Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Football Beat Reporter
As Western Michigan comes to town for the second to last out-of-conference contest for SJSU football, here are some quick talking points to nibble on for the upcoming tilt this Saturday night.
Don’t worry the big, hearty bowls of chili will be coming later this week, but for now here are some pigs-in-a-blanket to nosh on (and here is the latest edition of Water Cooler Talk for the true junkies).
WMU is no stranger to SJSU football
This will be the finale of the 2021-22 home and home series between the Broncos and Spartans.
In the first matchup last fall, WMU put the Spartans’ offense in a straitjacket, shutting them out after SJSU kicker Matt Mercurio nailed a 32-yard field goal on the opening drive.
On the first play of the next drive, Nick Starkel threw an interception and it was ‘good night nurse’ from there.
Starkel would leave later on with a left arm injury and replacement quarterback Natano Woods would not fare much better.
The Spartans’ offense would end the day without stepping foot in the red zone.
Defensively, SJSU put itself in a position to win the game. After allowing 20 points in the first half, the Broncos were held to 3 points in the second half.
Each takeaway from this game must be accompanied with a grain of salt.
The bulk of SJSU’s current offense is led by four players who didn’t record a stat in this game and WMU has a new quarterback at the helm, too (more on him to come).
The flat showing from the Spartans could also be tied to playing at Hawaii the week prior. Traveling from San Jose to Hawaii, then back to San Jose, then to Michigan, in a timespan that short can take an extreme toll, mentally and physically.
SJSU’s schedule for 2022 doesn’t feature any extensive traveling remotely close to this.
Pitt was not the Palace
Western Michigan is coming off a 34-13 losing effort to the University of Pittsburgh.
It was somewhat close in the second half with the Broncos down 20-13 entering the fourth quarter.
The 7-point deficit quickly jumped up to 21 points when Pitt quarterback Nate Yarnell found wide receiver Konata Mumpfield for a touchdown and running back Daniel Carter ran one in five minutes later to seal the game.
On the surface, it looked like a performance WMU can hang their hat on as Pitt came in ranked no. 23 in the nation.
Not necessarily the case, however.
Pitt’s first two options at quarterback—Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti—were knocked out of the previous game against Tennessee.
Nate Yarnell was sitting at fourth on the depth chart, but rose to the starting role after impressing head coach Pat Narduzzi during practices leading up to the game.
WMU allowed Yarnell in his first start, let alone first game, to complete 75% of his passes for 179 yards and a touchdown without forcing a turnover.
Pitt running back Israel Abanikanda’s 133 yards lead a fearsome running attack that put up 238 total yards on the day.
The Panther’s phenomenal day on the ground appears to further expose WMU’s rush defense as their biggest weakness defensively, as they’ve now allowed an average of 197 yards per game.
This presents itself as the ‘get right game’ for an SJSU running attack that’s struggled mightily out the gate, running for a net 49 yards against Portland State and 54 yards against Auburn.
There you have it, some bite-sized storylines to nibble on as you get prepared for Saturday’s matchup. Now go change your shirt. Everyone can spot the honey mustard from your pigs in a blanket that failed to complete the trip.
SJSU football faces off against WMU at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24.