SAN JOSE STATE FOOTBALL
SATURDAY’S GAME
Who: San Jose State (6-5, 5-2 MWC) at UNLV (9-2, 6-1)
When: Noon
Where: Las Vegas
TV/radio: Mountain West Network (streaming)/860
Story line: Teams with compelling turnaround stories meet with a spot in the Mountain West Conference championship game on the line. Brent Brennan’s Spartans have won five in a row after opening the season 1-5. In his first season leading the Rebels, Barry Odom has UNLV alone in first place. If UNLV prevails Saturday, it will host the winner of Friday’s Air Force-Boise State matchup in the MWC title game Dec. 2. If San Jose State wins, that creates a three-way tie with the Spartans, Rebels and either the Falcons or Broncos. In that scenario, computer rankings would determine which two teams would play for the conference title.
WHAT TO WATCH
• SJSU senior Kairee Robinson has run for 959 yards, averaged 6.8 yards per carry and racked up a school-season-record 16 rushing touchdowns. Junior Quali Conley, a transfer from Utah Tech, has provided an excellent complement to Robinson. Conley has run for 747 yards, averaged 6.9 yards per carry and scored eight rushing TDs. He has gained at least 73 yards on the ground in each game of the current winning streak, capped by a 13-carry, 155-yard performance in the Spartans’ 24-13 win over San Diego State last Saturday.
• San Jose State has limited its past three opponents to a combined 31 points. Safety Tre Jenkins punctuated his final appearance in CEFCU Stadium with an interception, a pass breakup and six tackles in the win over the Aztecs.
• UNLV QB Jayden Maiava threw for 339 yards and two scores, and also ran eight times for 36 yards as the Rebels overcame a 17-point deficit to stun Air Force 31-27 in Colorado Springs last Saturday. He earned his third straight Mountain West Freshman of the Week award.