By Matthew Gonzalez — Reporter
San Jose State football has not defeated San Diego State since 2012.
Being that the Aztecs have been a consistent threat in the western region of the Mountain West, this would be a marquee win for the Spartans — as it would not only settle a longstanding score, but it would also set the tone for the season, cementing SJSU as a real contender in the conference.
A large reason the Aztecs have been successful this season is due in part to their ability to successfully run the ball, averaging 347 yards on the ground per game, pummeling Mountain West opponent UNLV 34-6, and doing the same to Utah State 38-7.
A win this Friday would also mean bragging rights in the inherent Bay Area vs. Southern California rivalry, as the teams are each area’s representatives in the Mountain West.
While the Aztecs will surely be a tough adversary to deal with on a short week, Spartans head coach Brent Brennan says the best way to prepare for this game is to focus on what the team can do each day to prepare:
“We needed to focus on practice [on Monday],” Brennan said. “Working through that soreness is a little bit different, there’s a process for us to play well, we just gotta handle today, it’s all about what are you doing right now to prepare for the game.”
In terms of what a win against the Aztecs would mean for the season, the importance is immense. You would have to go all the way back to 1982 to see the last time the Spartans started a season 3-0, and to possibly do so against a rival like the Aztecs would make the victory that much better.
The final cherry on top of the proverbial cake in a SJSU win Friday, can be seen in a pure numerical sense, as a 3-0 record would put the Spartans in an advantageous position in the Mountain West. Their last three games are against Boise State (2-0), Hawaii (1-1) and Nevada (2-0) all of whom played in bowl games last season.
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