Fresh off Apple Cup win, WSU gears up for San Jose State’s ‘explosive’ offense
Greg Woods
Sep. 19, 2024 at 5:18 pm
The Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN — Last weekend, before Washington State hit the road for Seattle to take on rival Washington, Brock Dieu checked in with one of his professors. The Cougars’ starting right guard was going to miss Friday’s class, so he asked what makeup work he might need to do.
Nothing, the professor told Dieu, it’s a review day.
“But one thing,” they added. “Go beat the Huskies.”
WSU did just that, making a fourth-quarter goal-line stand that will live in program lore forever. After their first Apple Cup win in three seasons, Dieu and the Cougs poured onto the field for a celebration years in the making.
Now the challenge for Washington State has changed. On a short week, WSU must turn its attention to a home matchup with San Jose State, set for 7 p.m. Friday. The Cougs have road tests against Boise State and Fresno State after that, so for them, it’s important to give the Spartans their full attention.
That might start with understanding the challenge San Jose State will present. The Spartans (3-0) wield Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Mountain West Conference offense and defense, earning grades of 73.6 and 82.5, respectively. Their quarterback is sophomore Emmett Brown, who began his career with his freshman season at WSU last fall.
In double-digit wins over Sacramento State, Air Force and Kennesaw State, SJSU has unleashed a potent offense. The Spartans’ passing offense ranks tops in the Mountain West and No. 23 in the country. Brown has already piled up 915 passing yards, completing 63 of 104 passes (61%) for nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
He has a bona fide weapon in star receiver Nick Nash, a fifth-year senior whose 6-foot-3 frame makes him dangerous in the slot. He has hauled in 34 receptions for 485 yards and six touchdowns, making him PFF’s fifth-highest-graded receiver nationwide. His six touchdown receptions rank first in the country — regardless of position.
On offense, SJSU’s other options include senior receiver Justin Lockhart, who has logged 11 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns, second on the team behind Nash in all three categories. Running backs Floyd Chalk IV and Jabari Bates have split carries, combining for 224 yards and two touchdowns in three games so far.
“It’s explosive, absolutely explosive,” WSU defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said of SJSU’s offense. “I think they push the ball downfield. They do it in a couple different ways, whether it’s drop-back pass or RPO. I think they have a really good set of receivers, and they do a good job protecting them. It’s a new challenge. It’s 100% a new challenge, and it’s gonna be a lot different each week.”
On defense, San Jose State has bounced back from its season-opener by allowing just seven points to Air Force and 10 to Kennesaw State, producing a defense that ranks second in the conference in both tackling (76.6 grade) and pass rush (79.5 grade). The engineers of the operation have been defenders like lineman Soane Toia, who leads the team with seven pressures; linebacker Jordan Pollard, who leads the team with 24 tackles; and safety Isiah Revis, who has produced two pass-breakups.
Perhaps most important, the Spartans have registered six interceptions and four fumble recoveries, tying for the national lead with 10 total takeaways.
“Defensively, they’re willing to attack. They’re gonna get across our line of scrimmage in a hurry,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said. “There’s not a lot of read-and-react to it. It is
go. They have 10 takeaways in the first three games. That’s hard to do. So it’s a fast, aggressive style. Obviously, their head coach has been through everything. I’m just thankful he’s not running the triple option.”
Dickert was referencing first-year SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who ran the triple-option offense at his previous stop of Air Force.
The Cougars won’t need to defend that, but they will need to improve in the tackling department, where they’re second in the country in missed tackles with 51. Context is important here — WSU is one of four teams nationwide to take down two Power Four teams this season, giving the Cougs competition few other teams have had — but there’s no denying WSU has work to do on defense.
The Cougs will get a chance to improve against a quarterback who was on their team last fall, who has fostered one of the country’s best offenses this season.
“This is the Bay Area’s best team in the last four or five years,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said. “There’s no question about it.”
Greg Woods Washington State beat writer for The Spokesman-Review
