Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Football Beat Reporter
Matt Weiner’s “Get Smart” column is here to prepare you for SJSU football tailgates and watch parties with three tidbits, bound to make you sound smart, sophisticated and interesting. If you bring up any of these three topics and no one’s intrigued, find some new company to keep.
Chevan Cordeiro: Back-To-Back-To-Back?
Part of the tailgate experience is being able to throw out wild predictions huddled around a George Foreman grill because you have the luxury of uncertainty. Who’s to tell you you’re wrong about something that hasn’t happened?
I’ll start.
Chevan Cordeiro will win back-to-back-to-back Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors.
See, it’s that easy.
His first honor comes after throwing for 300-plus yards and three total touchdowns against Wyoming.
He then took it up a notch, torching UNLV for 230 yards passing, with two touchdowns through the air and a team-high 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Both of his rushing touchdowns came within the span of 1:04. Half the amount of time it takes to microwave a bowl of popcorn.
Fresno State just allowed a hefty 316 rushing yards in a 40-20 loss to Boise State, so chances are Cordeiro will “pop em’ like Orville Redenbacher.”
The Bulldogs are currently on a four-game skid and have allowed an average of 34.75 points during that time.
Now, a potential aerial or ground assault wouldn’t be in the cards if it wasn’t for the pieces around Cordeiro.
Running back Kairee Robinson has found his stride, rushing for a healthy 244 yards in his last three games which has opened up space for play option reads and the passing game.
Elijah Cooks leads all Spartans with 408 receiving yards, with 177 of those coming against Wyoming.
The attention that Cooks garnered freed up space for Dominick Mazotti to break out onto the scene. Mazotti exploded for a career high seven catches, 100 yards and his first career touchdown. He entered the contest with seven career catches.
Taking A Trip Down Rivalry Lane
We’ve all been there: thinking something on your phone is worth sharing, but when you turn to your nearest friend and show them they are both unmoved and unamused. It’s a brutally awkward moment on both sides of the ball.
However, there is zero chance of that happening this Saturday at your tailgate if you’re showing this time capsule from the Battle for the Valley rivalry:
Lots of SJSU football history to unpack here, courtesy of Reyes Chacon.
Before the game kicked off, Fresno State head coach Jim Sweeney sprinted out of the tunnel to hype the Bulldogs up, but ended up strained his hamstring in the process. Apparently, he wasn’t hamstrung enough to be barred from helicoptering a red FSU towel late in the fourth quarter.
Right on cue, SJSU’s Mike Perez hit Guy Liggins for a 75-yard touchdown down the sideline to give the Spartans a 13-9 lead. Spartans’ head coach Claude Gilbert returned the favor to Sweeney doing some towel waving of his own.
On the ensuing kickoff, Brock Smith went 95 yards for a house call, leading Sweeney to nearly swing his arm out of its socket after probably assuming it sealed the game.
However, it would be the Spartans getting the last laugh as they rallied again to win 20-16.
Sweeney and Gilbert looked like Tom Hanks in “Castaway” attempting to get the attention of a plane passing by.
While this rivalry has been stale at times, when the Bulldogs won every matchup from 1991-2005, this is a treasure chest of nostalgia for Spartan fans.
There’s a refreshing taste of two coaches who despise each other, as well as ridiculously bulky shoulder pads and fun names. Seriously, when was the last time you met a college kid named Guy?
The cherry on top was the broadcast. Times were simpler when you could watch a game and have no clue what the score was or how much time was left. Not to mention the sweet serenade of ambient crowd noise.
Don’t Apologize
Fresno State has been bit badly by the injury bug and left with some severe welts in 2022.
Quarterback Jake Haener, who was slated to be the best quarterback in the Mountain West, was injured in the 45-17 thumping by USC on Sep. 17 and hasn’t returned since.
His lack of presence has been felt.
Replacement Logan Fife has thrown zero touchdowns and four picks since taking over. He had a 9.8 QB rating (average is 50) in a 19-14 loss to UCONN, handing the Huskies their first FBS win since 2019.
Moreover, high-caliber safety Evan Williams and wide receiver Josh Kelly will not be suiting up. Also, Linebacker Raymond Scott, defensive tackle Leonard Payne and cornerbacks Cameron Lockridge and Morice Norris will be limited if not out.
Are the Bulldogs at a disadvantage? Yes.
Should Spartan fans feel bad or apologize? Nope.
A fan should never have an ounce of guilt, but especially not when it’s an arch-rival who delivered a 40-9 beatdown a year ago, took back the Valley Trophy and an opportunity to be bowl eligible in consecutive years for the first time in program history.
At the same time, be prepared for the flack that would come with a defeat. SJSU football comes in as 8.5-point road favorites.
In this 2022 rendition of the Battle for the Valley trophy, it’s 100% San Jose State’s to lose.
Consider yourself armed with enough SJSU football artillery to be an intellectual menace at any tailgate or watch party you attend this Saturday.