WAC Preview: San Jose State Spartans

July 3rd, 2008 by Kevan Lee

Appearing in the 2006 New Mexico Bowl is one of the greatest highlights in the last 10 years of San Jose State football. The fact that is seen as a sign of success explains how low the bar of SJSU football has been set.

When Dick Tomey took the coaching job at San Jose State in 2005, he inherited a program in desperate need of help. For the most part, his tenure has been marked with moderate, San Jose-style success. The nine-win season of 2006 was a high point. Many see Tomey building a slow, steady winner that can compete in the WAC for years to come.

The only problem is the definition of “compete.” The Spartans show more fight than the Utah States and Idahos of the conference, but they are rarely seen as serious contenders for a conference championship. Success by association is rather easy with the dregs of the WAC, but SJSU has a ways to go before they are consistent championship material…

One aspect of the team that is already at the top of the WAC is the Spartan receiving corps. Seniors Kevin Jurovich (above, Icon SMI) and David Richmond are the most productive WAC receiving duo. When you throw in newcomer Marquis Avery, San Jose’s wide receiver group is downright good. Jurovich may be the WAC’s most viable fantasy receiver. He caught 85 passes last season and scored nine touchdowns. This from a team not known for scoring touchdowns. Even better, with a good partner in Richmond, Jurovich should not see too many double teams on the outside. This will leave him plenty of opportunity to make an impact. The small, cagey Jurovich forms a great partnership with the taller, lankier Richmond. Both should be strong players once again in 2008.

The only drawback to drafting either of the two in a fantasy league is the quality of the man throwing them the ball. Last year’s starter, Adam Tafralis, had a great rapport with each. With Tafralis gone to the NFL, a bunch of newbies are fighting for the right to throw their direction. The man with the most hype is Cal transfer Kyle Reed. A broken foot sidelined him this spring and cost him any momentum he may have had going into fall camp. His absence opened the door for Myles Eden, Tafralis‘ backup the past two years, to stake his claim for the starting QB spot. Eden showed well in the spring game, yet he had a hard time even holding onto the backup position last year. Jordan LaSecla took some preferred clipboard time from Eden, and LaSecla will also have a shot at the starting role in the fall. Tafralis was a solid starter, but it remains to be seen if any of the QB candidates this year can replicate his success. The job comes with a green offensive line in front of them and with their own lack of experience at the position, the learning curve may be enough to scare fantasy owners away.

If a San Jose quarterback is not a consideration, then a Spartan running back should be the last thing on your mind. How bad was the SJSU running game last year? 2.61 yards per carry bad. The leading rusher in 2007, Jacob French, ran for a total of 331 yards. The problem is not replacing French’s production so much as it is deciding whether “production” is too strong of a word. James Callier and Dominque Hunsucker will have the chance to carry French’s load, and they’ll have ample room for improvement. Still, even a twofold jump in production would still be a fantasy nightmare.

The Spartans are thus far without a dependable punter, which may mean the responsibility will fall to placekicker Jared Strubeck. That’s all well and good except that Strubeck is not especially great at placekicking, either. He converted only 50 percent of his field goals last year and none longer than 42 yards.

With unproven commodities at quarterback, running back, and kicker, the San Jose State defense will have its work cut out for it. In a pleasant turn of events, the “D” may be up for the task. San Jose State has never been known for lighting up scoreboards, yet they have traditionally been able to stay in games because of smart play and consistent defense. A couple new faces should keep the defense stout and keep the Spartans relatively competitive. Two transfers from Pac-10 schools could have a big impact. DE Jeff Schweiger from USC and DB Coye Francies from Oregon State looked good in spring practice. With the help of returning CB Christopher Owens, this unit could make life difficult on opponent’s passing games.

Conclusion

While it appears that San Jose State is headed in the right direction for moderate WAC success, they have yet to be more than a tease on the fantasy front. Receivers Jurovich and Richmond are intriguing options. Given all the variables around them, their cases suffer. Jurovich, at least, should match his receiving numbers from last year. Those would be good enough for a roster spot on many fantasy teams. If a decent Spartan QB emerges, Richmond also could be a surprise. Tomey has the Spartans going places, but it remains to be seen if those places are any more ambitious than the New Mexico Bowl. Good receivers aside, San Jose State has the look of a bizzaro, defense-heavy WAC team that will be good enough to avoid embarrassment but not quite talented enough to make much noise. Of course, making even some noise may be considered a success for San Jose State football.

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