By Navin Sunjay Krishnan (@NavinKthespear) – Spear Opinions Columnist
San Jose State football had an impressive finish against Portland State University at home and nearly succeeded as a spoiler versus big-time SEC powerhouse Auburn on the road in Alabama. However, SJSU football will try to bounce back with a hungry roster as they readjust their focus to Saturday night against the Western Michigan Broncos.
“Coming off a tough loss at Auburn, I think we had an opportunity to win that game,” SJSU head coach Brent Brennan said. “The players are excited to play.”
Brennan and his team have a chance to win what will be a mentally-pounding game.
Now the only obstacle standing between SJSU and a winning, productive season is their motivation to win games.
New SJSU football uniforms show community appreciation
Brennan suggests having a faithful and dynamic home crowd itself translates to a lot of emotion and motivation.
“Wearing the uniforms, the San Jose logo on our chest, I think it’s special,” said Brennan.
Brennan expressed his gratitude for being able to have such a vivid community to fight for.
An age-old truism the SJSU football team and Spartan Nation live by is that hard work equals respect.
“I think it’s so great we’re doing it together,” said Brennan. “At San Jose State, with our city, we could do incredible things. I think that’s where we’re moving and it’s exciting.”
And respect as an incentive makes the blue-and-gold glow. Giving back to the community has evolved from a weight to shoulder to an obligation of pride.
Brennan said his team is electrified by the support the city garners for his team and he and his team are constantly looking for new ways to engage the city.
“How do we find new and exciting ways to engage the city and why not with an exciting college football game on Saturday night at CEFCU stadium?” said Brennan.
It’s not just Spartan fans and alumni that file in and fill out the bleachers, but every aspect of the community in San Jose that pays respect to their home team.
Saturday night is First Responders’ Night. Brennan is ready to host a show for these men and women who put their lives on the line to keep the San Jose community intact.
Scouting Western Michigan
“We got our work cut out for us,” Brennan said.
Brennan called Western Michigan‘s head coach Tim Lester a “really good dude and a really good coach.”
Fitting for Lester, who is a hall-of-fame player at Western Michigan. He was a four-year starter as a quarterback for the Broncos from 1996-1999 and led their charge to a Mid-American Conference championship game in his senior season.
Lester had become a seasoned coach, tallying five years at the helm for Western Michigan with four winning seasons.
He also had a tenure as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Syracuse in 2013 and at Purdue in 2016.
“[Lester’s] teams are incredibly efficient,” said Brennan.
Brennan gushed enthusiasm and respect when talking about the Broncos.
“Watching them play, they don’t hurt themselves,” said Brennan. “Offensively, they’re incredibly explosive. Defensively, they’re very sound. Offensive line is just solid and tough.”
While it might seem like a winnable game at home, the pressure will be on Brennan and his Spartans to perform against this tough, well-coached rival.
“We’ve got some work to do before Saturday,” said Brennan. “This team is going to test the heck out of us.”
SJSU football benefits of a bye week
Brennan says the key to coming off a bye-week and playing against a surprising contender is balance.
“I’ve been in that situation, carrying too much offense or defense into a game, we couldn’t execute at a high level,” said Brennan.
While it may seem like a rhetorical concept, Brennan says another key cog in getting the gears going is the fact that SJSU had a bye week.
“You only get one bye week,” said Brennan. “They came back hopefully feeling fresher and a little rejuvenated.”
Brennan insisted there is no magic formula to getting bye weeks right. However, just as the duel against Western Michigan will prove, lady luck will be in attendance as the Spartan faithful will do their best to propel Brennan’s team to the finish line.
The second-generation Spartan Brennan also says readiness and preparation are going to be a major factor in SJSU football matchup with WMU.
In his college career, Brennan played wide receiver at UCLA from 1991 to 1995 and was on the Rose Bowl team for the Bruins.
Motivation builds confidence, confidence builds readiness and readiness wins games.
The Spartans need to be ready to win Saturday night.
SJSU football participated in a single bowl game under Brennan in 2020. Before that they’ve only been in a single bowl game since 2013.
However, SJSU football didn’t have the genius of Brennan in their lap.
In 2020, Brennan won the Lombardi Foundation’s College Coach of the Year, the Mountain West Coach of the Year, and the American Football Coaches Association Region V Coach of the Year.
Brennan infuses a big-time morale into his team.
“Our guys have to be ready for it,” said Brennan.
Winning the mental battle with hard work and pushing the grind day-to-day may not be a magical formula to a successful bye week, but it can mean the difference to getting SJSU over the hill Saturday.
“If you don’t prepare every step of the way to game day, you’re going to have a tough time,” said Brennan. “Give yourself a chance to play clean and play football on Saturday.”
Brennan will lead SJSU football against the Western Michigan Broncos this Saturday at CEFCU Stadium at 7:30 p.m.