Five questions that are facing the Spartans before the season opener
After months of uncertainty, San Jose State will indeed play football this year.
And no matter what unfolds, the 2020 season will go down as the most unique in program history.
Aside from an eight-game schedule and late- October start, the Spartans spent 10 days practicing more than 300 miles from campus, at Humboldt State in Arcata, because Santa Clara County coronavirus restrictions prevented them from contact drills at their home facility. They were cleared this week to practice in San Jose.
Regardless of the circumstances or challenges, the goal of breaking .500 for the first time under coach Brent Brennan
remains intact. Here are five unanswered questions ahead of the 2020 season, which starts Oct. 24 against Air Force: 1. How will no fans in the stands affect San Jose State?
By now, San Jose State’s players and personnel have had many opportunities to observe fanless games across the country. How the Spartans will perform in empty stadiums remains to be seen.
Football without fans, at both the collegiate and professional levels, has been defined by several nuances. Offenses have clearer lines of communication. Defenders jump offsides more frequently. Adrenaline is created internally. The list goes on. The Spartans’ response to the intricacies will be worth examining.
Will it help them play better on the road? During Brennan’s tenure, the program has only won two games away from CEFCU Stadium, both last season. But the road won’t be quite an advantage for home teams without crowd noise, and maybe San Jose State will be alleviated of the pressure that comes from a hostile environment.
2. How will Nick Starkel, a former SEC QB, look in the Mountain West?
Brennan has yet to announce a starting quarterback, but graduate transfer Nick Starkel, who played at Texas A& M and Arkansas, is the favorite.
Starkel’s collegiate career has been up and down. On one end, there’s his incredible performance as a freshman at Texas A& M, when he accounted for four touchdowns and 499 passing yards in a 55- 52 loss to Wake Forest in the Belk Bowl. On the other, there’s his infamous dud last season against the very program he now plays for. That’s right, Starkel threw five interceptions for Arkansas as San Jose State beat the Razorbacks 31-24, the Spartans’ only win over an SEC opponent in school history.
T hat stunner a side, Starkel had decent numbers in the SEC. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 3,114 yards, with 22 touchdowns to 16 interceptions in three seasons (two at Texas A& M, one at Arkansas). Asking Starkel to replicate Josh Love’s numbers at San Jose State (7,206 yards, 43 TDs, 29 interceptions over four seasons) might be a reach. But given Starkel’s production in college football’s best conference, there’s certainly a lot to like. 3. Will the Spartans diversify their offense?
Last season, the Spartans were a pass-heavy team. In the Mountain West, they attempted the second-most passes per game (41.5) and had the fewest rushing attempts per game (25.3).
The formula made sense because the offense was headlined by Love, who was named the Mountain West’s Offensive Player of the Year. With Starkel under center, the Spartans may be inclined to feature a more balanced approach.
Sophomore Kairee Robinson, a former De La Salle High star, and senior Tyler Nevens are the top returning running backs after the departure of DeJon Packer. In 2019, Robinson and Nevens combined for 319 rushing yards in 82 attempts.
There’s also sophomore quarterback Nick Nash, who used his legs more than his arm last season. The dual-threat player was second on the team in rushing yards (255) and rushing touchdowns (three).
Hunter Nye, who redshirted last season, could add depth to the backfield. He had at least 12 touchdowns and 1,000 yards in both of his seasons at Monterey Peninsula College and earned first-team AllGolden Coast Conference honors as a sophomore.
4. Will the defense improve?
Plain and simple, San Jose State had one of the worst defenses in the Mountain West last season, finishing in a three-way tie for third-most points allowed per game (31.9).
The Spartans struggled to stop the run, allowing 232.1 rushing yards per game, sixth-worst in the nation.
The task of holding offenses in check could be all the more difficult this fall, given that linebackers Ethan Aguayo and Jesse Osuna graduated. Last season, they were among the team’s leading tacklers and combined for five sacks.
Defense was a recruiting priority for Brennan and his staff. Of the program’s 21 newcomers, 16 were brought on for their defensive prowess. That includes a trio of junior college standouts: linemen Noah Wright and Jay Kakiva and linebacker Dion Leonard, all of whom were first-team players in their respective conferences.
5. How will San Jose State’s offensive line fare?
Last season, San Jose State quietly had one of the nation’s better offensive lines. The big bodies allowed just 14 sacks, the ninth-fewest in the nation.
That unit took a hit as Korey Mariboho, Quinn Oseland and Troy Kowalski graduated. Jack Snyder, a Campbell Trophy semifinalist, Kyle Hoppe and Tyler Stevens return to the mix, but replicating last year’s success will be a tall task.
C ommu n it y c ol le g e transfers Scott Breslin and Lamar Barrett could help make up for what the Spartans lost. In their final seasons at their former schools, Breslin was named a California Community College All-America, and Barrett received second-team all-conference recognition in Kansas.