By Aaron Johnson (@voz_aaron1) – Spear Reporter | Spartans head coach Ken Niumatalolo talks to the referee during their week one matchup against Sacramento State. (Photo by Nick Orozco – Co-Executive Editor of The Spear)
Despite being in a new home, SJSU football head coach Ken Niumatalolo will go up against a familiar opponent tomorrow.
“Clesi, our director of football operations, always gives me a sheet with stats and tidbits,” Niumatalolo said. “I don’t need the sheet this week.”
In Niumatalolo’s 15 year head coaching career at Navy he has faced off against Air Force (1-0) 15 times sporting a 7-8 record.
“Thirty-nine years playing against these guys I know exactly who they are,” Niumatalolo said. “It’s going to be a tough challenge for us.”
Ken Niumatalolo walks down the sideline during SJSU’s week one matchup against Sacramento State. (Photo by Nick Orozco – Co-Executive Editor of The Spear)
The Spartans challenge this week will be to limit the run game. SJSU surrendered 406 rushing yards in a 45-20 loss in the last matchup against Air Force on Sept. 22, 2023.
SJSU has never beaten Air Force at Falcon Stadium in school history. Stopping the run game will be paramount to accomplish that goal. But that is easier said than done.
“Yes you got to be physical, you got to be gap sound but, they do have all these different wrinkles,” Niumatalolo said. “They have so many different ways to run a fullback and so many nuances on how they try and do things.”
In week one against Sacramento State, SJSU struggled against the run in the first half allowing 94 rushing yards from junior running back Elijah Tau-Toliver. But the Spartans were able to clamp down and only allowed him to rush for 16 rushing yards in the second half.
Senior linebacker Jordan Cobbs said the adjustments for the second half were not technical but instead focused on playing up to the standard the defense expected going into the season.
“I think out the gates we just weren’t as physical as we wanted to be,” Cobbs said. “(We allowed) gaps and holes in our defense that allowed a pretty good run game in the first half, so glad we got that fixed.”
Cobbs knows that getting off to a slow start against Air Force would be a much harder obstacle to overcome.
“I think these games are easy to lose if you’re not mentally locked in,” Cobbs said. “So we try to make sure everyone is on the same page, no minor mental mistakes.”
Air Force is coming off a 21-6 victory against Merrimack (0-1) where the Falcons rushed for 173 yards with all three of their touchdowns coming on the ground.
It is not all offense for Air Force as its defense is also going to be tough to handle. Senior defensive lineman Payton Zdroik will be the man to watch out for on the Falcons defense.
In the week one win Zdroik had 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Zdroik also forced a fumble.
Thankfully the Spartans offensive line will receive some reinforcements with Niumatalolo confirming that senior offensive lineman Marist Talavou will be scheduled to play.
Talavou was scratched from the lineup right before kickoff against Sacramento State with an undisclosed injury.
This game is trending towards one that will be won in the trenches and senior defensive lineman Soane Toia is ready for that.
“That’s what the Air Force game is every year,” Toia said. “It’s always old school football.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. tomorrow at Falcon Stadium.
