Key San Jose State Standouts Ahead of Big Matchup on The Farm

This weekend, Stanford football hosts San Jose State in a rivalry matchup called the Bill Walsh legacy game. It is going to be a thriller.

Last season, the two teams met up in the final week of the season down in San Jose, with the Spartans coming out on top in an incredible game. But this year, the Spartans have to head to Palo Alto, and things could go differently.

Both teams have had pretty disastrous starts to the year. Stanford has lost three of their first four games of the year. However, their win was an electric one, at home against Boston College. Now returning home once again, the Cardinal hope to get back to winning ways.

San Jose State, on the other hand, has had an even worse start. In Week 1, they lost at home to Central Michigan, 16-14, off of two missed kicks in the final minutes. Then, they went on the road, losing to Texas. Just last week, they returned home, playing FCS Idaho. They won the game, but it was a tough one, making it about as bad of a start as the Spartans could have had.

Let’s get to know more about the Spartans’ roster before Saturday’s matchup.

San Jose State is led by Walker Eget, a returning starting quarterback. He is one of the Spartans’ best players, and has developed a lethal deep ball, where he finds star receivers. The only tick on his game has been his turnover consistency, which the Cardinal could take advantage of. This season, Eget has thrown for 714 yards and three touchdowns as well as three interceptions.

Eget’s best target is Danny Scudero. Scudero is a transfer from Sac State, who had solid numbers with the Hornets. However, he has taken a big step up since transferring to the FBS level, as he has collected 379 yards and a touchdown. His 189-yard performance against Central Michigan truly put him on the map.

The Spartans rushing game has been pretty underwhelming, as both Jabari Bates and Floyd Chalk V have under 200 yards each. However, they do have two touchdowns each, meaning they still contribute significantly to the Spartans’ offense.

San Jose State has been solid yet inconsistent on defense. Linebacker Jordan Pollard is the leader and best player defensively, getting 27 tackles and two pass deflections early this season. Taniela Latu helps as well, with 20 tackles and a pass deflection. Cornerback Jalen Apalit-Williams has 23 tackles and an interception on his ledger. However, not much else is going on defensively.

Stanford’s gameplan needs to be simple. Apalit-Williams can’t guard two players at once, meaning one of Bryce Farrell and CJ Williams should have a field day. They also need the O-line to block linebackers downfield on run plays.

Finally, Stanford needs their defensive back room to get interceptions, and that starts with the D-line pressuring the quarterback. If Stanford can achieve these things, the Cardinal should be able to get a victory.

Saturday’s game should be a thriller, and both teams absolutely need this game as they continue with their 2025 campaign.