SJSU to host No. 3 Boise St.

By Tom Schreier

For all the interest students at Santa Clara have for the return of football to Mission Campus, it is surprising to me that more people do not take advantage of having a Division I football program right down the street.I'm not talking about Stanford-they seem to get a decent amount of support from students at Santa Clara-but rather San Jose State, who will play Boise State and Fresno State at home this year.

San Jose State typically puts together a rather challenging schedule every year. This year SJSU started the season with games at No. 1 Alabama, No. 11 Wisconsin, and No. 13 Utah. Also, aside from a win over almighty Southern Utah-who has also lost to Wyoming and Texas State-the Spartans have not established themselves as a formidable opponent in three of their first four games. Their combined score against ranked opponents is an abhorrent 20-131.

However, there is still reason to make the 10-minute drive eastward to Spartan Stadium in October. Due to their affiliation with the Western Athletic Conference, SJSU will continue to play well-established programs like Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, and Nevada at home every other year.

On October 16 the Spartans host No. 3 Boise State. The (other) Broncos are led by Heisman candidate Kellen Moore at quarterback, who holds a 168.1 rating after three contests, all of which have been wins. Receivers Titus Young (310 yards, two touchdowns) and Austin Pettis (223 yards, four touchdowns) make Moore's job look easy, while the team's formidable running game, led by Doug Martin (326 yards, one touchdown) and D.J. Harper (160 yards, two touchdowns) balances the offense.

Students attending the Boise State game will definitely get to witness a National Championship contender first hand.A week later, on October 23rd, the Spartans host Fresno State, a school that perennially produces NFL players. Three notable quarterbacks-David Carr (49ers), Billy Volek (Chargers), and Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl XXXV Champion)-are former Bulldogs. Ryan Mathews, the Chargers' first round selection (12th overall) last year, was also a Fresno State product.

Granted, nobody is going to mistake the WAC for the Pac-10, which has four ranked teams this year. And San Jose State may not play at the caliber of Stanford, a team that could potentially win the Pac-10 crown this year, but their opponents are worth the trip for the die-hard football fan at Santa Clara.