debut since Ron Caragher in 2013, also against Sac State and one of three to win their first game at SJSU this century. • Niumatalolo’s 42 points scored in the win over Sac. State (8/29/24) were the most for an SJSU head coach in their debut since Jack Elway had 48 in a tie against Utah State on Sept. 8, 1979. • Soane Toia continues to be one of the top-graded defensive tackles in the country by PFF with a 77.7 grade and he was named to their week two college football team of the week. • DJ Harvey had an 85-yard fumble return for his first career touchdown, his first ever fumble recovery, his first career sack, plus his second career interception with seven tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss against Colorado St. (10/12/24). • Harvey is the 33rd-ranked cornerback in the country according to PFF with an 82.2 grade. • Rocket Rahimi picked off his fourth pass of the season at Fresno State (10/26/24) and is second in the Mountain West and fifth in the nation. • Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Derrick Odum is one of two coaches to stay on staff (Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator Kevin McGiven). Odum is going into his eighth season as defensive coordinator at SJSU which is the fourth longest stint for an FBS defensive coordinator currently in the country behind Iowa’s Phil Parker (13), Iowa State’s Jon Heacock (9), and Utah’s Morgan Scalley (9). Odum is the only one with two different head coaches. • Odum was named the MW coordinator of the week by 247 Sports following the Spartans first ever win at Air Force (9/7/24) while holding the Falcons offense to 197 yards, one touchdown; and only 54 passing yards. • The Spartans have 54 tackles for loss which is good for third in the Mountain West and 25th in the nation. • Kicker Kyler Halvorsen has made 67 extra points in a row which is an SJSU record. • The Spartans recovered a successful onside kick at Washington State (9/20/24). Last season the Spartans recovered three onside kicks. • SJSU’s tight ends have combined for 36 catches and three touchdowns with 368 yards receiving. • The Spartans have three Friday games this season which is the most for the Spartans since 2013, ironically they also ended the regular season with Friday home games on Nov. 22 and Nov. 29. On 11/22/13 the Spartans hosted Ken Niumatalolo and Navy at CEFCU Stadium. • Eleven of the Spartans’ 12 regular season games will be on national television including their second season in a row hosting a CBS nationally televised game. It’s the most nationally televised regular season games for the Spartans since 2021. • The last time the Spartans had three home games to finish the season was in 1979. • Redshirt senior wide receiver Justin Lockhart was named to the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list earlier this offseason. Lockhart didn’t play in 2023 due to an injury and in 2022 he had 36 receptions for 578 yards and a touchdown in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl which was the top play on SportCenter that evening. Lockhart scored his first touchdown of the 2024 season against Sac State (8/29/24). • SJSU is the only school in the Mountain West Conference playing both Oregon State and Washington State on the road. Boise State is playing both but at home. • From the 2023 season, only two players return who scored offensive touchdowns last season (Nash, Malikhi Miller). SJSU also returns two players who scored special teams touchdowns a season ago (Matthew Coleman, Justin Stearns). Defensively, the Spartans return one player who scored a touchdown last season (Michael Dansby). Miller hasn’t played in a game this season for the Spartans. • The Spartans have 49 new players this season, which ranks 30th in FBS football. Included in the 49 new players are 30 transfers which ranks 14th most in FBS football. • The Spartans have 52 returning players which puts them only behind North Texas (46) and Colorado (51) for the fewest returning players in FBS football. • SJSU has only 14 players in their final year of eligibility which is tied for third with Iowa State in the country behind Troy (12) and Illinois (12). • Out of the 14 players in their final year of eligibility, only four played their entire career at SJSU. Only Troy (0), SDSU (1), Colorado (1), ODU (3), and Colorado (3) have less. • The Spartans have 101 players on the roster this season which is near the lowest in FBS, last season it was 106. • SJSU had 28 players jump in the transfer portal with half of them ending up at FBS schools and eight going to power four schools. • The Spartans played a very competitive MW schedule last season by playing the teams who finished 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th & 8th in the conference. The Spartans finished second. This season the Spartans play the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 12th place ranked teams in the MW preseason poll plus Washington State and Oregon State on the road. • SJSU rushed for 200 plus yards in four straight games for the first time since 2000 prior to SDSU (11/18/23) and ran for 200 or more yards six times in 2023 which was the most since 2000 as well. The Spartans have gone 13-0 when rushing over 200 yards since 2017.
