SAN JOSE, Calif. - San José State (1–2, 0–0 Mountain West) visits Stanford (1–3, 1–1 ACC) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, airing on ACC Network and KTRB 860 AM.
The Spartans aim for their second straight win in the series after last year’s 34–31 home victory (Nov. 29, 2024). A win would also mark SJSU’s first back-to-back victories over Stanford since a three-game streak from 1998–2000—all at Stanford—and their first road win in the rivalry since a 40–27 triumph on Sept. 8, 2000.
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- The Spartans played Stanford starting quarterback Ben Gulbranson last season when he played at Oregon State (11/9/24). The Spartans won 24-13 and look for their third straight win over a former/current Pac-12 member.
- The Spartans have been to three bowl games in a row and four bowl games in the last five years for the first time in SJSU history.
- SJSU comes off a 31-28 victory over Idaho (9/20).
- The Spartans have won six straight against FCS opponents.
- The Spartans only had the ball for 20:59 and had only 47 offensive plays against Idaho (9/20), which ties a low under head coach Ken Niumatalolo at SJSU. Last season, in a monsoon, the Spartans had only 47 plays against No. 23 UNLV (11/22/24).
- The Spartans averaged 8.9 yards per play against Idaho (9/20), which is the most under Niumatalolo at SJSU.
- Against Idaho (9/20), Jabari Bates ran for a career-high 131 yards on 11 carries, including a career-best 87-yard touchdown run.
- Bates is the first single-game 100-yard rusher under Niumatalolo at SJSU.
- Bates' 87-yard rush against Idaho (9/20) was the longest rush for the Spartans since Malik Roberson had an 87-yard rush against Portland State on Sept. 10, 2016.
- The Spartans had only 21 passing attempts against Idaho (9/20), which is the fewest under Niumatalolo at SJSU.
- The Spartans have recorded a takeaway in 15 of 16 games under Niumatalolo, but have turned it over in 15 of 16 games as well.
- Defensive tackle Gafa Faga was named to the Pro Football Focus (PFF) National Team of the Week (9/22). Faga had five tackles, including 0.5 for loss and one quarterback hurry in the win against Idaho (9/20).
- Faga is the 40th-ranked defensive tackle in the country according to PFF.
- Danny Scudero is ranked second in the country and first in the MW, averaging 126.3 receiving yards per game, and eighth in the country, and first in the MW, averaging 7.33 receptions per game.
- Scudero is the 30th-ranked wide receiver in the country according to PFF.
- Jordan Pollard ended with 15 tackles against Central Michigan (8/29). He is ranked fourth in the conference and 24th in the nation, averaging nine tackles per game.
- Pollard's 15 tackles were the third most in the country during week one.
- Four of the eight losses in the Niumatalolo era have been by seven points or less, and three of the eight losses by exactly two points.
- Punter Trent Carrizosa was named to the Ray Guy Award's Ray's Eight for week two. Carrizosa landed three punts inside the 20-yard line and delivered a 56-yard punt at No. 6 Texas (9/6). In week one against CMU (8/29), Carrizosa had a career-long 68-yard punt.
- Carrizosa had two punts against Idaho (9/20), both landed inside the 20-yard line, and he has six punts inside the 20-yard line this season, which is good for fourth in the MW.
- Walker Eget is third in the MW and 47th in the country, averaging 238 passing yards per game.
- Since 2020, the Spartans have 34 wins, including 23 conference wins, four bowl appearances, and one Mountain West Championship.
- It's the third season in a row the Spartans have been on one of the "big four" networks and their first appearance ever on ACC Network.
- In 2025, the Spartans' defense is allowing a third-down conversion rate of 30.2% which is good for third in the MW and 33rd in the country. No. 6 Texas (9/6) went 2-for-12 on third downs against the Spartans.
- In 2024, the Spartans were 120th in the country on allowing third-down conversions with a rate of 46.2%.
- This is the first time since 2021 that all of the Spartans' Mountain West Conference games will be televised nationally.
- Eleven of the Spartans' 12 regular-season games will be nationally televised for the second season in a row.
- Eget is second in the MW and 44th in the country, averaging 19.3 completions per game.
- The Spartans’ last win over a "power four" school was last season against Stanford in a 34-31 home victory on Nov. 29, 2024.
- Left-footed kicker Denis Lynch joined the Spartans in 2025 after transferring from USC. Lynch was USC's starting kicker in 2023. SJSU legend Joe Nedney was also a left-footed kicker for the Spartans from 1991-94 and has the longest field goal in school history at 60 yards.
- Lynch had a 48-yard game-winning field goal to beat Idaho (9/20) with eight seconds left in the game.
- The field goal against Idaho (9/20) was Lynch's first field goal as a Spartan.
NEXT GAME: The Spartans host New Mexico, presented by El Camino Health, on Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:00 p.m. on FS1. Tickets can be purchased here.
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