Florida Firecats - af2 Football

2009 season at a glance: Head coach Tom Dick took the Spartans from the depths of the Western Athletic Conference Grace during his term, but with nearly a half century of coaching behind him, he was not prepared to deal with the disappointment that was 2 - 10 season in 2009. Tom, the only coach position in the top 10 in both the WAC and Pac-10 coaching wins, seen his team stumble through the last gasp of an offense showed difficulty getting on track.

Four times the program failed to score in double digits, the first of those coming against the fourth-ranked USC in the opener, 56-3. The team showed some fight in the second game of the season 24-14 setback versus the 17th ranked Utah, but the week after the team was being outscored by a margin of 122-34 SJSU finally worked its way into the win column near the end of September with a 19-9 victory over Cal Poly, but little to solve turmoil in the program. WAC schedule was brutal for the Spartans when they lost all but one of their meetings, which is a narrow 13-10 victory over the inept New Mexico State program back in late November. During a three-run game vs. Boise State, Nevada and Utah State Spartans were limited to a total of 23 points, while the defense was helpless, so the combined 131 points.

With the exception of 2006 when Tom guided the team to a 20-12 victory over New Mexico in the aptly named New Mexico Bowl in 2009, it was more for the same team because they have suffered a further loss of the season and may actually have brought Tom to finish his coaching career when he announced his retirement from the game. And really, could blame him to see how the Spartans ranked third-to-last in football bowl division in scoring with just 13.8 PPG. The team was 1:17 ei country, rushing (76.7 ypg) and was 119: ei run defense (259.2 ypg). Departure coach Tom began a new era at SJSU football as a first-year man Mike MacIntyre accelerate and was anointed the next leader of the Spartans. MacIntyre, who recently was an assistant with Duke, and also spent some time on a level with his team filled with a few new faces, so it will boost the process forward for all parties.

 

 

Offence: Jordan La Secla may be higher, and the principal starts at quarterback for the Spartans last season, but the coaching staff does not want to lock him an automatic start in 2010, but instead give Matt Faulkner and Dasmen Stewart also compete for the position. La Secla completed nearly 60 percent of his pass attempts in 2009, but his 10 TDS exported 11 interceptions. Each of the three vying for the starting nod to his own set of skills and that is what makes the decision so difficult.

"What is interesting, Brandon Rutley will play on both sides. We have bidirectional players at San Jose State University," MacIntyre said the coach said going into fall practice. "Brandon is the primary running back on defense and then play our Nickelback, it's one of our best defensive back. I have a couple of other players on our football team that will do that ... I thought it was way help our team depth-wise. "

Rutley has appeared in 10 games last year, but only 59 yards on 30 carrier, and uses it for defense, is just another way to get the best efforts of a talented artist. Lamon Muldrow (592 yards and three TDS) will again be the main runner coming out of the backfield, but there are many players that the coach hopes to use when trying to save the team from the depths of FBS. Since the 184 yards of total Muldrow came against Cal Poly, it is definitely a need for intervention in this section.

Now a senior, is a receiver Jalal Beauchman expected pace in the years after logging just three catches per game, which for 378 yards and four scores in 2009. Josh Harrison matched Beauchman with 35 receptions, but the average pedestrian 8.5 yards per grab. Marquis Avery should be an important piece in the puzzle of the receiver, but it was announced in late July has been declared ineligible and subsequently left school.

Defense: There were several teams in school football last season, which is as big a problem to stop opponents as the Spartans did. Just two years ago before the defense ranked second in the league and eight in the country with a mark of 100.06, but last year the group was selected from each other.

It is true that the overall pass defense, the Spartans ranked second in the WAC and 22 in the nation with just 183.8 ypg given up, but much of it had anything to do with the fact that opponents knew that it could run at SJSU when they wanted.

"Duke (Ihenacho) if it is still well after coaching in the NFL for five years, this young man has the ability to do it if all the breaks came up the road," is how coach MacIntyre believes one of the top defenders in WAC. "If he is injury free, he has a chance to play at the next level."

Ihenacho had the best season last year with 89 tools, but as a Linebacker in 2008, was one of the best defenders with five pass interceptions, and then moved him to safety positions would not be the best move. But it is still Ihenacho back first team All-WAC performer in both 2009 and 2008, which means that it already has a reputation for big-time player on an otherwise average-at-best defense.

Another player to watch is defensive end Mohamed Marah, who returns from a season-ending injury and could be one of the players Coach MacIntyre tries to bend his two-way system because he had experience at Linebacker and running back in SJSU well.

Special teams: We assumed that Tyler Cope would resume its place as both Placekicker and punter for the Spartans in 2010 after he converted seven of 11 field goals attempts in 2009, but it seems that everything had changed. According to the San Jose Mercury News, who gave up football entirely Cope, and that means that the coaching staff had to struggle to find a replacement. Early indications that rookie Harrison Waid takes over both positions and acts as Cope did. Waid was redshirt last year were from Fremont High School near Sunnyvale and showed enormous potential as a senior. Brandon and Josh Harrison, the driver will handle the punt return, while Ronnie yell and run to get their crack at bringing back Punts for the Spartans in 2010.

Outlook: So what do the Spartans have to look forward to the beginning of the 2010 campaign? How about a trip to Tuscaloosa to challenge the reigning champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Nothing like beating directly from the gateway to prepare the team for the countless letdowns, waiting for their schedule. A week later, the team heads to Madison to face off against Wisconsin badgers, another ill Matchup, which will only serve to bury the national statistical SJSU earlier than usual.

Acquisition of Southern Utah and UC Davis at home on a bicycle from a non-conference slate should be high points in the Spartans, but not so much a team trip to Salt Lake City, Utah Utes face. Game 13-Game Schedule for the first time since 2002, only prolong the inevitable for the Spartans - a less than satisfactory results for most trips.