San Jose State will head into its second game in a row as double-digit underdogs when it faces No. 18 Oregon State on Sunday in a nationally televised game on CBS.
The Spartans (0-1) are coming off a 56-28 loss to No. 6 USC last weekend and will have another uphill battle against the Oregon State (0-0) team who had one of the best defenses in the nation last season.
“The difficulty is that you’re just playing two really good teams right off the bat and you don't know who you are as a football team yet,” SJSU head coach Brent Brennan said. “I also think it's an awesome opportunity . . . This group that's coming in here this coming weekend is excellent in all three phases. So this is another big challenge for us. ”
Even in the loss to USC, the Spartans showed that the offense could still be one of the strengths of this team.
Former quarterback turned wide receiver junior Nick Nash caught six passes for 89 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Trojans earning him Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week.
SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro threw 198 yards and made plays with his feet, rushing for 52 yards on 10 attempts.
The running game was more efficient with junior Utah Tech transfer Quali Conley rushing for 108 yards on 6 attempts.
The Spartans will look to replicate that production on Sunday, but a big key will be if the offensive line can create running lanes and protect Cordeiro from a talented Oregon State front.
“From an offensive line standpoint, we need to focus on how clean we want to play,” said SJSU left tackle Jaime Navarro. “It’s gonna be about how much attention to detail we’re gonna have when looking at [Oregon State’s] alignment and trusting our technique.”
Oregon State was a top 50 team when it came to average rushing yards allowed and held opponents to just 20 points per game last season. The Beavers were also No. 1 in red zone defense last season.
A majority of the Beavers’ 2022 all-conference players were drafted or entered the transfer portal, but they retained defensive back Ryan Cooper Jr.
Cooper, a local South Bay product of Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection last season and will be one of Oregon State’s impact players Sunday.
“Oregon State plays great team defense,” said SJSU offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven.
“They’re very disciplined. They know exactly what they’re doing, so it’s really hard to manufacture some things against a defense that plays with that type of discipline and that type of effort.”
The Spartans will have their hands full against another highly-touted quarterback, DJ Uiagalelei at Oregon State. Uiagalelei played two seasons at Clemson University and was the heir apparent to national championship-winning quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State last season after leading Clemson to a 10-3 season.
“DJ is such a big man and he can make every throw,” Brennan said. “He's one of the most talented players I've ever seen. So that's sort of an incredible challenge for us because we're preparing for a player that we haven't seen play in this scheme.”
The Beavers return most of the offensive line from last season who were ranked No. 3 in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.
This game will also be a homecoming for Brennan, McGiven and many of the SJSU staff. Out of the 15 members of the Spartans’ coaching staff, six coached or played at Oregon State.
“[Oregon State is] a team that I have a lot of history with because I was there for a while,” Brennan said. “I Had a great experience there with my family, my kids, the players we coached, the coaches we worked with and the university. It was great.”
All-Mountain West Preseason receiver Justin Lockhart did not play in SJSU’s season opener
against USC and has not practiced since the early weeks of training camp. Look for receivers junior Charles Ross and junior Malikhi Miller to remain the Spartans’ starting receivers until Lockhart returns.
SJSU’s game against Oregon State will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday at CEFCU Stadium.
