By BJ Querubin— Staff Writer
San Jose State football (4-4, 1-3 MW) has its toughest task this season as it looks to hand No. 21 Boise State (6-1, 3-0 MW) its first conference loss.
Saturday will be a statement game for the Spartans.
An SJSU win would improve its chances for a bowl game at the end of the season, and would grant its first win streak all year.
Last week, the Spartans stunned the college football world … once again.
SJSU was in revenge-mode to get its second-road win of the season against Army after losing by 49 points last season.
The Spartans were also coming off of a tough homecoming loss to San Diego State.
The offense was clicking on all cylinders, gaining over 400 yards of total offense. Senior quarterback Josh Love threw for 314 of those yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The defensive side of the ball didn’t break, limiting the Black Knights offense to just 29 points with the returning services of a once-injured veteran linebacker Ethan Aguayo.
Aguayo was the nation’s leading tackler before his injury, and he was back to his normal self as he finished the game with 11 tackles on his return to the gridiron.
This week will be a different story as it will be SJSU’s first game against a nationally-ranked opponent this season.
Although the Broncos have been on fire this year, BYU handed Boise State its first loss of the season in a nail biter than ended 28-25
Even with that loss, Boise State is still the top seed in the Mountain West, which it will strive to hold onto for the rest of the season.
If the Broncos have any desire to play in a major bowl game this year, they will need to avenge their loss and regroup on the road for the second-straight week.
The tell of the tale for SJSU has been inconsistency.
The team struggles to remain competitive when games are in reach and can’t seem to string together solid play on a week-to-week basis.
On the bright side, one statline that has been their model of consistency is the team’s turnover margin.
The Spartans only trail the mighty Crimson Tide this season at +12.
SJSU should stick to that identity as it will need its stingy defense to create turnovers and open up opportunities for its offense.
Boise State freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier might have a field day and should take advantage of the Spartan’s suspect secondary.
The Broncos offense is designed to keep constant pressure on opposing defenses with the speed of their skill position players.
Boise State’s offense also has a balanced attack, giving defenses a steady dose of both the run and pass.
Although Boise State’s defense surrenders a lot of points, it almost never breaks when the time comes for it to make a stop.
Both teams have a lot at stake. The Spartans want to keep their head above water for bowl eligibility and the Broncos want to prove why they are one of the top-25 teams in the country.
This should be fun.
Kickoff is Saturday in San Jose at 7:30 p.m.
Follow BJ on Twitter @beejaycue