Eastern Washington at San Jose State

[Lumberjacks76]

Former Arizona Wildcats coach Dick Tomey takes over the San Jose State program. Eastern Washington plays at State on September 3rd.

Who wins?

I'm picking Eastern Washington in the upset. I really think EW will be great this year, maybe even making it to the semi-finals of the Division I-AA playoffs. They really have great talent on offense.

I'm picking a score of 28-24 Eastern Washington.

Paul

[JALMOND]

I'd say not much of an upset. SJSU is a team that I would call Division 1.5 (somewhere in between Division 1 and 1-AA, not that the gap between Div 1 and 1-AA is all that huge). Idaho, Utah State and most of the Sun Belt, I would categorize as Division 1.5, schools that 1-AA (and most of the nation) feel confident they can win (or be very competitive). For example I would say that EWU would feel more confident playing SJSU than, say Stanford.

If EWU cannot at least give SJSU much of a game, I don't see them doing much in the Big Sky. I, too, have the Eagles winning. This game will be an early test to see if the Eagles have a great team this year.

[DaGriz]

I'm picking a score of 28-24 Eastern Washington.

I would be suprised if EWU doesn't pin up more points than that. I would say they will score 42 or more. I think they are going to be like UCLA a few years ago(was it McKnown at QB?) when they had to score a ton of points every game because their D couldn't stop anybody.

[eagle1]

The Eagles have had a great fall camp and should come out very strong against San Jose. EWU must avoid a start like last year going 0-2. I think all will be surprised by the Eagle defense this fall. They have some of the best linebackers, safeties, and corners in the Big Sky. The defensive line is solid with the first unit but depth must be developed in the first couple of games. The defense will surprise you doubters. Go Eagles!!!

[Stang Fever]

I think that it will be a close game but i can give you one good reason why EW wont win that game.....

1) Defense - SJSU is now running the same defense that Cal Poly is running the FLEX...which was run down in AZ....and they have most of the defensive coaches came from Cal Poly....

[Lumberjacks76]

Perhaps. Dick Tomey has always been known for good defensive football teams. But San Jose State...well...they might win 4 games this year.

Paul

[Obzerver]

Tomey has implemented a new defense and it will take a year or two for the team to get it down. EWU is now in the third year of a totally revamped defensive system and will be fine tuned. SJSU will have an unexperienced QB and if he doesn't play mistake free ball the EWU defense will punish him. Problem is EWU doesn't have a punter and the kicking game better not end up being a deciding factor. SJSU is loaded with great athletes and deeper than EWU so the 4th qtr. should be interesting.

[Ronbo]

Hey Eastern fans there is a lot of high expectations for this game. 90% of I-AA fans are picking you to win. Hmmm.... I remember the same talk when Grambling played them. 22-0 SJSU. And Grambling gave #1 McNeese everything they could handle a couple games later.

[Ronbo]

From the Griz board and here, I think only a couple guys out of at least twenty are picking SJSU. Not smart. They are I-A and get I-A quality athletes from the Bay Area which is a football hot bed. Even a 3-8 I-A team stacks up as a top 10 I-AA. We've had fits with Idaho and they don't do well in I-A but matched up with our best teams.

Just warning these guys not to think this is a lock. San Jose will light it up.

[Ronbo]

2004 Massey:
165 San Jose St
88 E Washington

HaHaHaHaHa!!! Yeah right. I'm impressed with those Massey and Sagarin rankings. It's flattering to be listed ahead of so many I-A's but really, it's not realistic. I have been to too many Idaho vs. Montana games and those 160th ranked Idaho teams were just as talented as the 70th ranked Griz.

We got thumped by a below average Wyoming team in 1997 when we were 3-0. I'll bet that Wyoming team was ranked in the 100's and we were in the 70's or 80's at the time. We lost 28-13.

