Hawai'i Warriors (3-2, 1-0 WAC) vs. San Jose State Spartans (2-4, 1-1 WAC)
TV: Live nationally on ESPN with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play) and Rod Gilmore (color)
History:
Following a bye week, the University of Hawai'i football team resumes play hitting the road for the fourth time this season as the Warriors travel for a nationally televised match with San Jose State. Since 1936, the two teams have met a total of 35 times with UH holding a slight edge at 17-16-1. Hawai'i has won the last ten of its fifteen meetings with the Spartans including a 5-1 mark in their last six meetings at Spartan Stadium. Despite their recent domination in San Jose, the last two games have gone to the wire finishing in overtime with the Warriors winning 42-35 in 2007 and 17-10 in 2009. Last season UH dominated the Spartans in Honolulu 41-7.
This game marks the return for current UH special team's coach Dick Tomey to San Jose. Tomey, the second winningest head coach in Hawai‘i history leading the Warriors from 1977-86, and the winningest head coach in University of Arizona history, also had a successful stint with the Spartans from 2005-2009. Despite only posting a 25-35 record in his four years at San Jose, Tomey's tenure is considered largely a success having inherited a program that was in shambles and surrounded in controversy, having only posted five victories in its previous two seasons, and was under the serious possibility of being discontinued by the university. In only two seasons, Tomey led San Jose State back to respectability finishing 2006 with a 9-4 record including an inaugural New Mexico Bowl victory over the home town New Mexico Lobos.
San Jose State head coach Mike MacIntyre is in his second year leading the Spartans. The successor to Tomey, the former Duke Blue Devil defensive coordinator has posted a 3-16 record as he works to shape the SJSU program into his own vision. Regardless of the dismal record, many believe that MacIntyre has the team moving in the right direction believing they still can make post-season play.
In his three seasons at the helm, Hawai'i head coach Greg McMackin has posted a 9-5 record during the month of October and is 2-1 against the Spartans.
Match-Up:
Currently, Hawai'i quarterback Bryant Moniz ranks ninth nationally in total offense (340.8) while wide receiver Royce Pollard is 14th in receiving. In their last game against Louisiana Tech, the Hawaiian offense lit up the Bulldogs for a total of 494 yards and six touchdowns. Over their previous two games the Warriors have averaged an impressive 50 points and 503 yards of total offense in victories over UC Davis and La. Tech. The Warriors will continue riding the strength of Moniz' arm in the hopes of winning back-to-back road games for the first time since 2007 over an improving Spartans who desperately need this victory if they have any realistic shot of reaching the post season.
The Warriors still need to get production out of its running backs, whether it is Joey Iosefa, Sterling Jackson or John Lister, if they want to keep the Spartan offense on the sidelines. The strength of the Spartan defense is found at linebacker. SJSU's leading tackler and 2010 WAC Freshman of the Year Keith Smith and 2011 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List Duke Inenacho lead the defense and will present a challenge.
Pollard will be relied upon to loosen the Spartan defense as the senior wide receiver has been a big play artist for Hawai'i's receiving core. But despite the offense's big passing numbers, the Warriors could use more help from big target Darius Bright, Allen Sampson, Justin Clapp and Billy Ray Stutzman. As for the UH offensive line it has been a slow work in progress due to injuries, but it appears to be steadily improving becoming more dominating up front thus allowing Moniz to effectively move the ball downfield.
The San Jose State offense starts with senior Brandon Rutley. Rutley, who ranks eighth in the nation in total offense, did not play play in last week's loss to BYU due to an ankle injury. As a result the Brigham Young game marked the first time since the opener at Stanford that San Jose State did not rush for at least 100 yards. The loss snapped the Spartans two-game winning streak.
San Jose State Sr. QB. Matt Faulkner has several capable targets to throw the ball to. Leading the team in receptions is tight end Noel Grigsby, with 39. In the BYU game Grigsby became the first Spartan in three seasons to catch at least 10 passes grabbing 11 receptions for 88 yards. The other TE Ryan Otten offers a big target and is one of the nation's most productive tight ends. Despite missing the UCLA game, Otten leads the nation with a 15.5 yard per catch average and is the only TE with two 100-plus receiving yardage games this season.
Wide receiver Chandler Jones has good speed and will present a challenge to Warrior's cornerbacks John Hardy-Tuilau, Mike Sellars and Tank Hopkins. As a result the Warriors defensive line will hold double-duty, needing to apply the pressure on Faulkner as well as stopping Rutley on first down forcing Faulkner to move the chains with his arm - something he has not consistently shown so far this season.
Turnovers may be the biggest determining factor for success, Hawai'i needing to create some early in order to assure they do not find themselves in another early hole like they have in previous road tests at Washington and UNLV. Whereas the Spartans, who lead the WAC and is #22 in the nation in turnovers gained, with six fumble recoveries and seven interceptions this season, will need to continue to create them in order to slow the Hawai'i offense.
Boxscore Prediction: Watch Hawai'i linebackers Corey Parades and Art Laurel to limit Rutley and the San Jose State ground attack "just enough" to squeak out a close road victory. Hawai'i 34-28 SJSU.
The two teams hold a NCAA record for most points scored in a brief period. In the 1999 game in Spartan Stadium that Hawai’i won 62-41, the two teams combined to score 29 points in 1:34 in the fourth quarter.
70 Years Ago - The Pearl Harbor Attack & San Jose State Was There: San Jose State and Willamette College were two schools scheduled to play December football games against the University of Hawai’i when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941. Arriving in Honolulu via ocean liner on December 3, the Spartans were to face Hawai’i on December 13 and Willamette on December 16. Neither game was played.
Personal Note:
Memories of Coach Tomey goes a long way back for me personally from watching UH beat powerhouse West Virginia 16-13 on a last second field goal by kicker Jim Asmus in 1980 to almost seemingly having their way with #3 Nebraska back in 1982 holding a 16-7 mid-4th quarter lead only to let the victory slip away falling 37-16. It was Tomey who also created the famous and successful muddle huddle gimmick play that was used at other schools over the last several decades. With Tomey's connections between the two schools, Friday's game ties the past to the present with his contributions to each program being long remembered into the future.
* With files from San Jose State and University of Hawai'i Athletic Communications.
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