Things to watch: Idaho’s rushing offense will be tested against San Jose State

When San Jose State added Idaho to the schedule it probably had no idea this could be such a pivotal game.

But here come the Vandals, 2-1, and ranked eighth in both the State Perform and AFCA Football Championship Subdivision polls, rising up to face the Football Bowl Subdivision Spartans who are sprawled out at a concerning 0-2 following losses to Central Michigan and Texas. Coming off a bye, SJSU is no doubt desperate to get a hoped-for winning season back on track.

Here are three things to look for .

1. Have the Spartans cleaned up their turnover problems?

Through the first two games, they committed seven turnovers that resulted in 31 points for opponents. It is pretty tough to beat anybody giving up such an edge. Coach Ken Niumatalolo said that during the bye week and in the week leading up to the Idaho game that SJSU made a concerted effort to get the problem fixed, and he was hopeful the Spartans had. The Vandals haven’t been perfect themselves. So far, they have fumbled three times and given up an interception.

2. Can Idaho run on SJSU?

Vandals coach Thomas Ford Jr. sees Idaho’s powerful offensive line against the Spartans’ defensive front as possibly the game’s pivotal matchup. The Vandals up front are leading a rushing attack ranked 11th in FCS and first in the Big Sky Conference averaging 220 yards per game. After starting tailback Elisha Cummings went out against Utah Tech with a knee injury expected to sideline him against the Spartans, Art Williams came in to rush for a career high 144 yards against the Trailblazers. He will probably be featured against SJSU, but he won’t have to shoulder the load alone. Idaho can go four or five deep with productive runners. Niumatalolo acknowledged the Spartans had trouble with Central Michigan’s physical offensive line and running game.

3. Joshua Wood versus Walker Eget

Idaho’s dual -threat quarterback, Wood, has run for 273 yards and thrown for 433, with three touchdowns and an interception. Eget has 492 yards passing with two TDs and three interceptions, and he has been sacked five times. A favorite target is sophomore Danny Scudero, who has made 16 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown. Eget, the Spartans’ redshirt senior quarterback, passed for 2504 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. But Niumatalolo says Eget is struggling to find a rhythm on offense so far this year. He also isn’t much of a threat to run, with six carries for minus-17 yards. Eget will have to contend with a Vandals’ defense that is holding opponents to an average 16.33 points per game, including 103 yards rushing and 107 yards passing.