SJSU struggling on way to Logan

By Jay Hinton, Deseret News

Published: Friday, Sept. 21 2007 12:31 a.m. MDT

Summary

LOGAN — Through three games this year, the San Jose State Spartans are nothing close to the team that finished 9-4 last year and beat New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl.

The Spartans lost big to Arizona State (45-3), Kansas State (34-14) and Stanford (37-0), and San Jose State coach Dick Tomey isn't happy about it, especially after the shutout loss to the Cardinal.

So unhappy, in fact, the veteran coach with 170 career victories did something this week he had done only two other times in his storied career — have an early-morning Sunday practice.

"It was dead dark when we went out there, and it was good. I think everybody felt good about being together," he said. "Rather than laying in bed feeling sorry for yourself, they we up working with their teammates and helping their team get better."

Well, it couldn't get much worse.

In two of their three games they were held to 200-yards-or-less total offense, and in all three they have rushed for just 40, 70, and 32 yards.

Veteran quarterback Adam Tafralis has completed just 33 of 57 passes for 303 yards. He is also leading the team in rushing yards with 40.

"We are looking at simplifying everything," Tomey said. "When you are not executing as well as you want I think you need to simplify as much as you can."

Prior to their game with Utah State last year, the Spartans were 3-1, and Utah State played the Spartans tough but lost 21-14 in San Jose.

The Aggies, who have lost nine straight games, beat the Spartans 24-17 two years ago in Logan, but before that SJSU had won eight straight games between the two teams.

"They beat us in their house in a game that was not as close as the score would indicate, and then we beat them here last year in a game that I felt we were very fortunate to win," Tomey said. "Of all the games we won last year, I think we were most fortunate to win that one."

Like San Jose, the Aggies are 0-3 with losses to UNLV (23-16), Wyoming (32-18) and then No. 3 Oklahoma (54-3).

"They are in the same position we are, playing in their first Western Athletic Conference game," Utah State coach Brent Guy said. "We both need wins, obviously, to get our programs going in the right direction for WAC play."

Aggies on the air