• Nash led the Spartans last season with 48 receptions for 728 yards and eight touchdowns. No other wide receiver had more than one touchdown last season and the closest to catches was 26 with 347 yards. • Nash is going into his sixth season at SJSU as he started his career as a quarterback here. Even though he was part of the 2019 class, Nash is 25 years old and isn’t even in the top 18 oldest players in college football. The oldest player in college football is Luke Larsen at ECU who is 32 yards old and born on 7/18/92. • Last season was the first time since 1986-87 the Spartans had been to back-to-back bowl games. • Nash earned his first Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors following his three touchdown performance against No. 6 USC (8/26/23) and his second touchdown was the No. 2 play on SportsCenter. • The Spartans’ worst loss last season was to Boise State who went 8-6 (.571). Four of the Spartans’ six losses a year ago were either to teams who won their conference championship game or were in the Pac-12. • In January of 2024, Beca Perez became the first female Director of Player Personnel in SJSU history. She is one of two female DPP’s currently in FBS college football (Zaire Turner – Notre Dame). • Perez started her football career at SJSU as student assistant in 2018 and graduated from SJSU in 2020. Perez also spent time at Army (2022) and most recently at Stanford (2023), where she worked for a year as the Assistant Director of Recruiting for Stanford football. • In 2021, Perez was the recipient of the Women’s Sports Foundation Scott Pioli & Family Fund for Women Football Coaches and Scouts. This is given annually to female football coaches and scouts to defy the gender gap and support their development, education, and training. • Last season, the Spartans had the 14th best pass defense in the nation and best pass defense in the MW averaging just 183.0 yards per game. Against Sac State (8/29/24) the Spartans had six pass breakups. • Last season was the first time the Spartans had ever hosted two ranked teams in the same season and the first since 2018 they had played three ranked teams in the same season. • Redshirt sophomore Matthew Coleman returned his first career punt for a 75-yard touchdown against Cal Poly (9/9/23). Coleman was named MW Freshman of the Week and it was the first punt return TD for the Spartans since Tre Jenkins took one back against Utah State on Nov. 10, 2018. • In 2023, it was the first time the Spartans have had seven or more wins in back-to-back seasons since 1987 and in three of four seasons since 1982. • Since 2020, the Spartans have gone 31-22 (24-12 in conference). From 2020-23, it was the best four year span for the Spartans since winning 26 games from 2012-15. • The Spartans have five Polynesian coaches on their 2024 staff. Head coach Ken Niumatalolo, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann, offensive line coach John Estes, inside linebackers coach Bojay Filimoeatu, defensive line coach Al Lapuaho and senior offensive analyst Billy Ray Stutzmann. • Estes, Filimoeatu and Lapuaho all spent time in the NFL as players. Craig Stutzmann played in the CFL. • Estes played with Hawai’i great Colt Brennan during his collegiate career. Niumatalolo and both Stutzmann brothers also played at Hawai’i. • Offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Craig Stutzmann comes from Texas State where he was one of six finalists for FootballScoop’s National Wide Receivers Coach of the Year last season running his “Spread-and-Shred” offense. Stutzmann also served as a member of the Green Bay Packers Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program in the summer of 2022. • Tight ends coach/run game coordinator Mike Judge comes from the Miami Dolphins where he was an offensive assistant since 2019. Judge started his career under Bill Belichick in 2005 with the New England Patriots. • Cornerbacks coach Greg Burns joins the Spartans from UCLA where he was on the coaching staff since 2021 as a defensive analyst. Burns has been a defensive backs coach for over 20 years, including recent duties on staff at not only UCLA, but Oregon State in 2018, USC in 2019 and in 2020 at Arizona. Burns’ brother, Dexter, played football at SJSU in the 1990’s.
Oregon State Beavers Notes
Game Notes
• Oregon State returns to the field Saturday when the Beavers start the month of November by hosting San José State at Reser Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m. PT. • The game will air live on The CW. JB Long (play-by-play), Michael Bumpus (analyst) and Heidi Watney (sideline) will call the action. • The game will air live on the Beaver Sports Radio Network. For a list of affiliates, turn to page two of these notes. • Every game this season can be heard live on the Varsity Network, a free application available via computer browsers, smartphones and tablets. After downloading the application, search for Oregon State. • The teams are meeting for the eighth time, and fifth in Corvallis. OSU has won five straight, including a 42-17 victory at CEFCU Stadium last season.
