By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Spear Reporter // Photo via Titus Wilkinson
Moreno @morenolopez11: “With the MWC [Mountain West Conference] games starting, which teams in the conference should be the biggest competition?“
Air Force, Boise State and Fresno State. Among those three teams, Air Force induces the most fear. Here’s why this Friday night at 7 p.m. at CEFCU Stadium could be a doozy.
The Falcons’ offense reminds me of Forrest Gump because all they do is run. But unlike Forrest, they never stop to turn around and call it a day. Their unrelenting triple option attack currently ranks first nationwide in rushing yards per game by 20-plus yards.
And where has SJSU’s defense struggled? The run game. I can give the Spartans a break for allowing 197 on the ground to No. 16 Oregon State. The Beavers’ rank 13th nationwide in total rushing yards per game (219).
But against Toledo, SJSU’s run defense deflated. The Spartans ended up allowing 83 total rushing yards in the fourth quarter. The Rockets pulled away with a narrow victory because of it. Air Force will be even more exhausting.
Boise State scares me because I’m not sure if SJSU football can handle Taylen Green. The Broncos quarterback exhibits similar shiftiness and MC Hammer ‘Can’t Touch This’ pedigree as Toledo quarterback DeQuan Finn. On several occasions last Saturday, SJSU’s defense was a fingernail away from taking Finn down before he juked his way out of it.
Then with Fresno State, well, they’re just a fearless squad. They’ve already claimed two Power Five road wins under first-year starting quarterback Mikey Keene. That thought could be put on layaway as the game’s not until Nov. 11. Many things can change for both sides until then.
Charles Myer @CharlesMyer_UT: “Chevan Cordeiro’s performance seems to be steadily dropping since the USC game. Is he perhaps dealing with an injury? Is he losing confidence in his protection and getting happy feet in the pocket? What do you think is the reason for the dip in performance?“
Drop-off against No. 16 Oregon State and Cal Poly? Eh, no biggie. Plain and simple, OSU’s just out of SJSU’s league. Then the Spartans went run-heavy against Cal Poly because they were manhandling the Broncos. Struggling against Toledo? Different story.
In this prognostication, I’m leaning toward the offensive line wearing down. Cordeiro didn’t start getting “happy feet” until the end of the third quarter. Around that same time, SJSU’s run game began deflating, too.
But the offensive line can’t be blamed for the third quarter pick-six Cordeiro threw. It was a massive miscommunication between him and wide receiver Nick Nash that proved to be the difference.
I think Cordeiro’s dip can be tied to the absence of his top two targets from last year Elijah Cooks (NFL) and Justin Lockhart (injury). Last year, Cordeiro knew Cooks would step up in crunch time. This year, he doesn’t have that surefire option … or does he?
Against No. 6 USC, Cordeiro connected with Nash on man coverage 50-50 balls in the end zone twice. But that hasn’t happened since. Perhaps it’s because opponents are keeping a safety lurking over the top. If not, I hope to see more of that. Cordeiro has pinpoint accuracy within 25 yards and Nash can be a flat out dog in mano a mano situations.
Whatever the issue is, it needs to get fixed. Cordeiro entered 2023 as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. As of right now, I don’t think he’s on pace to win the award.
Matt Hamilton @MattHamilton19: “Why don’t they put the quarterback draw into the game plan and run it at least four or five times a game?“
A tried and true Monday Morning quarterback question. I love it.
I think it’s valid because Cordeiro’s shifty and operates out of the shotgun. I think it should be ran at most – not least – four or five times a game. I can imagine a third-and-four situation in the third quarter where it catches a team off guard. Cordeiro has the elusiveness and field vision to slip and slide his way around a crowded line of scrimmage.
And if it doesn’t work, it’s not a big enough loss to heavily impact the punt.
Why doesn’t SJS run a QB sneak out of the Pro Set? It’s ridiculous to have 4th-and-a-foot for a first down and we line the QB up in the shotgun five yards behind the LOS and try and run a sneak from there? EVERY TIME SJS calls that play, the defenders shoot the gaps in the O-line, tackle the QB for a loss and the ball goes over on downs. Q: What’s the definition of insanity? A: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.