BOISE, Idaho - San José State (7-4, 5-3 MW) has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Eastern Michigan (8-4, 5-3 MAC) on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 12:30 p.m. (PT), announced on ESPN this morning. The game will be nationally-televised on ESPN and will be the second matchup against EMU in a bowl game. This will be the first-ever trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl for the Spartans, and 12th overall bowl game appearance, tallying a record of 7-4.
"We are very excited about accepting an invitation to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, and it being one of the more iconic bowl games," said Director of Athletics Jeff Konya. "This is the second bowl game for our program over the last three years, which has only happened one other time in the history of our program. Congrats to the team and the coaching staff for all their hard work this season and we look forward to seeing all the SJSU fans, alumni and family at the Blue Turf on Dec. 20. Special thanks to Danielle Brazil, the Bowl organizer, and the respective bowl committee for providing the Spartans this opportunity."
It is Brent Brennan's second bowl game as head coach of the Spartans and he is the first head coach to lead the Spartans to two bowl games since Claude Gilbert did in 1986 and 1987 which is also the last time the Spartans went to two bowl games in a three-year span.
"We couldn't be more excited to be going to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl," Brennan said. "Boise is a great town and we're excited to take our team there. We're playing an incredible opponent and I think it's going to be a great show for everyone to watch. We're also taking another step as a program and playing in big time bowl games in December is what it's all about."
The Spartans have played Eastern Michigan only once and it was a 30-27 loss in the 1987 California Bowl. SJSU is also scheduled to play Eastern Michigan on the road Sept. 5, 2026 and at CEFCU Stadium on Sept. 1, 2029.
- The Spartans have only six turnovers all season which leads the Mountain West and ranks second nationally.
- SJSU is No. 6 in the country with a +12 turnover margin, tops in the Mountain West.
- The Spartans lead the MW with 36 sacks and are averaging 3.27 sacks per game which is good for fifth in the country.
- SJSU has the sixth ranked red zone defense in the country at 71.4 percent.
- The Spartans have the fourth best scoring offense in the MW averaging 27.5 points per game.
- SJSU is number two in the MW averaging 264 passing yards per game which is good for 35th in the country.
- The Spartans had 10 players earn 2022 All-Mountain West accolades (story).
- Defensive end Viliami Fehoko was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
- Fehoko leads the MW and is fourth in the country with a career-high 18.5 tackles for loss and is second in the league and 10th in the country with a career-high nine sacks in 11 games played.
- Also has a career-high 65 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass deflection this season.
- Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team
- Cordeiro has thrown for a career-high 2,885 yards and a career-high 20 touchdowns this season which both lead the Mountain West and in 11 games played.
- He has thrown for a touchdown in nine straight games and has thrown for 13 touchdowns in the last five games.
- Cordeiro has only four interceptions on 383 attempts which only Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, LSU's Jayden Daniels, TCU's Max Duggan and USC's Caleb Williams have over 300 passing attempts and less then four interceptions.
- He has run for a career-high eight touchdowns which is the most for an SJSU quarterback in the modern era.
SJSU Bowl History (7-4)
- 2020: Arizona Bowl, Tucson, Ariz., Ball State 34, San José State 13 (Played without 30+ players due to Covid protocols)
- 2015: Cure Bowl, Orlando, Fla., San José State 27, Georgia State 16
- 2012: Military Bowl, Washington, D.C., San José State 29, Bowling Green 20
- 2006: New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, N.M., San José State 20, New Mexico 12
- 1990: California Raisin Bowl, Fresno, Calif., San José State 48, Central Michigan 24
- 1987: California Bowl, Fresno, Calif., Eastern Michigan 30, San José State 27
- 1986: California Bowl, Fresno, Calif., San José State 37, Miami (Ohio) 7
- 1981: California Bowl, Fresno, Calif., Toledo 27, San José State 25
- 1971: Pasadena Bowl, Pasadena, Calif., Memphis State 28, San José State 9
- 1949: Raisin Bowl, Fresno, Calif., San José State 20, Texas Tech 13
- 1947: Raisin Bowl, Fresno, Calif., San José State 20, Utah State 0
TICKETS: Head here to support the Spartans at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
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