SJSU football 2019 schedule breakdown

By Alexander Valle — Content Editor

Thursday, August 29th vs. Northern Colorado

With both teams struggling in 2018 and looking for a bounce back year, San Jose State will have a challenge for the first week of the season. Northern Colorado finished the 2018 season 2-9. The Bears began last season with a seven-game losing streak.The matchup will say a lot more about the Spartans if they lose than if they win. 

Saturday, September 7th vs. Tulsa

Tulsa will be tough competition for the Spartans. Although the Golden Hurricane has not posted the best record in recent years, they do play in the competitive American Conference. This game should be close and is a perfect opportunity for San Jose State to earn an early season victory in front of its home crowd.

Saturday, September 21st @ Arkansas

After going 2-10 last year under new head coach Chad Morris, Arkansas is going through a transition period. Don’t let the record fool you, the Razorbacks face off against some of the toughest teams in the nation every year in the SEC. Last season alone, they played against four top-25 teams. These first three games of the season are pivotal as the Spartans prepare for their conference matchups. 

Friday, September 27th @ Air Force

Sadly for SJSU, it kicks off it conference slate against Air Force. The Falcons did not have a stellar season in 2018 finishing with a 5-7 record but this team was still able to average 30.3 points per game, while holding their opponents to 28. Air Force will most likely be able to comfortably outscore the Spartans in this matchup.

Friday, October 4th vs. New Mexico

New Mexico is coming off a terrible end to its 2018 season as it lost its last seven games. The Lobos only had one victory in conference play with a dominant performance against UNLV. The Spartans should have a very good chance of beating this Lobos team if their struggles carry over from last season.

Saturday, October 12th @ Nevada

The Wolf Pack will be a problem for the Spartans. After winning five more games in 2018 than it did in 2017, Nevada is only looking to improve. After finishing last season by winning five of their last six games, it’s tough to imagine that San Jose State will keep up with Nevada’s high powered offense.

Saturday, October 19th vs. San Diego State

San Diego State is very similar to Nevada because it should also be able to return to prior form after a down year. The Aztecs have numerous seniors returning to the program ready to take the top spot in the Mountain West. Senior running back Juwan Washington is a player to look out for in 2019 as he has potential to rush for more than 1,000 yards for the first time in his collegiate career. The Spartans will have their work cut out for them when the Aztecs come to San Jose.

Saturday, October 26th @ Army

This game will be played a little over a year after Army completely dismantled San Jose State 52-3. This was the Spartans worst loss of the season and was able to be seen on national television. Chances are, the Spartans fall in this one since Army is one of SJSU’s toughest opponents of the season.

Saturday, November 2nd vs. Boise State

Coming off of a 10-2 season and just barely losing the Mountain West championship game, the Broncos are looking to at least match their success from a year ago. With quarterback Hank Bachmeier being named the starter for game 1, it will be no surprise if the true freshman is under center this deep into the season. Boise State should be too much for the Spartans offensively and defensively. 

Saturday, November 9th @ Hawai’i

Hawai’i has a high scoring offense that has already proved itself in the 2019 season. The Rainbow Warriors completed their first game with a 45-38 win over Arizona. Hawai’i is another program that is gradually getting better with four more conference wins in 2018 than it had in the previous year. Don’t expect the Rainbow Warriors to drop a game to SJSU this late in the season.

Saturday, November 23rd @ UNLV

San Jose State should be able to defeat UNLV as it did the year before for its only win of the season. The Rebels have been a sub .500 team for quite some time now and 2019 doesn’t look to change that trend. The Spartans were able to score 50 points with help from the defense that had three interceptions.

Saturday, November 30th vs. Fresno State

The Spartans will close out the season against the reigning Mountain West champs. The Bulldogs averaged 34.7 points last season while conceding just over 14 to their opponents. The possibility of SJSU bringing the Valley Trophy back to San Jose — slim to none. 

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