In Friday night showdown with San Jose State, WSU looks for fourth straight win to open season

PULLMAN – Last weekend, before Washington State hit the road for Seattle to take on rival Washington, Brock Dieu checked in with one of his professors. The Cougars’ starting right guard was going to miss Friday’s class, so he asked what makeup work he might need to do.

Nothing, the professor told Dieu, it’s a review day.

“But one thing,” the professor added. “Go beat the Huskies.”

WSU did just that, making a fourth-quarter goal-line stand . After their first Apple Cup win in three seasons, Dieu and the Cougars poured onto the field for a celebration years in the making.

Now the challenge for Washington State has changed. On a short week, WSU must turn its attention to a home matchup with San Jose State, set for 7 p.m. Friday. The Cougars have road tests against Boise State and Fresno State after that, so for them, it’s important to give the Spartans their full attention.

That starts with understanding the challenge San Jose State will present. The Spartans (3-0) feature Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Mountain West Conference offense and defense, earning grades of 73.6 and 82.5, respectively. Their quarterback is sophomore Emmett Brown, who began his career with his freshman season at WSU last fall.

In double-digit wins over Sacramento State, Air Force and Kennesaw State, SJSU has unleashed a potent offense. The Spartans’ passing offense ranks tops in the Mountain West and No. 23 in the country. Brown has piled up 915 passing yards, completing 63 of 104 passes (61%) for nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

He has a top target in star receiver Nick Nash, a fifth-year senior whose 6-foot-3 frame makes him dangerous in the slot. He has hauled in 34 receptions for 485 yards and six touchdowns, making him PFF’s fifth-highest-graded receiver nationwide. His six touchdown receptions rank first in the country – regardless of position.

On offense, SJSU’s other options include senior receiver Justin Lockhart, who has 11 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns, second on the team behind Nash in all three categories. Running backs Floyd Chalk IV and Jabari Bates have split carries, combining for 224 yards and two touchdowns in three games .

“It’s explosive, absolutely explosive,” WSU defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said of SJSU’s offense. “I think they push the ball downfield. They do it in a couple different ways, whether it’s drop-back pass or RPO. I think they have a really good set of receivers, and they do a good job protecting them. It’s a new challenge. It’s 100% a new challenge, and it’s going to be a lot different each week.”

On defense, San Jose State has bounced back from its season opener by allowing just seven points to Air Force and 10 to Kennesaw State, producing a defense that ranks second in the conference in tackling (76.6 grade) and pass rush (79.5 grade). The leaders have been defenders such as lineman Soane Toia, who leads the team with seven pressures; linebacker Jordan Pollard, who leads the team with 24 tackles; and safety Isiah Revis, who has two pass-breakups.

Perhaps most important, the Spartans have six interceptions and four fumble recoveries, tying for the national lead with 10 takeaways.

“Defensively, they’re willing to attack. They’re going to get across our line of scrimmage in a hurry,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said. “There’s not a lot of read-and-react to it. It is go. They have 10 takeaways in the first three games. That’s hard to do. So it’s a fast, aggressive style. Obviously, their head coach has been through everything. I’m just thankful he’s not running the triple option.”

Dickert was referencing first-year SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who ran the triple-option offense at his previous stop of Navy.

The Cougars won’t need to defend that, but they will need to improve in the tackling department, where they’re second in the country in missed tackles with 51. WSU, however, is one of four teams nationwide to take down two Power Four teams this season, giving the Cougars competition few other teams have had – but there’s no denying WSU has work to do on defense.

The Cougars will get a chance to improve against a quarterback who was on their team last fall, who has led one of the country’s best offenses this season.

“This is the Bay Area’s best team in the last four or five years,” Dickert said. “There’s no question about it.”