Boise State will face a QB in ‘full control’ at much-improved San Jose State
This season, Josh Love became the first San Jose State quarterback to start three consecutive season openers since Adam Tafralis in 2005-07.
Love has thrown for 5,638 yards and 36 touchdowns in his five-year career — both of which rank in the top 10 in Spartans program history. He has 22 career starts and has led San Jose State — which won a combined three games the past two seasons — to victories over Arkansas (31-24) and Army (34-29) this season.
He certainly has the attention of the Boise State defense, which will be tasked with trying to find ways to confuse the veteran quarterback on Saturday at San Jose State (8:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
“I think the quarterback is in full control of that offense,” Boise State defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding told the media Tuesday. “No. 1, he understands where to go with the ball. He understands his reads and progressions, and I think they do a great job of mixing up their concepts.”
With such longevity in his college career, it’s hard to imagine Love didn’t have a single scholarship offer in 2015 when he graduated from Long Beach Poly High, where he shared the field with Boise State safety DeAndre Pierce.
“San Jose State had always been recruiting me, and they didn’t have any quarterback commits at the time,” Love said in a phone interview. “I thought it was a good opportunity to come here and compete, and I earned everything I’ve got.”
Love has plenty of fond memories of his time in an SJSU uniform, but none compare to the moment he could no longer call himself a walk-on.
After the final scrimmage of the 2016 preseason, players were milling around the field in CEFCU Stadium waiting for former football coach Ron Caragher’s speech when one of the stadium’s oversized scoreboards came to life.
There on the big screen was Love’s name listed along with a couple of teammates as having been put on scholarship.
“It was probably one of the best moments of my life,” Love said. “After all the hard work I’ve been through and people doubting me, getting recognized for what I’ve done was a big deal for myself and my family.”
The move has paid dividends, especially this season. Love has thrown for more than 400 yards in three games — a pair of wins over Arkansas and New Mexico and a close loss to Nevada. He has led the Spartans (4-4, 1-3 MWC) to more than 30 points in five of their eight games, and he has thrown touchdown passes to 10 different teammates.
“He’s a really good quarterback and a good-sized kid,” Boise State nickel Kekaula Kaniho said. “He can make every throw on the field, whether it’s the deep ball, underneath routes or throws in tight windows.”
Love’s command of the offense was on full display on Saturday in the Spartans’ win over Army. He led San Jose State to points on all five of its first-half possessions and finished the game completing 20-of-31 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception.
“We had a good game plan going in, and something we’ve been really good at this year is starting fast,” Love said. “We’re focused on coming out of the half really fast as well.”
After he threw nine interceptions last fall in an injury-shortened season, Love and the offense focused their attention this offseason on ball protection, and it has showed. He has been intercepted just three times this season, and the offense has turned the ball over just seven times.
San Jose State ranks No. 2 in the country with a 1.50 turnover margin, and Spartans coach Brent Brennan said a lot of the credit goes to Love.
“That has to do with his decision-making and throwing the ball accurately, but it also falls on all the guys who are carrying the football,” Brennan said Monday during his weekly press conference. “Josh has done a really good job of distributing the ball all over the field, so of course it’s important that all the guys are mindful of that, but it all starts with Josh.”
NO. 21 BOISE STATE AT SAN JOSE STATE
When: 8:30 p.m. MT Saturday
Where: CEFCU Stadium (30,456 grass), San Jose, California
TV: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jenny Dell)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State is 6-1 overall, 3-0 Mountain West; San Jose State is 4-4, 1-3.
Series: Boise State leads 13-0 (last meeting: Boise State won 45-31 in 2016 in Boise)
Vegas line: Boise State by 17
Weather: 79 degrees, sunny, 9 mph wind
