By Alan Gerould, Senior Columnist, BroncoBlitz
Naples, FL — It’s been a great time to be a Bronco! In the aftermath of back to back wins that have gone a long way in erasing the memory of the opening week spanking at the hands of Michigan which, it turns out, is a pretty good football team, the Broncos 44-41 win over Pitt gave the program a shot in the arm and has many of its fans euphoric. The Broncos intend to build on the win when it welcomes in San Jose State(2-1, 1-0 MWC) , the reigning Mountain West Conference Champion. The Spartans are coming off a 7-1 Mountain West championship season are headed to Waldo Stadium for a 2:00 EST Saturday kickoff. We are pleased to welcome in Vytas Mazeika, who covers the Spartans for the Bay Area News Group and for various news outlets in the San Jose area. Vytas you are now on the BroncoBlitz hot seat!
BroncoBlitz: San Jose State Coach Brent Brennan has the program heading in the right direction after going 15-30 in his first three seasons. How did Brennan turn this program around? What about him has the kids excited to play for him?
Vytas Mazeika: Brennan has aggressively recruited for the right fit in California, building an infrastructure within his coaching staff to attract undiscovered gems like defensive linemen Cade Hall, last year's Mountain West defensive player of the year, and bookend Junior Viliami Fehoko. He also showed commitment to the program by signing an extension in the offseason after attracting attention from the outside, including a reported interest from Arizona.
BroncoBlitz: The Spartans will have logged 8,000 miles of air time flying to and from Hawaii only to turn around and fly to Kalamazoo. I know kids are resilient, but I have to believe it will have some effect. What’s your take on this? What is the itinerary for moving the team like this?
Vytas Mazeika: The team got back to campus at 9 a.m. on Sunday after a red-eye flight out of Honolulu. The players got the day off, then returned to practice Monday. The plan is to board a plane Thursday for the trip to Kalamazoo in order to acclimate their bodies to the Eastern time zone. It's a grind the staff foresaw in advance and is taking every precaution to keep players in the right mindset.
BroncoBlitz: The Spartans QB Nick Starkel throws it a bunch, completing 23 of 50 for 235 yards versus Hawaii. San Jose State throws it nearly 70 percent of the time. Talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the offense and what Starkel brings to the gridiron for the Spartans?
Vytas Mazeika: Starkel became the first QB for the Spartans in nearly two decades to open the season with consecutive 300-yard passing games, matching a feat last accomplished by Jeff Garcia, a former San Francisco 49er. Wind gusts of over 20 mph at Hawaii made it hard to pass the ball this past weekend, but Starkel is not afraid to air it out deep. San Jose State returned its entire offensive line from last year, and the running back Tyler Nevens provides balance with toughness between the tackles.
BroncoBlitz: the SJSU defense is built around Defensive End Viliami Fehoko who may be the best in the Mountain West and already has pro scouts excited. Talk about the Spartans defense strengths and weaknesses?
Vytas Mazeika: The front seven is anchored by Fehoko and the aforementioned Hall, while the secondary features safety Jay Lenard, who's made a career 35 starts (second-most on the team) and cornerback Nehemiah Shelton, whose 6-foot-2 frame can blanket anyone in coverage.
BroncoBlitz: The Spartans punter, Will Hart punted 11 times for 489 yards. That’s a lot of punts. This game is likely to be close and special teams will be important. How confident is Brennan in your field goal kicker and how do you feel about it’s special teams in general?
Vytas Mazeika: Matt Mercurio missed a chip shot field-goal attempt at USC, but he tied the NCAA record with four FGs in the second quarter of last year's Mountain West title game against Boise State in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Hart is a graduate transfer from Michigan who seamlessly made the transition to the West Coast and is averaging 44.9 yards per punt.
BroncoBlitz: This game is shaping up to be a matchup between the best teams of both the Mid-American Conference and Mountain West. The winner of this game will be 1-0 in the series as the Broncos travel to San Jose next year. The oddsmakers have made the Broncos a very slight favorite. I called this one for the Broncos 38-34 during the pre-season. What is your thinking about how this game plays out?
Vytas Mazeika: The Spartans opened the season with touchdowns on the first five possessions, but have recently struggled to find the end zone in road games at USC and Hawaii. The defense has kept the Spartans in both games, so I'd think it's a lower-scoring game than most would think. Something in the line of 31-27 could be in order, with the winner possibly a coin flip.
