By Jarra Gojolo — Senior Content Editor
The year 2020 and San Jose State’s historic season both conclude Thursday, with the Spartans looking to end both in style.
The Mountain West champions (7-0) look to complete their undefeated season against Ball State (6-1, 5-1 MAC) on New Years Eve in the Offerpad Arizona Bowl.
SJSU’s .700 win percentage in bowl games (7-3 record) is third in Division I football behind only Marshall (.750) and Utah (.739). While Ball State has never won a bowl in seven tries.
Bowl history aside, Spartans’ head coach Brent Brennan says both teams have experienced similar trajectories over the past few seasons, starting with identical two-win seasons in 2017.
“The next year we were 1-11, they were 4-8,” the MW Coach of the Year said. “And then the third year they were 5-7 and we were 5-7. And then here we are, 2020, they’re 6-1 and we’re 7-0. We’re both teams that no one expected to win the conference but we both did.”
Leading the Spartans into Tucson is graduate student quarterback Nick Starkel, formerly of Texas A&M and Arkansas.
He announced his return to SJSU for the 2021 season, with a video included.
Starkel brings bowl experience for the Spartans. The second-team Mountain West selection threw for a career-high 499 yards in the Aggies’ loss to Wake forest in the 2017 Belk Bowl.
On top of the conference trophy SJSU will also bring hardware to the Arizona Bowl in the form of MW DPOY Cade Hall, conference leader in sacks and tackles for loss this season.
The Cardinals are led by senior quarterback Drew Plitt. The 6-foot-2 signal caller has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards and 16 scores, helped out by a solid receiving core in Yo’Heinz Tyler and Justin Hall.
“There are two receivers that can hurt you,” Brennan said. “One of them [Hall] is more of a speed and space guy, like fly sweep option routes … And then the big fella [Tyler] that they like to throw like back shoulders and 50/50 contested balls to is also really effective.”
Plitt led the Mid-American Conference in passing yards this season, while Hall is second in the MAC with nearly 1200 all-purpose yards in 2020.
In terms of play style Brennan said the Cardinals are similar to Boise State.
“These guys and Boise both [can score] 36, 37 points a game, both 400 plus yards total offense, both are really good with the football and not turning it over,” Brennan said.
“You have to be able to keep changing up the looks, mess with the coverage, mess with the front, a little bit of movement and obviously some pressure and try and keep them second guessing.”
Kickoff is at 11 a.m. P.T. and will be broadcast on CBS.
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