By Joe Roias — Staff Writer
Expect a high-scoring showdown when San Jose State and New Mexico face off at CEFCU Stadium Friday night.
Neither team is known for its defense and they both rank near the bottom of the FBS in total defense. The Spartans give up 456.5 yards per game and are ranked 115th nationally. The Lobos surrender 526 yards per game and are ranked 129th.
Both teams enter the game with an overall record of 2-2. The Spartans are 0-1 in conference play, while this is the first Mountain West Conference game of the season for the Lobos.
The key to the game involves seeing which defense can hold their ground on third down and force turnovers. Points should be easy to come by, so a handful of clutch stops can prove to be the difference.
Making the opposing offense settle for field goal attempts instead of allowing them to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns will also be vital. This game is expected to be a shootout and may just come down to whomever has the ball last in the final moments.
The Spartans defense will attempt to shut down senior running back Ahmari Davis. Davis is averaging five yards per carry, has scored four rushing touchdowns and is fourth in the MWC with 361 rushing yards.
Stopping the run has proven to be difficult for SJSU at times as they surrendered 382 rushing yards to Air Force last week. However, in the Spartans’ two wins, the defense held their opponents to 241 total yards and no rushing touchdowns, so the defense is capable of slowing down the rushing attack.
The passing game for the Lobos has been nearly non-existent thus far this season. Lobos quarterbacks Brandt Hughes, Tevaka Tuioti and Sheriron Jones have combined for four passing touchdowns and six interceptions while having a lousy 46 percent completion percentage.
New Mexico may find themselves in trouble if they fall behind early and forced to rely on the passing game.
On the other hand, San Jose State’s passing game has been prolific thus far. The Spartans are ranked fifth in the conference with 284.8 passing yards per game. Quarterback Josh Love has been efficient and has only thrown one interception through the first four games.
The air attack has done its part, but Love can’t do it all by himself. It’s time for the ground game to do its part and keep some of the pressure off Love. SJSU is currently ranked last in the Mountain West in rushing offense and is averaging 118 rushing yards per game.
When your backup quarterback is leading the team in rushing yards, changes are made in order to have a balanced attack.
The New Mexico defense has struggled all year against the pass and have surrendered 380 passing yards per game and 13 passing touchdowns. Love and the Spartans may not have to run the ball much to secure the win.
The Spartans enter the game as 6.5-point favorites, although I have the Spartans ultimately winning the game, and I don’t envision them covering the spread. I think New Mexico will keep the game close by grinding out long drives with their rushing attack and win the time of possession battle. I have the Spartans winning 38-34.
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