Oregon State By The Numbers
3 – Oregon State’s turnover margin of plus-3 in its four wins this season. The Beavers have a negative-six turnover margin in their four losses.
11 – Punts of 50-plus yards for Josh Green, who is credited with just 23 attempts on the season. He has trapped opponents inside their 20 11 times.
13 – Overall touchdowns for Anthony Hankerson, tied for eighth in a single-season at Oregon State.
19 – Home wins for the Beavers over the last 23 games at Reser Stadium.
26 – OSU drives of 10 or more plays this season.
34:31 – Time of possession on average, which is No. 1 nationally. OSU’s best TOP the last 25 seasons was 32:45 in 2005.
216.6 – Average rush yards per game for OSU, ranking the Beavers 12th nationally. Oregon State has scored 24 touchdowns on the ground.
749 – Rush yards for Anthony Hankerson this season. He is aiming for the 19th 1,000-yard season in OSU history.
Against San José State
• Oregon State and San José State are meeting for the eighth time and fifth in Corvallis. • OSU is 5-2 all-time in the series, carrying a five-game win streak into Saturday’s matchup. Three of those five wins came in Corvallis, including the last meeting, a 35-21 victory in 2015. • The Spartans won the first game between the two, 24-14, in 1979 but later forfeited the matchup. • OSU led 21-3 at halftime in last season’s 42-17 win at CEFCU Stadium. The Beavers matched that with 21 points in the second half. • OSU limited SJSU to 279 yards of offense in last season’s win. • The Beavers were 35-21 winners in the 2015 matchup at Reser Stadium. Storm Woods ran for 151 yards in that victory and OSU, despite trailing 21-14 at half, posted 21 third-quarter points for the win. It was punctuated with a 41-yard interception return by Caleb Saulo. • Offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson coached at SJSU from 2017-20. He served as the quarterbacks coach during his tenure and was a 2019 Broyles Award nominee. The Spartans ranked fourth nationally in passing in 2019 (338.0) and 19th in 2020 (298.4).
Utah State Aggies vs Washington State Cougars
AGGIES AND COUGARS SERIES HISTORY
• Utah State and Washington State will be meeting for the fifth time this weekend as the series is tied 2-2. USU has won the last two games against WSU with a 26-23 road win on Sept. 4, 2021, and a 34-14 neutral field win in Spokane on Sept. 30, 1961. Washington State won the first two games in the series with a 33-0 home win in 1949 and a 46-6 road win in 1950.
Utah State Aggies Notes
KICKOFF COVERAGE
• Utah State (2-6, 1-3 MW) plays its final non-conference game of the season at future Pac-12 opponent and 20th-ranked Washington State (7-1, 0-0 Pac-12) on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8:30 p.m. (MT). The game will be televised on The CW (Xfinity Ch. 15/656HD, DISH Ch. 17, DirecTV Ch. 42) with Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Ryan Leaf (analyst) and Nigel Burton (reporter) on the call. • Utah State is 4-4 in its last eight road games and has scored at least 27 points in each of those four road wins. Over the last four years, USU is 13-10 (.565) in road games. • Utah State is second in the Mountain West and 10th in the nation in passing offense (300.9 yards per game) and third in the MW and 13th in the nation in total offense (458.0 ypg). • Graduate QB Spencer Petras is first in the Mountain West and fourth in the nation in completions (26.83 per game), first in the MW and eighth in the nation in passing yards (304.2 per game), second in the MW and 11th in the nation in total offense (308.8 yards per game), and fourth in the MW and 45th in the nation with 13 touchdown passes, which is a career high. Petras is also just five completions and 56 passing yards shy of setting career highs in both of those categories. • Graduate QB Spencer Petras has one 400-yard passing game and three 300-yard passing games this year, both of which are the most by any quarterback in the Mountain West. • Utah State is 6-69 all-time against Associated Press-ranked teams, but has won five of its last 20 games, including its 46-13 win at No. 19 San Diego State in the 2021 Mountain West Championship game, which was its last win against an AP top-25 team. The highest-ranked team USU has ever defeated was at No. 18 BYU (35-20) in 2014. • Utah State is playing a nationally ranked team for the fourth time this season as it lost at No. 13 USC (48-0), lost at home to No. 12 Utah (38-21) and lost at No. 21 Boise State (62-30). It is the third time in school history that USU has played four nationally ranked teams in the same season along with the 2001 and 2008 campaigns.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE
