By Niles Hall (@n23hall) – Spear Reporter | Senior quarterback Walker Eget hands off to freshman running back Steve Chavez-Soto against the New Mexico Lobos on Oct.3. (Photo by Alexis Corona-Aguilar – The Spear)
The San Jose State Spartans (2-3, 1-0 MW) head northeast to the rugged plains of Wyoming to take on the University of Wyoming Cowboys (2-3, 0-1 MW) in a conference showdown.
The Spartans come into this week’s game with momentum after handling their first conference game of the season, defeating the New Mexico Lobos 35-28.
SJSU’s win captured the attention of Mountain West fans across the country. SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann won the CBS Sports Coach of the Week at their respective positions.
Along with that, SJSU senior quarterback Walker Eget won the Mountain West offensive player of the week award after his stellar performance, where he threw for 334 passing yards and three touchdowns, going 26/30 on passing attempts.
Senior cornerback Jalen Bainer stood out too, winning the conference’s defensive player of the week award, having nine total tackles, one sack and two interceptions.
Sophomore wide receiver Danny Scudero is turning heads, leading the nation in receiving yards with 671 yards earned.
Wyoming’s offense has a run-heavy identity, led by senior running back Sam Scott, who averages 12 attempts for 54 rushing yards per game, totaling 268 yards on the season. Scott is also a receiving threat, having 93 receiving yards.
Freshman Samuel Harris is the Cowboys’ complementary back, seeing a lot of action, averaging almost nine carries a game for 54 rushing yards a game. Running backs junior Terron Kellman and graduate student Max White also see action in limited roles.
“They’ve got three really good running backs, one is a true freshman that’s kind of dynamic, he can run, he’s elusive, then they have a bruiser in number 22 (Scott) that comes down hill and can make you miss that way,” SJSU defensive coordinator Derrick Odum said after practice Tuesday.
The Spartans run defense has been a bright spot for the team in the last two weeks, as they have limited Stanford’s and New Mexico’s run-heavy offenses.
SJSU’s defense held Stanford to just 64 rushing yards, well below their season average of 96 yards per game. The Spartans showed similar strength against New Mexico, limiting them to 76 rushing yards despite their average of 155 yards per game.
Sophomore quarterback Kaden Anderson leads the Cowboys’ offense, averaging 193 passing yards per game on 30 attempts. Anderson has six touchdowns on the season, but also struggles to protect the ball, having an interception in three of five games played.
Anderson’s top target is sophomore Chris Durr Jr, who has 25 receptions for 297 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Durr Jr. and Wyoming’s receiving core will serve as a good test for SJSU’s secondary, as the defense is giving up 15.1 yards per completion, which is second to last in the Mountain West.
Offensively, the Spartans will look to continue their dominance. The unit has scored 30 or more points in three straight games.
SJSU’s potent receiving core, led by Scudero, and juniors Leland Smith and Kyri Shoels has helped the team be first in the Mountain West and 17th in the FBS in passing yards.
“Coach Stutz, this is his offense. All I gotta do is do my job, he knows what he’s doing… That’s the biggest thing is just being able to do my job, getting the ball out to the receivers.” Eget said after practice on Thursday.
With lead running backs junior Jabari Bates injured and senior Floyd Chalk looking to redshirt. Freshman running back Steve Chavez-Soto made his presence known.
Chavez-Soto ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns. The freshman will look for another big game, as the Cowboys have allowed 163 rushing yards per game.
“He is a very patient runner; he sees how things unfold, he’s tough… and he’s always moving forward.. I call him baby Skattebo (NFL running back), he’s kinda got that aura,” coach Stutzmann said, after practice on Tuesday.
Sophomore kicker Mathias Brown made his Spartan debut last week, going five for five on extra point attempts. He has yet to attempt a field goal.
The Spartans will look to keep their momentum rolling as they head to altitude to take on the Wyoming Cowboys at 4 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming.
