NCAA Football, San Jose State at Boise State
How Good are the WAC-leading Broncos? Tomey Says Pretty Darn Good
Oct 26, 2009
How does Boise State compare to those two football powerhouses? "Their ranking is legitimate," Tomey said of the sixth-ranked Broncos. "We're playing the dominant football team in our conference the last 5, 6, 7 years. They just keep getting better and we have to catch up."
The Tale of the Blue Turf
San Jose State (0-2, 1-5) has never beaten Boise State (2-0, 7-0) in nine tries, coming close, in 2006, when a last-second field goal gave the Broncos a 23-20 victory, and in 2004, when the Spartans took Boise State to double overtime before losing.
"That's been an outstanding program for years," Tomey said. "Their level of accomplishment has gone up significantly the last 5 or 6 years. They have the infrastructure and facilities to attract recruits. Everybody else in the WAC has a lot of work to do. It will take a number of years to equal that."
On the other hand, San Jose State is struggling. The Spartans are the only team with fewer than two wins and they enter Saturday afternoon's affair with a conference-worst five-game winning streak. Boise State has won its last 10 games.
San Jose State has the advantage of a bye week while the Broncos made the trip to Hawaii.
Depth Chart Changes for San Jose State
The Spartans made some lineup changes for the contest because of injuries and due to performance.
"We are a struggling football but that's not a bad thing," Tomey said. "You have to understand you are struggling and work your way out of it. We have to stay the course and stay together."
Injuries in the offensive line to center Ronnie Castillo (high ankle sprain) and guard Ailao Eliapo (knee) mean starts for junior Robbie Reed (6-3, 290) and redshirt sophomore Andres Vargas (6-4, 305).
Reed has been a starter at center in previous years and has seen action there this season. Vargas will be making his first career start, although he has appeared as a reverse at guard and tackle in previous games.
Senior Guidance Counseling
It also means that San Jose State will have one senior starter on offense in wide receiver Kevin Jurovich (6-0, 190), third in the WAC with 6.17 catches per game.
Linebacker Travis Jones (6-1, 230) is among four starting seniors on defense with tackle Adonis Davis (6-2, 295), end Carl Ihenacho (6-3, 256) and linebacker Justin Cole (6-3, 240).
"We're not where we want to be," Jones said. "But that doesn't mean we can't turn it around."
The Spartan Playbook
Junior corner Devin Newsome (5-10, 185) and sophomore safety Tanner Burns (6-1, 185) are among the national leaders in forced fumbles, each with four through six games. Burns also has a pair of interceptions.
Spartans' quarterback Jordan La Secla, in his first year as a starter, is ranked last in the WAC in pass efficiency but he's one of the players whom Tomey sees as a shining star.
"He is making good progress," Tomey said. "Josh Harrison is starting to emerge as a receiver. Travis Johnson, a true freshman, is really developing into a good player. There are a lot of guys who have done a lot of good things. Our team is still developing."
La Secla will get a look at the national leader in pass efficiency in Boise State's Kellen Moore, a sophomore who impressed Tomey last year.
"Last year we got to him early but he's so poised and confident he came back to play well," Tomey said. "He's not big and he's not fast; he's skilled. He's a nifty operator, an excellent quarterback."
Despite the statistical gap between the teams, Tomey looks at this game as an opportunity.
"It's a great opportunity for any team going to Boise to take a shot," he said. "They have a tremendous winning tradition at home."
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