College Football: Wherever San Jose State plays, Spartans must be sharp to beat rival Hawaii,
SAN JOSE >> Finding a temporary home isn’t the only challenge facing San Jose State.
In addition to looking for a place to play after Santa Clara County announced a ban on contact sports until at least Dec. 21, San Jose State will have to find a way to be sharp against Hawaii this weekend.
The Rainbow Warriors (3-3) have played their entire schedule as planned. Additionally, Hawaii is coming off its biggest win of the season, a 24-21 upset of previously undefeated Nevada.
Hawaii figures to present San Jose State (4- 0) with a more balanced offensive approach than previous teams.
The Spartans’ first four opponents attempted 42.5 runs to 27.5 passes per game. The Rainbow Warriors offense, however, is almost perfectly balanced — 36.3 rushing attempts to 36.0 passing attempts per game.
At the center of Hawaii’s offense is dual-threat quarterback Chevan Cordeiro. Against Nevada, Cordeiro threw for 246 yards, ran for 62 yards and had a rushing and passing touchdown each.
If the past is any indication of the future, the matchup between these two West Division foes has the potential to be a classic. Since coach Brent Brennan’s first season in 2017, all of the San Jose State-Hawaii bouts have been thrillers, the most notable being SJSU’s 44- 41 five- overtime loss in 2018 at CEFCU Stadium, an outcome that still eats at the Spartans coach.
For Brennan, the budding rivalry between San Jose State and Hawaii holds special significance. Brennan’s first collegiate coaching gig was at Hawaii in 1998 as a graduate assistant. Additionally, Brennan was an assistant coach under Dick Tomey, who coached at both schools and is the namesake of the rivalry trophy.
“Playing for the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy is a really cool thing,” Brennan said. “He’s a really special guy for me I know he’s really special in Hawaii, but he’s definitely someone I’m really missing right now. I think he’d be a great sounding board for me as I’m trying to work through just all the challenges the last eight months have presented.”