WAC notebook: Tomey lashes limp Spartans
Things are a little tense in San Jose these days.
After San Jose State lost 37-0 at Stanford, which, by the way, shouldn’t be confused with USC or even Washington State, the Pac-10 teams that beat Idaho, the Spartans were called out by their coach.
“It’s not about the offense or the defense,” Dick Tomey told the San Jose Mercury News after his team fell to 0-3. “It’s about playing with character, playing with toughness, playing with pride, and we’re not doing any of that.
“It was a group effort, starting with the head coach, like they all are. We’re not going to let this be the status quo.”
Tomey called a closed practice for 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
“Full gear,” he said. “Anybody who isn’t there is cut. Any coach that isn’t there is fired. We’re going to start trying to put this thing together. Right now, we (stink).”
SJSU has not had a lead yet against Arizona State, Kansas and Stanford, has been outscored 116-17 and outgained 1,451 yards to 571. The last time the Spartans were shut out was 89 games earlier and the 17 points is their fewest through three games since 1936.
“This was a lot worse (than the ASU game) because we’ve had a chance to look at film and try to get better,” Tomey said. “We’re a bunch of prima donnas. We just don’t compete. Stanford is greatly improved. That game just shows how much better coaches they are, how much better players they are.”
Colt hobbles
Despite spraining an ankle at practice on Friday, Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan had his usual big game in a 49-14 win at Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday.
After a cortisone shot and with his ankle heavily wrapped, Brennan threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three more scores.
“It’s really sore, pretty beaten up,” Brennan told The Honolulu Advertiser. “The black and blue is going down. I think I have to rest it up the next couple of days. I think I should be out there moving around on it pretty good by the end of the week.”
Brennan only threw for 298 yards, ending his streak of 300-yard games at 14. While completing 26 of 32 passes he set another NCAA record with his 29th 200-yard game.
Mumme sees progress
Other than closing last season with wins over WAC patsies Utah State and Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State’s only wins in three seasons had been against Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) teams.
That was until rallying to beat rival Texas El-Paso on Saturday.
“It’s been a long 32 months around here,” third-year coach Hal Mumme told The Las Cruces Sun-News. “We were horrible in ‘05 and than last year we probably had just enough players to be dangerous but had no experience. This year we got a lot of hope and a lot of optimism and we have enough players, provided we keep them healthy, and we got enough experience.”
Quick kicks
For Dad’s Weekend, Idaho is admitting any father for the Northern Illinois game at a youth price with the purchase of another youth ticket. … Fresno State, after losing at ranked Texas A&M and Oregon, gets a week off before Louisiana Tech visits. … Boise State has a bye before facing Southern Miss next Thursday. It will be the second Thursday game for the Broncos, who also have two Sunday games and two Friday games among their 12 games. … Hawaii has won five straight road games. … Louisiana Tech kicked off three times in a 42-12 loss at Cal and the Bears had 190 returns yards, including 90 for a TD on the game opener. “We couldn’t control their kickoff returns,” Tech coach Derek Dooley told The Ruston (La.) Daily Leader. “You could put a tent on our kick return coverage team. It looked like a circus.”