San Jose State defensive lineman Quincy Likio celebrates after a play during the Spartans' game vs. Air Force on Sept. 7, 2024 at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo courtesy of San Jose State)
In Week 1, San Jose State defensive coordinator Derrick Odum handed head coach Ken Niumatalolo the game ball in the locker room for his first victory at SJSU, a season-opening win over Sacramento State.
This week Niumatalolo handed Odum the game ball.
Last season the Spartans defense, led by Odum, did not fare as well against the Air Force offense, allowing 45 points and 400 rushing yards.
Odum’s defense held Air Force to seven points and 197 total yards Saturday night.
SJSU’s 17-7 win made the Spartans the first Mountain West team to win a conference game in the 2024 season.
Defense shines
The defense was led by junior linebacker Jordan Pollard who had a career-high 17 total tackles.
“One tackle after another, I keep hearing my name and I keep wanting to make plays,” Pollard said.
The Spartans knew the task at hand wouldn’t be easy as Air Force has an established triple-option offensive system.
“Odum and a lot of guys on the defensive staff, they’ve played them many times so they have ideas on how to stop them,” Niumatalolo said. “We just had to execute it and credit to our guys, they did.”
Two seniors, safety Robert ‘Rocket’ Rahimi and linebacker Jordan Cobbs, had interceptions in the fourth quarter to stall the Falcons’ comeback bid. Linebacker Taniela Latu, also a senior, pressured Air Force quarterback John Busha to help force Rahimi’s pick.
“It was big, they were driving and I think the turnovers were big for momentum,” senior linebacker Taniela Latu said. “Passing the ball isn’t their strong suit, so we tried to apply some pressure going towards the middle.”
Niumatalolo, who has faced Air Force more than 30 times as a player and coach, says that was as suffocating an effort as he has ever seen defensively against the Falcons.
Rocket Rahimi with the pick to give the ball back to the Spartans late in the fourth quarter!
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Presented by Habbas Law#AllSpartans pic.twitter.com/M2C2z6fZbJ
— San José State Football (@SanJoseStateFB) September 8, 2024
Offense leaves more to be desired
Quarterback Emmet Brown was 17-for-32 throwing 262 yards for two touchdowns and one interception.
Nick Nash’s receiving dominance from last week carried over, catching the first touchdown of the game for SJSU. Nash would finish with seven receptions for 90 yards.
Niumatalolo said offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann helped calm Brown down after throwing an interception on the team’s second drive.
“(Brown) is a tough kid. He took some shots and he can play better,” Niumatalolo said. “He needs to play better for us to get where we want to go.”
Brown said he wants to put his team in better positions to score going forward.
“It’s game by game, practice by practice getting those deep balls down,” Brown said. “It’s still something I got to get better at and just get it out there and let our guys run underneath it.”
Offensive lineman Marist Talavoa was disqualified in the third quarter for targeting.
The Spartans were backed up nearly into their own end zone and Talavoa knocked a pass rusher down, then propelled himself at the Falcons defender on the ground making head-to-head contact.
Because his penalty occurred in the second half, Talavoa will be suspended for the first half of next week’s game against Kennesaw State.
Tight end usage
One bright spot for SJSU’s offense was the tight ends, with junior Jackson Canaan scoring on a 58-yard catch on the possession after Brown’s interception.
Junior Jacob Stewart got in on the action as well, helping the tight ends finish with a combined 102 receiving yards.
“(Our tight ends) are huge for the run game and huge for the pass game,” Brown said. “They’re consistent bodies, they can catch and then get dirty in the box.”
Last week Stewart caught a touchdown pass as well.
“They got a lot of the weight on their shoulders,” Brown said. “But they’ve been great these first two weeks.”
Emmett Brown with the deeep ball to Jackson Canaan for the touchdown to go back on top!
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— San José State Football (@SanJoseStateFB) September 7, 2024
Program’s first win at Air Force
The Spartans’ victory was the third time they beat the Falcons in school history and the first at Falcon Stadium after entering the game 0-3 there.
“We knew early in the week this was going to be a physical game,” Pollard said.
To prepare for the physicality, Latu said the scout offensive team helped the Spartans defense key in on reads in the practices leading up to this game.
“We knew it would be a heavyweight slugfest,” Niumatalolo said. “Super happy for our players and coaches to get San Jose State’s first win against them here on the road.”
Up next
SJSU looks to continue its winning streak next week, with Kennesaw State traveling to the south bay.
The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at CEFCU Stadium.
The Owls, who are playing their first season in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, are 0-2 this season.
Kennesaw State fell to Louisiana-Lafayette 34-10 in its home opener on Saturday.
Niumatalolo is the first Spartans head coach to start 2-0 since Lynn Stiles in 1976, whose season-opening winning streak lasted three games.
Originally published at Christian Vieyra