Texas Longhorns vs. San Jose State Spartans Preview: What the Stats Say

Just under three months out from kickoff, Texas remains the favorite to take down San Jose State in Austin.

Sep 7, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

On Saturday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m., the Texas Longhorns and the San Jose State Spartans will go head to head at the Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium for just the second time ever.

The first matchup between the two programs took place on Sept. 9, 2017, and it resulted in a 56-0 victory for the Longhorns. 

Several years have passed between that game and the upcoming one between the teams, but preseason rankings, evaluation of personnel and previous season performances all indicate that Texas will collect its second win over the Spartans this year. 

Texas Longhorns linebacker David Gbenda (33) comes up with the interception against Ohio State Buckeyes in the third quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025. | Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Longhorns reached the College Football Playoff semifinal last season, averaging 34.5 points per game and finishing with a 13-3 record. 

San Jose State finished their previous season unranked, establishing a final record of 7-6. They averaged 28.2 points per game, scoring 47 touchdowns as a team throughout the season.

Redshirt senior quarterback Walker Eget will lead the Spartans this year, after splitting minutes with redshirt junior Emmett Brown and recording 2,504 passing yards. Since Brown entered the portal and has committed to Coastal Carolina, Eget should have the space to grow and further develop without having to split time. 

That being said, his top target at wide receiver last year, Nick Nash, was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the NFL draft and therefore won’t return to San Jose State. Nash was responsible for 1,382 of their 4,183 receiving yards last year, making his loss a notable one. 

Even if Eget is able to identify and build confidence in another receiver during preseason and in Week 1, playing in Austin remains a daunting task. The Longhorns went 7-1 last year at DKR, with the Georgia Bulldogs outscoring them 30-15 and serving them their only home loss on Oct. 19.

ESPN’s 2025 post-spring Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings list sits the Longhorns at No. 3 overall, one spot above the Georgia Bulldogs team that served them two out of their three overall losses last year. San Jose State didn’t qualify for this top 25 list. 

Oddly enough, despite how heavily Texas is favored to claim a win against the Spartans, the Spartans will be more likely to have a 1-0 record going into the game than the Longhorns.

They are set to face Central Michigan in Week 1, a team that accumulated a losing record of 4-8 last season. San Jose State is favored to win the game, which would give them momentum before they travel to Austin. 

The Longhorns, on the other hand, will take on Ohio State in their season opener, a team that beat them in the College Football Playoff semifinal and went onto claim the national title. 

Only time will tell how much any of these statistics mean long term, but the numbers and the history suggest that the Longhorns will win by a decisive margin.