Bowl dreams within reach
Possible postseason game depends on first-ever win over Boise State
SAN JOSE — They came to San Jose State to play for Mike MacIntyre. They’re finishing with Ron Caragher.
The Spartans’ 18 seniors entering their final home game Friday against Boise State have experienced the awkward transition of college football where coaching tenures rarely last long.
Tackle Wes Schweitzer, for example, has played for four offensive line coaches in five years.
“I wouldn’t say I’m used to the change but I know what it takes,” he said. What it takes is acceptance. “When everyone buys in, things go well,” the 6-foot-5 Schweitzer added.
It hasn’t gone perfectly for a group that bid MacIntyre adieu in 2012 after going 11-2 and defeating Bowling Green in the Military Bowl.
They haven’t had a winning season since as Caragher is 1421 in three years thus far.
However, the seniors have a chance to bookmark their careers with another bowl appearance. All they have to do is get past Boise State (7-4, 4-3,
Mountain West), a school the Spartans have never defeated.
Even at 6-6, San Jose State would not be guaranteed a postseason pass, although the expanded bowl system allows for 80 schools this year. Either way, a victory over Boise State would allow the talented class to leave the program in a good place.
“It’s always nice to look back at your last game and make it a memorable one,” Caragher said.
Although he didn’t recruit the seniors, Caragher recently has started to feel like they’re his guys.
“It’s not that way all the time,” he said. “That’s the biggest challenge when you take over a program. People fall into a trap and they want to compare.”
Acceptance came about after the Spartans’ dismal 3-9 record last year. Fifthyear senior Tyler Ervin and others banded together to build unity so their final season would be more satisfying.
It has shown this year, although San Jose State (5-6, 4-3) expected to have a better record.
“We took the team into our own hands to go out with a bang,” senior receiver Hansell Wilson said. “Some games we didn’t come out on top, but I still think we played our butts off.”
The Spartans have been competitive outside of a 30-7 loss to West champion San Diego State. With a little fortune, San Jose State might have clinched its sixth victory by now.
The Spartans dropped consecutive close encounters to Brigham Young and Nevada before trouncing Hawaii last weekend 42-23.
San Jose State enters the regular-season finale filled with confidence after everything went right in Honolulu. The Spartans converted 10 of 15 thirddown plays against the Rainbow Warriors to shoot to the top of the Mountain West in the statistical category.
“We are going to emphasize third-down conversions,” Ervin said of the strategy to defeat Boise State. “It doesn’t matter who you play, if you have a game like” Hawaii, “you’re going to have more confidence going into the next game.”
San Jose State’s best chance against the Broncos is to keep their opponents off the field.
Otherwise, the defense will have to contend with freshman quarterback Brett Rypien, who took over in the fourth game when sophomore Rob Findley suffered a season-ending injury.
Rypien has thrown for 2,776 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games.
“If there is constant opportunities with three-andouts, you’re destined for doom,” Spartans offensive coordinator Al Borges said. “They’re too good a team for that.”
Just because Boise State has secured a bowl berth doesn’t mean the Broncos have little motivation.
“Take the playoff picture out of it,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “Every game matters. This is going to be two teams wanting to go out there and finish this thing the right way.”