San Jose State Spartans Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
San Jose State Spartans Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the San Jose State season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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San Jose State Spartans Preview
Head Coach: Brent Brennan, 20-37, 6th year at SJSU
2021 Preview: Overall: 5-7, Conference: 3-5
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
San Jose State Top 10 Players | SJSU Schedule
San Jose State Spartans Preview 2022
It’s not normal for San Jose State football to be good on a consistent basis, but head coach Brent Brennan has made it so – even if the winning seasons haven’t been there in bunches quite yet.
Over the years the program had a good season here, a shocker there, and any success usually turned into a big moment for the head coach to show that he could be great somewhere else, as in, “if he could win at San Jose State …”
But Brennan really is winning at San Jose State.
Okay, so he’s 20-37, and last year’s team died down the stretch, but he rebooted the program into 17 wins and a Mountain West championship over the last three seasons, and now he has a veteran team that should make a whole lot of noise.
It might not be a champion like the 2020 version, but there’s more pop on offense, the defense is loaded with experience and depth, and yeah, there’s an expectation to go to a bowl game.
1986 and 1987 was the last time the program went to two bowl games within three years. This year’s team has a great shot at doing just that.
San Jose State Spartans Preview 2022: Offense
The offense stalled late in the season just when it needed to pick it up. It ended up averaging just 20 points and 340 yards per game, didn’t do anything to control the tempo, and it had a massive issue with turnovers. There’s an overhaul happening, but there are plenty of positives, starting with …
The offensive line should be fine. The transfer portal is a big help with James McNorton coming in from Washington State to work at left tackle and Bryce Petersen in from Akron to work at center. Combine them with veteran Jaime Navarro on the right side, and the line that was great in pass protection will be a plus.
The backs need more work, though. Leading rusher Tyler Nevens is gone, but Kairee Robinson is a good, compact runner and the offense will get rushing production out of …
Chevan Cordeiro – the Hawaii quarterback will add a whole lot of mobility to the attack. He ran for close to 1,100 yards in four years with the Rainbow Warriors with 45 touchdown passes. He’s good, and Nick Nash is a more-than-capable option.
Star TE Derrick Deese is done, but the top four wide receivers are back and a dangerous No. 1 prospect is on the way with Elijah Cooks a 6-4, 215-pound five-year veteran from Nevada.
San Jose State Spartans Preview 2022: Defense
The defense wasn’t bad, and it’s about to be a whole lot stronger with nine starters expected back. The pass rush was okay, but the run defense was great and overall the group allowed a solid 370 yards and 26.5 points per game.
The line will be the strength. It’s not a massive group, but there’s great depth around three excellent veterans. First Team All-Mountain West pass rusher Villami Fehoko and all-star Cade Hall form one of the league’s best defensive end tandems around 290-pound Lando Gray on the nose.
Leading tackler Kyle Harmon is back back in one inside linebacker spot after making 135 tackles in an all-star season, and Jordan Cobbs is a great-sized run stopper next to him. Alii Matau is a good all-around option on the outside.
The secondary needs to come up with more interceptions – the defensive backs picked off just four passes – but Nehemiah Shelton is a top corner to work around after 61 tackles with ten broken up passes and a team-high two picks. Fellow All-Mountain West defensive back Tre Jenkins was second on the team with 72 tackles at one safety spot.
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
San Jose State Top 10 Players | SJSU Schedule
San Jose State Spartans: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
San Jose State Spartans: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
San Jose State Spartans: Key To The 2022 Offense
Stop with ALL the turnovers.
It’s not that everything has to be perfect for San Jose State to win, but it makes life way too hard on itself by turning the ball over far too often.
Last year it gave the ball away multiple times in nine times in 12 games, and not surprisingly, it went 0-4 when it gave it away three times.
This was after giving the ball up multiple times just once in the amazing 2020 Mountain West Championship season – and that was when the the team was hammered by COVID in the bowl loss to Ball State.
San Jose State Spartans: Key To The 2022 Defense
Hold up better against the stronger passing teams.
There will be problems against the great offenses, but that’s to be expected. Giving up yards isn’t the end of the world – the Spartans will generate their share of sacks and pressure – but they have to make more big plays overall.
They generated just six interceptions on the year and five came in a three-game span. Interceptions were a problem in 2020, too, but that defense didn’t give up a 300-yard day among the eight games.
Last year’s defense allowed three, 300-yard outings and couldn’t seem to overcome the big downfield plays.
San Jose State Spartans: Key Player To The 2022 Season
PK Taren Schive, Soph.
Longtime kicker Matt Mercurio took off to go look at other opportunities as a grad transfer. The former all-star hit 15-of-19 field goals last season and 44 out of 54 in his three seasons.
Last year he wasn’t a big difference-maker – the two misses against Nevada mattered – but the Spartans need reliable kicking to bounce back.
Enter Schive, who handled kickoffs last season and has the leg to add even more boom.
San Jose State Spartans: Key Transfer
QB Chevan Cordeiro, Jr.
Former Nevada WR Elijah Cooks will be a big deal, and a few linemen will be key, but Cordeiro might be a gamechanger after the offense struggled so much with its consistency.
Lost the last two seasons against San Jose State, but he rolled for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in the 2019 win. Now he adds a baller type of play to the mix with four years of experience to bring something different to the attack.
He’ll need to come through big when he goes against …
San Jose State Key Game To The 2022 Season
Hawaii, Nov. 26
This should be an improved San Jose State team that should be deep in the mix for a bowl appearance. However, with a second half run of four road games in six weeks – to project a bit too much – the regular season finale might be to get that sixth win.
It’s against Chevan Cordeiro’s former team.
The Spartans beat the Rainbow Warriors over the last two years, and this time around should be an entertaining offensive fight.
San Jose State Spartans: 2021 Fun Stats
– SJSU 2nd Quarter Scoring: 98 – 2nd Half Scoring: 84
– Penalties: SJSU 87 for 782 yards – Opponents 56 for 525 yards
– Time of Possession: Opponents 33:15 – SSU 26:28
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
San Jose State Top 10 Players | SJSU Schedule
San Jose State Spartans Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
San Jose State Spartans Season Prediction, What Will Happen
The Spartans couldn’t keep the momentum going from the magical 2020 season, but there were chances.
There were rocky moments, but the team still managed to get to November at 5-4 with two home games in the last three and a shot to go bowling with just one more win.
That didn’t happen – playing Nevada, Utah State, and Fresno State had something to do with that – but it was still a decent season even if it was disappointing.
As long as the offense scores, things will change. That might sound way too basic, but San Jose State was 1-7 when it scored 24 points or fewer.
Let’s assume the Spartans get those 24 points few more times and let’s assume they get that win they couldn’t land in 2021.
Set The San Jose State Spartans Regular Season Win Total At … 6
Again, this will be a better team than last year, but the three road dates at Auburn, Fresno State, and San Diego State are all likely to be losses. The road game at Utah State will be rough, too.
However, the Spartans should be able to hold up against Portland State, they need to beat UNLV, win at New Mexico State, and win two of the three at home against Nevada, Colorado State, and Hawaii.
That gets them to five, and they can sneak in another win somewhere against Western Michigan, or at Wyoming, or in an upset somewhere.
In honor of the late Lawrence Fan – the amazing longtime athletic director – always be optimistic when it comes to San Jose State.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
San Jose State Top 10 Players | SJSU Schedule
