By Austin Turner — Staff Writer
Despite poor air quality in the Bay Area, Senior Day at CEFCU Stadium is still on and San Jose State is set to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack (6-4, 4-2 MW) on Saturday.
The Spartans (1-9, 1-5 MW) are wrapping up a home schedule that has had its high points, but mostly has been forgetful: An opening-week home loss to UC Davis, a couple of heartbreaking losses to Hawaii and Colorado State, and the team’s only win of the season to UNLV highlight the year for Spartan fans in their home stadium.
They hope that this final game will provide a better result.
SJSU will be taking on a Nevada team that has found its groove as of late. It has won its last three games to reach bowl eligibility, including a surprise victory over San Diego State.
The Wolf Pack is led by quarterback Ty Gangi who is making the most of his senior season.
He has a 20-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has thrown for 2522 yards. Stopping him will be a difficult task for the Spartans, thanks to a terrific Nevada offensive line.
It seems like SJSU faces an outstanding running game almost every week, and this is no different.
Tua Taua is the work horse and he makes the most of it. Averaging 5.7 yards per carry, Taua has great speed and cutting ability.
What makes Nevada a great team, however, is its defense. The front seven for the Wolf Pack has been on a roll lately.
They get behind the line of scrimmage and make plays in the backfield. They’ve sacked opposing quarterbacks 29 times this season – and with the way the SJSU offensive line has played lately, that number will likely rise.
The senior pass-rush duo of Malik Reed and Korey Rush are among the best defensive players in the Mountain West Conference. The two have combined for 13 sacks, and will surely be a headache for the SJSU coaching staff to deal with.
Luckily for the Spartans on Senior Day, they have some pretty good senior talent as well.
Tight end Josh Oliver will be out to prove himself after being snubbed from the John Mackey Award semifinalist list this week.
He leads all players in his position in receptions, with 51, and is third in receiving yards, with 642. Expect him to be a major part of the game plan.
Making his final start at CEFCU will be quarterback Josh Love. In his only season as the main starter, Love has improved throughout the year.
If he can limit turnovers and use his big arm effectively, the Spartans will have a shot at the upset. His decision-making will need to be quick as he won’t have much time to throw the ball, so expect a quick passing attack from Love.
On the defensive side, a few defensive leaders will also be saying farewell to their home stadium.
Boogie Roberts, Jamal Scott and Dakari Monroe, among others, will be looking to make a statement on Senior Day in an attempt to end their home careers with a win.
Originally scheduled at 2 p.m., the game has been rescheduled due to the wildfires in Northern California.
On Saturday the Spartans will play host for the final time of 2018 as they take on the Wolf Pack at noon at CEFCU Stadium.
Follow Austin on Twitter @AustinTurnt