What to know before San Jose State kicks off against No. 13 Boise State
SAN JOSE STATE VS. BOISE STATE
Records: San Jose State (6-3, 3-2 Mountain West); No. 13 Boise State (8-1, 5-0 MW)
Kickoff: 4 p.m., CEFCU Stadium, San Jose
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: KTRB (860 AM)
Series history: Boise State leads the series 14-1. San Jose State’s lone victory came in the 2020 Mountain West Championship by a score of 34-20 at a neutral site in Whitney, Nevada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only four of the regular-season meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points — last season in Boise (35-27) and three times in San Jose (52-42 in 2019; 23-20 in 2006 and 56-49 in 2004).
Storylines: Heisman candidate Ashton Jeanty comes into this game leading the nation with 1,734 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns and is on pace to break Barry Sanders’ NCAA single-season rushing record. … Nick Nash is four catches away from breaking the SJSU single-season reception record that was previously held by Noel Grigsby with 89 in 2011. … No. 13 Boise State will be the first ranked opponent SJSU has played this season. … The two offenses combine for 923.1 yards per game of total offense. … SJSU linebacker Jordan Pollard, who leads the team in tackles with 82, will sit out for the first half of the game due to a targeting penalty that occurred in SJSU’s last game. … The reigning Mountain West offensive (Jeanty) and defensive (DJ Harvey) player’s of the week will be featured.
Matchup to watch: Jeanty vs. Robert Rahimi. With Pollard out in the first half, Rahimi will have to play an expanded role. The safety is second on the team in tackles (59) and will likely load the box to help contain the run. Jeanty has won the Mountain West offensive player of the week six times out of the 12 possible weeks. His 1,268 yards after contact lead the nation so it will be imperative to finish tackles.
Injuries: No injuries reported.
Stats that matter: Jeanty averages 192.7 rushing yards per game. … Boise State is second in the nation in sacks (40) and sacks per game (4.44). … San Jose State is tied for second in the nation in interceptions with 16. … SJSU quarterback Walker Eget finished with 395 passing yards in last week’s win over Oregon State but has thrown an interception in four straight games. … Boise State has converted on 11 straight fourth downs. … Both teams are top-20 in the nation in sacks allowed with SJSU allowing only one per game and Boise allowing .78 per game.
— Andrew Hartley