INSIDE SLANT

The Spartans would like to get coach Dick Tomey one more win before he retires—and this week presents their best hope.

The Spartans, who lost to Hawaii in overtime last week, get New Mexico State at home Saturday. The Aggies are one of the worst offensive teams in the country.

San Jose State isn’t much better, but the Spartans are motivated. They fought to the finish against Hawaii after telling Tomey they wanted to get him a win.

“I’ve never been a part of a season like this as a coach, but at the same time I couldn’t be prouder of the way the guys handled last week and the game,” said Tomey, who announced his retirement last week. “… We’re just trying to give our players the thrill of winning and we need to get that done.”

The Spartans have a decision to make at quarterback. Kyle Reed came off the bench last week and sparked the offense. Jordan La Secla, the starter most of the year, threw interceptions on the first two drives.

NOTES, QUOTES

• It’s senior day for 26 players. That’s the largest senior class in Dick Tomey’s five seasons as coach.

• Only five players have started every game this year. Forty-one players have started at least one game.

• The Spartans are the nation’s worst punt-return team.

Series History:   San Jose State 14 leads series 14-2 (last meeting, 2008, 31-14 SJSU)

Scouting The Offense:   The Spartans have run the ball well in three games this year—the win over Cal Poly, a 41-21 loss to Fresno State and the overtime loss to Hawaii. If they can make the run game a factor, led by tailback Lamon Muldrow, they have a chance to win their last two games.

Scouting The Defense:   The Spartans own the second-worst run defense in the country at 270.3 yards per game. That could be an issue against New Mexico State, which gets the little offense it has from the run game. The Spartans have allowed three of their past five opponents to rush for at least 300 yards.

Quote To Note:   “I know over time this will be a bump in the road for San Jose State and we’d like to get over that bump.”—San Jose State coach Dick Tomey, on the Spartans’ 1-9 record

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

This Week  ‘S GAME: New Mexico State at San Jose State, Nov. 28—This might be the Spartans’ last chance for an FBS victory this season. The Aggies have had almost as difficult of a season as the Spartans. Neither team scores much, so it should be a low-scoring affair.

Keys To The Game:   For two low-scoring teams, turnovers and special teams likely will be the deciding factor. If either offense faces long fields all day, it will be difficult to score.

Players To Watch:  

RB Lamon Muldrow has rushed for 124 yards in the past two games after accumulating just 14 yards in the previous two games. The Spartans need some production from him to win.

LB Pompey Festejo has produced 26 tackles in the past two games—a good chunk of his season total of 67.

WR Kevin Jurovich is the only guy in the top 70 nationally in receiving yards who has not scored a touchdown. He has 54 catches for 741 yards.

Roster Report:  

• Coach Dick Tomey said he would decide through practice whether to start Kyle Reed or Jordan La Secla at quarterback. Reed replaced La Secla last week and sparked the offense. Because Reed is a senior and it’s senior day, he will get the nod if it’s close, Tomey said.