• No. 20 Washington State is 7-1 on the season following its 29-26 win at San Diego State two weekends ago. The Cougars are led by junior QB John Mateer, who is 148-of-242 (.612) passing for 2,153 yards (269.1 ypg) with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mateer also leads the team in rushing with 575 yards on 124 carries (4.6 ypc/71.9 ypg) and 10 touchdowns. And junior WR Kris Hutson has caught 40 passes for 522 yards (13.1 ypr/65.3 ypg) and two touchdowns. Defensively, senior LB Kyle Thornton has a team-best 46 tackles, which includes 5.5 tackles for loss. As a team, Washington State is averaging 38.1 points and 448.4 yards of total offense per game (168.4 rushing, 280.0 passing) and allowing 26.9 points and 424.4 yards of total offense (154.1 rushing, 270.3 passing). Washington State returns 10 starters (O-6, D-4) and 35 lettermen (O-16, D-17, S-2) from last year’s team that went 5-7 overall and finished tied for ninth in the Pac-12 with a 2-7 record. Jake Dickert is in his fourth season as a collegiate head coach at Washington State and has a 22-17 record.
UTAH STATE AGAINST THE PAC-12 CONFERENCE
• Utah State is 3-5 (.375) all-time against current members of the Pac-12 Conference as it is 2-2 against Washington State and 1-3 against Oregon State, and winning each of its last two games, both of which came during the 2021 season.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State is 19-7 (.731) in games played during the month of November over the last seven seasons, and 9-7-1 (.559) all-time in known games played on Nov. 9
UTAH STATE IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
• Utah State is 181-199-8 (.476) all-time against current members of the Mountain West with a 41-28-4 record vs. Wyoming, a 38-39-2 record vs. Colorado State, a 20-21-1 record vs. San José State, an 18-9 record vs. UNLV, a 17-14 record vs. New Mexico, a 13-19-1 record vs. Fresno State, a 12-6 record vs. Hawai`i, an 8-19 record vs. Nevada, a 5-24 record vs. Boise State, a 5-7 record vs. Air Force, and a 4-13 record vs. San Diego State. • Utah State is 53-37 (.589) all-time in Mountain West play, including a 28-18 (.609) record in home games and a 25-19 (.568) record in road games. • Utah State (53-37) has the third-best record against Mountain West opponents since it joined the league in 2013. Boise State (77-17) has the best record and San Diego State (62- 29) has the second-best record.
Washington State Cougars Notes
NO. 20 COUGARS RETURN TO GESA FIELD TO HOST UTAH STATE SATURDAY NIGHT
No. 20 Washington State returns to Gesa Field to host Utah State Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on The CW.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State enters the week ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press Top-25, with a 7-1 record for the first time since 2018 and bowl eligible for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. The Cougars own the nation’s No. 12 scoring offense (38.1) while the defense is No. 26 in the country with 15 takeaways. matching their 2023 total. Quarterback John Mateer is fourth in the country in total offense (341.0), No. 17 in passing touchdowns (16) and cornerback Ethan O’Connor is tied for No. 18 in the country with three interceptions. Head coach Jake Dickert owns a 22-17 career record and is in his third full season.
COUGAR QUICK GAME
TEAM
• WSU is 7-1 for the 1st time since 2018, has won five straight games at Gesa Field, seeking first 8-1 start since 2018 • WSU is bowl eligible for the third time under Jake Dickert and for the eighth time in last nine full seasons • WSU owns 3 fourth-quarter comeback wins this season (San Jose State, at Fresno State, at San Diego State) • WSU owns 7 100-yard rushing games this season, had 4 last season, 6 in 2022 and 7 in 2021 • WSU’s 2024 roster features 49 newcomers including 15 transfers with 13 from four-year schools • Jake Dickert and Bill Doba (2003-07) are the only WSU HC with 2 Apple Cup wins in 1st 4 seasons since 1960’s
