Boise State @ San Jose State preview
CEFCU Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 31, 2009 ) San Jose State 7, Boise State 45
First-year San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre inherited a punishing non-conference schedule that included road games against nationally ranked Alabama, Wisconsin and Utah. His first-ever Western Athletic Conference contest was against nationally ranked Nevada.
So you figure things can’t tougher for MacIntyre and the Spartans, right? Not so fast – the Murderer’s Row of college football schedules continues when San Jose State hosts No. 3 Boise State on Saturday night in a mismatch of epic proportions.
The Spartans would be located on the lower ring of the college football totem pole even if they hadn’t been decimated by injuries. Simply put, they don’t match up with Boise State – one of the nation’s most powerful programs and a team that San Jose State has never defeated in 10 previous meetings.
So the dreaded possibility of another 48-3 loss (Alabama) or 56-3 defeat (Utah) looms in the balance for San Jose State (1-5, 0-1), as the well-stocked Broncos (5-0, 1-0) repeatedly refuse to take overmatched teams lightly.
Boise State has topped 50 points in all three of its games against unranked teams (Wyoming, New Mexico State and Toledo) even while substituting liberally through the second half in the trio of routs.
The Broncos own the nation’s longest winning streak (19 consecutive games) and rank in the top five in both total defense (second at 236.2 yards per game) and total offense (fifth at 521.6).
Boise State averages 47.4 points per game while allowing just 14.8. The defense also excels at forcing turnovers – Toledo committed five against the Broncos last Saturday after being one of the national leaders in turnover margin entering the contest.
Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore is a top Heisman Trophy candidate and leads the nation in passing efficiency. Moore has thrown 14 touchdowns and been intercepted just once.
Moore also is just four touchdown passes away from the school record of 82 career touchdowns held by Ryan Dinwiddie (2000-03).
Receiver Titus Young is having a sensational season with 26 receptions for 476 yards, an average of 18.3 per catch. Sidekick Austin Pettis had 22 catches for 334 yards.
Boise State should be in line for another productive offensive performance against a San Jose State squad allowing 442.5 yards per game. The Spartans gave up 640 yards to Nevada last Saturday and yielded 591 to Alabama in their season opener.
San Jose State has allowed 17 rushing touchdowns. Only Eastern Michigan (22) and Western Kentucky (19) have allowed more.
Offensively, the Spartans rank last nationally out of 120 schools in total offense (10.3 points per game) and have thrown just three passing touchdowns. Quarterback Jordan LeSecla has five interceptions against two touchdowns while completing 61.3 percent of his passes.
Lamon Muldrow leads San Jose State in rushing with 314 yards.