2010 Record: 1-12 (0-8), 9th WAC2010 Bowl Game: None
2010 Schedule/Results
@ Alabama, L 48-3
@ Wisconsin, L 27-14
Southern Utah, W 16-11
@ Utah, L 56-3
UC-Davis, L 14-13
@ Nevada, L 35-13
Boise State, L 48-0
Fresno State, L 33-18
@ New Mexico State, L 29-27
Utah State, L 38-34
@ Hawaii, L 41-7
Louisiana Tech, L 45-38
@ Idaho, L 26-23
OFFENSE
315.1 yards per game
One bright spot for the Spartans was Jordan LaSecla, who had to try and put the entire loa of the team on his shoulders alone. He passed for 2860 yards on the season with 16 TDs, but due to having him throw the ball as much as possible, he still got picked 16 times. Here's the bad news. He's gone now. Start over and hit the reset.
There was virtually no run game to speak of, as Brandon Rutley only averaged 38.42 yards per game. How the hell are you supposed to win that way? Obviously, the Spartans don't seem to know either. They simply have to develop a run game of any kind to be succesful, and they are not even close to working that out.
Jalal Beauchman and Noel Grigsby had a solid season at WR, but Beauchman and his 50 catches for 835 yards are gone now. Grigsby, who had 822 yards in 2010, was just a freshman, and has to be the leader now. There are some bright spots on offense, but until the run game is fixed, it won't matter.
DEFENSE
463.7 yards allowed per game
Giving this unit some slack, the Spartans schedule was a meat grinder the first two weeks against Alabama and Wsiconsin. What wasn't shot to hell soon fell apart desptite the best of efforts.
Freshman LB Keith Smith was the attack master, with 14 TFLs on the season. Nobody, however, came close to his prodcution on defense, and it was basically move the ball at will for the opposition. Teams put up 30 or more points 8 times in 12 games on the season, which is completely unacceptable. and the Spartans gave up more than 200 yards passing and rushing in every game of the season. Most of the defense returns intact in 2011, so hopefully another season of experience (in getting their asses kicked) will lead to vast improvement.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Harrison Wald was less than special as a freshman PK in 2010, making only 14 of his 22 FG attempts on the season. He has to get better, or get pushed out in spring ball.
Where Wald did excel was at punter, which is where he should focus in 2011. Wald nailed his punts for an average of 43.82 yards per punt on the season.
The return game is a black hole of nothingness. A playmaker has to be found here to give the Spartans any remote hope of improving field position for both offense and defense.
FINAL NOTES
This program is in real danger. If the Spartans cannot find improvement in a hurry, this team could very well fold up and die in the coming years. The Spartans desperately need an invite to the Mountain West, or they risk oblivion in a hurry, and I believe that they will not get said invite. With the WAC becoming a third tier conference in 2012, San Jose State will be badly damaged, and will be forced to play games against top tier talent, only to get destroyed, just to collect a check to keep the lights on. Dark days looming.
2011 NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
9/3 @ Stanford, 9/10 @ UCLA, 10/1 @ Colorado State, 10/8 @ BYU, 11/19 Navy
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