By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Spear Reporter | Photo via Titus Wilkinson of The Spear
Following SJSU football’s 42-18 win over rival No. 25 Fresno State, head coach Brent Brennan found his son Scott and embraced him tightly. “He [Scott] knew how special this win was for us,” Brennan said.
To understand their embrace is to understand the glum Brennan’s felt after losing the last two Battle for the Valley’s – one of which cost SJSU bowl eligibility – after signing his $2.55 million contract extension in 2020.
And speaking of bowl eligibility … if SJSU beats San Diego State (3-7, 1-5 MW) on its Senior Day next week, Brennan can become the first head coach in program history to make three bowl games. Mind you, this team started 1-5. Heck, there’s a chance it might clinch a Mountain West title berth by season’s end.
“This is, in my opinion, the best win we’ve had since I’ve been coaching here,” said Brennan who hadn’t beaten the Bulldogs since 2019 and was 1-4 against them entering Saturday.
After SJSU went up 21-3 in the first quarter on a Kairee Robinson rushing touchdown, SJSU Director of Athletics Jeff Konya pumped both fists in the air and roared like the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lion from the Spartans sideline. The analogy feels fitting because of how cinematic Saturday’s win felt.
Maybe it was SJSU’s student section’s harmonious “F— Fresno” chant. Or it was SJSU outrushing FSU 313-83 and maintaining a three possession lead en route to sending FSU’s Red Wave home in dispiriting fashion.
But to understand Konya’s jubilee is to understand the financial implications of Saturday’s thumping.
SJSU’s donors use the Battle for the Valley as one way to determine how much – if at all – they’d like to donate. What’s more, according to SJSU alumni and donor Kevin Swanson, it can motivate graduates from the late 1980s – SJSU’s last golden era – to start buying back into the program. More financial support could bolster SJSU’s Blue & Gold NIL collective which remains in its infancy.
But Saturday’s win wouldn’t be possible without SJSU’s robust rushing attack. Kairee Robinson rushed for 200 rushing yards, 10.5 yards per attempt, and his two rushing touchdowns helped him tie SJSU’s single-season rushing touchdown record (15). And Quali Conley, who’s Robinson’s trustee No. 2, rushed for 93 yards. The Spartans have now rushed for at least 215 rushing yards per contest during their four game win streak.
When asked if he felt SJSU’s rushing attack is underrated, Robinson replied, “definitely.”
“They make my life a lot easier,” smiled SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who completed nine of his 18 passes for 146 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Though touchdown catches from wide receivers Nick Nash (four catches for 66 receiving yards), Malikhi Miller (two catches for 43 yards) and Isaac Jernagin (one catch for seven yards) were encouraging, SJSU’s once embattled defense should be lauded effusively.
The Spartans allowed just one score in the second half, had five total sacks and two interceptions. The latter was returned by cornerback Michael Dansby 98 yards the other way to put SJSU up 35-10. Stats aside, they were flat out indestructible.
Sure, SJSU’s defense got a boost with FSU starting quarterback Mikey Keene leaving with 4:34 left in the first half after taking a punishing blow on a scramble. But this was the same defense that surrendered 35 unanswered points to Air Force – at home – and 28 unanswered points the following week to Boise State.
Rember that Boise State loss? The one where SJSU blew its third consecutive double digit lead and fell to 1-5? You know, the one that made fans look up when Brennan’s contract expires – it runs through the 2025 season – and how much his buyout is – $4 million.
Such frustration from fans was compounded by the frustration of SJSU losing the 2020 Arizona Bowl (although COVID-19 ravaged the Spartans), the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and of course the last two Battle for the Valleys.
Back in 2021 SJSU hosted FSU for its final game of the year.
With a win, SJSU could have gone from 5-6 to 6-6, which meant bowl eligibility.
The Spartans lost 40-9.
“That’s a clear-cut definition of an ass whooping at our own place. It’s one of those games you can’t really forget about,” SJSU offensive lineman Jaime Navarro said earlier this week. “You look in the mirror and you feel terrible about yourself.”
Two years later, Brennan, while in the midst of his post-game interview with CBS Sports, was hounded by his players as they handed him the Valley Trophy. “I love you Coach Brennan,” Navarro said after Brennan hoisted the trophy to the moon.
All of it points to how Brennan’s shifting the narrative that he can rise to the occasion. Therefore fans perception should shift accordingly.
But can Brennan build off this? Because now SJSU would first need to beat SDSU next week, stun UNLV (8-2, 5-1 MW) on the road and require Boise State to lose one of its next two games (likely to Air Force) to make the 2023 Mountain West Title game.
And Brennan is 1-0 in those games.