San Jose State deals with another schedule twist
San Jose State football players have grown accustomed to preparing under unique circumstances the past several weeks. This week brings two new wrinkles.
In addition to playing on a Friday night, the Spartans won’t be allowed to practice Tuesday. A new NCAA rule, passed in September, forbids team activities on Election Day. The intention was to give athletes the day off to vote.
As such, San Jose State practiced Monday, a rare 36-hour turnaround from its win over New Mexico on Saturday. The Spartans also are scheduled to practice Wednesday and Thursday before heading south to play the San Diego State Aztecs, a traditional Mountain West Conference power that has won its first two games by a combined scored of 72-13.
“Trying to keep it as normal as we can,” Spartans coach Brent Brennan said Monday. “What the NCAA is doing with Tuesday, I think is awesome.
“The reality is we’re trying to elect a new leader of our country. That’s a ver y important thing,” Brennan said. “Giving our young people a chance to vote — or not to vote, up to them. Giving them the option and giving them time and space to do that and get their ideas together and hopefully make a good decision for themselves and who they want leading us is a great thing.”
As unique circumstances go, changing practice days is nothing compared to what the Spartans already have done. In early October, they changed venues, setting up camp at Humboldt State University, 320 miles away, because Santa Clara County’s coronavirus rules at the time did not allow the team to conduct contract drills.
The Spartans, 2-0 for the first time since 1987, will face a familiar challenge Friday night on defense.
For a third consecutive week, they will be up against a run-heavy team. In two games, San Diego State has rolled up almost 700 yards on the ground. Its 347-yard average is tops in the nation.
San Jose State’s muchimproved run defense has been up to the task so far. After allowing 232.1 rushing yards per game last season, the Spartans held Air Force and New Mexico to a combined average of 177.5.
At the heart of the Spartans of the defense is linebacker Kyle Harmon, whose 28 tackles are the most in the Mountain West. Harmon appeared to suffer a minor injury late in the fourth quarter against New Mexico but walked off under his own power alongside trainers.
Brennan did not offer any specifics about Harmon’s injury Monday.
San Diego State’s defense, like its running game, holds a No. 1 ranking. No team in college football can top the Aztecs in scoring defense (6.5 points per game).
“They’ve always been an absolute monster on defense,” Brennan said. “Their scheme is a little different. They have really, really good players and they play extremely hard.”
SJSU will counter with quarterback Nick Starkel and a strong receiving corps. Against New Mexico, Starkel completed 34 of 47 passes for 467 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Starkel also varied his targets, completing a pass to 10 different receivers.
“Nick’s ability to distribute the ball all over the field, sideline to sideline and vertically, gives us a chance to be really effective offensively,” Brennan said.