Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Football Beat Reporter
Prepare for all SJSU football tailgates and watch parties with Matt Weiner’s “Get Smart” column. If you bring up any of these topics and no one’s intrigued, find some new company to keep.
So there’s a chance?
The odds of SJSU football winning a Mountain West title have reached the “So you’re saying there’s a chance” scene from “Dumb and Dumber.”
There is a realm that exists where the Spartans can run the table and make it, but it’s flirting with one-in-a-million.
SJSU is 6-3, but is tied for second with San Diego State in the West division at 4-2. Both teams trail a red-hot Fresno State, which is 5-1 and has ripped off five straight conference wins.
Bulldogs’ quarterback Jake Haener is playing like the second coming of David Carr.
He’s thrown for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns in his last three games since returning from a lower leg injury.
The Spartans lost to both teams they are chasing including a 43-27 loss at SDSU last weekend.
The Aztecs finish the season at New Mexico (0-6 in Mountain West play) and at home against Air Force (3-3 MW). The Bulldogs still play at Nevada (0-6 MW) and at home against Wyoming (5-1 MW).
Very strong chance the Spartans will be like Lloyd and watch their Mary Swanson (Mountain West championship) get a ring from someone else.
Establish the run game
I’m no Einstein.
Not to brag, I was once relegated from cashier to cook when I spent a summer working at McDonald’s.
But anyone can have a stroke of genius every once in a while, so here goes nothing:
SJSU football needs to establish the run if they want to beat Utah State.
The Spartans average the fourth-lowest rushing yards per game (82.7) nationwide and lowest in the conference by 10 yards.
Stopping the run has been the Aggies’ biggest flaw, allowing 208.6 yards per game, second-most in the conference and 11th-most nationwide.
In their four-game losing streak earlier this season they allowed 196 yards on the ground. In their only loss since then, Utah allowed 330 rushing yards to Wyoming.
Meanwhile the Spartans are averaging 41.5 rushing yards in their last four games, rushing for less than 33 yards in three of those contests. The Spartans are 2-2 in that stretch, but have averaged 25 points per game.
Saying a football team needs to ‘establish the run’ is like telling a defense attorney, ‘Hey, make sure to convince the jury your client is innocent.’
A strong run game will help the Spartans, but that’s quite obvious.
Rain, sleet or snow
While SJSU football fans will be enjoying the Bay Area’s comfortably crisp fall weather, the Spartans will be in the bone-chilling cold of Logan, Utah.
Temperature at game time will be in the low 20’s, making it the coldest game of the Brent Brennan era.
Being able to feel their fingertips will be as hard to come by as oxygen as the Spartans will be playing at an elevation of 4,534 feet.
While on the topic of football cliches, nothing better than the crowd who thinks how well a team plays in frigid temperatures defines how tough they are.
In Spongebob terms it’s the difference between the Salty Spitoon and Weenie Hut Jr. For those 35 or older and have no clue what I’m talking about, I gave you a “Dumb and Dumber” reference earlier.
If the Spartans get outplayed physically, somebody on Twitter (if the app’s not decimated) will go on a rant saying it showed their lack of grit.
For those still hungry for more tailgate fodder check out this week’s Coach’s Corner with Brent Brennan.