Posted by SJSdude on 9/5/2007, 6:31 am By BRYANT-JON ANTEOLA FRESNO -- So much for San Jose State building upon last year's momentum. Certainly, one could see Arizona State, a Pac-10 power coming off a bowl game, as the favorite. But not a 42-point favorite. Not against a San Jose State team that returned 15 starters, including its quarterback and top running back, from a 9-4 team that won the school's first bowl since 1990. But San Jose State never was in Saturday's game, outgained 520 to 115 yards and behind 31-3 by halftime. "They were better than us in every category, from player to equipment man," Tomey said. "Obviously, our team couldn't stand prosperity coming off of last year. "This will be a week where we have to improve greatly. We have to have our failure fuel our fire. We have to just understand it was just one game." Unfortunately for the Spartans open with four straight road games, with their next stop at Kansas State. Then the Spartans visit Stanford and Utah State before their first home game, Sept. 29 against UC-Davis. And they'll go into the Kansas State game without top returning rusher Yonus Davis, who sprained his ankle on the first play against Arizona State. Tomey said he thinks Kansas State is better than Arizona State after watching the Wildcats battle No. 18 Auburn for three quarters in an eventual 23-13 defeat. But perhaps most concerning for San Jose State is the subpar outing from its veteran players, Tomey said. Three-year starting quarterback Adam Tafralis was a mere 5 of 13 for 39 yards and two interceptions. Last season, Tafralis tossed 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions and owned the 11th-best passer rating in the nation at 155.1. Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson, who lost to San Jose State 28-13 while at Idaho last November, said the Spartans look like a different team. The glaring difference can be see in the receiving corps, all new players, and in the secondary, where despite the return of All-American cornerback Dwight Lowery, the Spartans are breaking in two new safeties. "They're not quite the team they were at the end of last year," Erickson said. "They lost an awful lot of good players." Still, Tomey is hoping the Spartans discover their new identity sooner rather than later. "We still have a chance to have a good football team," Tomey said. "We just don't have one right now." Embarrassing opener Nevada -- another team to challenge Fresno State in the Western Athletic Conference -- also was blown out in its season opener, 52-10 at No. 20 Nebraska. Sophomore Nick Graziano won the starting quarterback job out of summer camp, but failed to provide the pop to Nevada's pistol offense. He completed a just 8 of 24 passes for 109 yards. He also threw one interception and was sacked once. Like San Jose State, Nevada gets a second straight crack a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference. The Wolf Pack plays at Northwestern, which blanked Northeastern 27-0. Nevada will have defensive captain Erza Butler back for Northwestern after the senior linebacker and All-WAC pick last season served a one-game suspension for what the Reno Gazette-Journal reported was an unspecified violation of team policy. Rankings tracker WAC favorite Boise State moved up two spots in the Associated Press poll and three in the USA Today Coaches poll, now at No. 22 and No. 20 respectively. Hawaii ascended four spots to No. 19 in the AP poll and two spots to No. 22 in the coaches poll. Texas A&M is ranked No. 23 in both polls, two spots up from a week ago. Oregon, which plays Fresno State in two weeks, remains just outside both polls.
Link: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/sports/story/13958152p-14519210c.html
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What happened to San Jose State?
The Fresno Bee
September 5, 2007, 03:28:31 AM PDT
The Spartans suffered their worst defeat in coach Dick Tomey's three seasons last weekend, trounced by Arizona State 45-3.
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