[Ronbo]

Don't put much stock in Sag,
Massey 2003:
91 Montana
138 Idaho

Montana beat Idaho 41-28

Idaho should have been more talented since they had 22 more "I-A quality" scholarship players. But they weren't... period.

Face it, a I-AA whupped a I-A!

http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cf&yr=2003

That's one game out of 5 in a row. The rest were all real close. Hey I hope EWU beats San Jose, but look for an evenly talented contest. Period!

[Ronbo]

The Griz have won four straight against those "I-A quality" players at Idaho. Admit it, players are good across the spectrum its just that I-A gets 22 more.

I admit it I admit it. :)

The point I make is that a top I-AA is not really a lot better than a bottom I-A, they are very close. Look for a close contest with either team having a shot to win.

[Ronbo]

Actually, as in the article in the upcoming I-AA mag shows that top I-AA play BCS teams closer than lower I-As. I'll venture to surmise that top I-AA is better than lower I-A. Of course Massey proves that too.

EVEN WITH 22 LESS SCHOLLIES!

Ok let's see if you'll put your money where your mouth is. I say SJSU wins and I'll bet you a Griz Cap for an AGS t-shirt if they lose. :)

[youwouldno]

Plus the I-A/I-AA games are always at the I-A's house.

So, playing an away game, with less scholarships and less revenue-sharing money... yeah, the performance of I-AA teams is uneven. It's still pretty good. Player for player, the top I-AA teams are worlds better than the bottom I-As, it's not even close. They just have fewer players and play on the road.

[Lumberjacks76]

Even with more scholarships, a bad I-A team isn't as good as a top Division I-AA team with lots of talent. Teams like Rutgers and Baylor would lose a lot of games against Division I-AA schools if they played them more often.

I can't recall the last time a Division I-A school visited a I-AA one.

Paul

[CrunchGriz]

Even with more scholarships, a bad I-A team isn't as good as a top Division I-AA team with lots of talent. Teams like Rutgers and Baylor would lose a lot of games against Division I-AA schools if they played them more often.

I can't recall the last time a Division I-A school visited a I-AA one.

Paul

Here's a candidate: Idaho at Montana in 2003 (and 2001, and 1999).

[Ronbo]

You know I am not a betting man and I certainly don't condone it for anyone but I think that EWU will win. Also, I don't have any AGS t-shirts besides the ones I bought but I have a I-AA ALL THE WAY shirt. :) I gave my Griz cap to the Cap'n so I do need one of those... besides the champ game ones I have...

Hey it's not really gambling, it's what you would call a friendly wager in the same spirit that the Governors do when their teams meet in a bowl game. :)

[SJSU2002]

Okay, I can understand why some people on this board think that SJSU would be a push-over, but this is a new year.

SJSU has had an inept AD and Head Coaches for the past decade. The faculty has done nothing to support the program and voted to disband the football team. That was last year. Since Tomey has joined the program, along with our new AD, there has been a lot happening.

I hope that EWU takes the game lightly or thinks that SJSU is a weak 1A opponent. It will give us a chance to win the game. Granted, we are implementing a new offense, and defense and there are whole changes being implemented, but I wouldn't write this game up as an automatic win.

If it was last year's coaching and administration, I would have been betting on EWU to win this game. Even though SJSU hasn't lost a game to a 1AA school in over 25 years. Sometimes with a lower ranked school, you look to your next game. However, when people expect you to lose, there is no looking beyond. You treat every game with importance. I think Boise may have discovered that last year. Tomey has infused his players with enthusiasm and discipline, something they have been lacking for a long time. I don't expect to see us dancing on the logo at Boise, stupid unsportsmanlike conduct penalties or the coach wasting time-out while yelling at a ref.

Don't rule out the Spartans, as the programs advertising says, "It's a new day in San Jose."

I expect a good game, with both teams playing their hearts out in an effort to prove something.

[KMW1980]

SJ 35 EWU 24

SJSU2002 you seem to know alot of what is going on with SJ football. You a player or former player?