Battle of the woeful
No, it’s not easy being an Aggie football fan right now.
But, then again, try saying that to a supporter of the San Jose State Spartans.
Last week’s Saturday night, 37-0 loss to Stanford prompted Spartan Head Coach Dick Tomey to call a 6:30 a.m. Sunday practice. Players began arriving for the practice at 5 a.m., which was just six hours after the game had ended.
“Sometimes extreme situations require extreme measures,” Tomey said Monday.
The Spartans, who are the Aggies’ Homecoming opponent Saturday at 6:05 p.m., are 0-3 like the Aggies but will also be competing in their fourth consecutive road game this season.
On top of that, the Spartans haven’t been close in any of their first three games. Aside from Stanford was a 34-14 defeat to Kansas State two weeks ago. In the season opener at Arizona State, the Spartans were crushed, 45-3.
With the Aggies being manhandled in a similar way last week by Oklahoma, both teams are eager to jump into the win column.
“I think this will be a crucial game for us to get started on the right foot in the WAC,” USU Head Coach Brent Guy said. “I think (we) are pretty evenly matched. They’re in the same position we are. We both need wins, obviously, to get our programs in the right direction.”
If the past two years, as well as what has transpired so far this season, are any indication, neither squad will be leaving Romney Stadium with an easy win.
“We have another tough assignment on the road against Utah State, and I think it will be a knock-down, drag-out affair,” Tomey said. “We are looking for a good week of practice.”
Both the Spartans and the Aggies are competing in their first Western Athletic Conference game of 2007.
Playing at San Jose a year ago, the Aggies held a 14-0 lead before the Spartans came back to tally 21 points. USU had an opportunity at the end of the game to tie and go to overtime, but they couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-three to get into the end zone. In 2005 USU hosted SJSU and won, 24-17.
FOCUSING AFTER BLOWOUTS
Perhaps most importantly, both teams are trying to get their minds off of their respective blowout losses last week.
Guy said this is his biggest concern for Saturday’s match-up.
Senior quarterback Leon Jackson III said unity will be key for the Aggies to come away with the season’s first win.
“In times of turmoil, teams come together, they don’t separate,” Jackson said. “We’re a good team. We’re going to come together, gel together, and be together from top to bottom, weed out all that outside stuff and stay inside and get this win.
“(Focusing on winning is) important, as it is every week. This week is just as important. We play one week at at time, and this game against San Jose State is big for us as a team, and we’re going to take it as that,” he said.
Tomey said, “I think our attitude is strong and good.”
JACKSON AND McCORMICK TO BOTH SEE ACTION AGAIN
As has been the case in the first three games for USU, Jackson will start. McCormick, who was 6-of-10 passing in his first action of the season against Oklahoma, will also see time on the field.
Guy stressed that putting McCormick in is not a sign the coaching staff has lost confidence in Jackson, but to get McCormick more experience.
“Leon is our starter and will be until we make a declaration difference,” Guy said. “(McCormick) did a really nice job on that first option play (vs. Oklahoma) because they squeezed it just like we thought they would and let the quarterback run with the football … After that play and once Jase had made that first quarterback run, it wasn’t near as good as that first one. He made some good decisions, he made some bad decisions.”
-samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu