2008 New Mexico State Aggies - Rec. Class

2008 New Mexico State Aggies Head Coach: Hal Mumme

San Jose State Spartans

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Marquis Avery, WR, 6-4, 195, JR, Anaheim, Calif./Fullerton College
One of the most productive wide receivers in the California Community College system in 2007, Marquis had 60 receptions for 766 yards and seven touchdowns last season for Fullerton College (Coach Gene Murphy). Avery was a 2007 first-team All-Mission Conference who caught 28 passes for 435 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman. He lettered in football (Coach Tim O’Hara) and basketball at Savanna High in Anaheim, Calif. Avery was a three-time, first-team all-league selection in football. He averaged 9.1 points and 10.9 rebounds a game for the 2004-05 Savanna boys varsity team and had a 21-point, 20-rebound effort in a 2005 win over Anaheim High.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Raymond Rodriguez, DE/TE, 6-1, 245, FR, Boyle Heights, Calif./Los Altos HS
A two-time All-C.I.F. choice, Raymond will begin his college career this fall either as a defensive end or tight end candidate. Rodriguez led Los Altos High of Hacienda Heights, Calif., (Coach Greg Gano) in scoring as a junior with 56 points on nine touchdowns. In 2006, he caught 27 passes for 406 yards and eight touchdowns. In his senior season, he shared the team lead with 13 receptions including two for touchdowns. As a defensive end, he had 10 quarterback sacks as a junior and nine, his senior season.

Matt Wigley, LS/FB, 6-2, 230, JR, Stockton, Calif./City College of San Francisco
The long snapper for the 2007 national champion City College of San Francisco team (Coach George Rush), Matt brings his special teams skills to the Spartans this fall. As an eighth grader, Wigley attended a San Francisco 49ers summer training camp workout in his hometown of Stockton, Calif., and became fascinated with the skills exhibited by 49ers’ long snapper Brian Jennings. A self-taught snapper, Matt honed his skills snapping to a tree at home.

Rest of the Class
Keenan Brown, DE, 6-4, 230, FR, San Bernardino, Calif./Arroyo Valley HS
Tanner Burns, S, 6-1, 185, FR, San Jose, Calif./Valley Christian HS
Daniel Carrillo, Jr., DB, 6-1, 180, FR, San Jose, Calif./Valley Christian HS
*Coye Francies, CB, 6-1, 185, SR, Sacramento, Calif./Oregon State U.
Ina Liaina, LB/FB, 6-1, 225, FR, Oxnard, Calif./Rio Mesa HS
*Steve Lightsy, OL, 6-4, 350, JR, Hauula, Hawaii/Fresno City College
*Kyler O’Neal, LB, 6-0, 213, FR, Oakland, Calif./McClymonds HS
Wade O’Neill, LB, 6-1, 225, FR, Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills HS
Ryan Otten, TE, 6-5, 215, FR, Loomis, Calif./Del Oro HS
Tracy Pugh, DE, 6-4, 235, FR, Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills HS
*Kyle Reed, QB, 6-3, 215, JR, Oakland, Calif./U. of California
*Brandon Rutley, RB, 5-10, 190, FR, Martinez, Calif./Alhambra HS
Peyton Thompson, CB, 5-11, 170, FR, Granite Bay, Calif./Granite Bay HS
Tiuke Tuipulotu, S, 5-10, 185, FR, Menlo Park, Calif./Serra HS
Philip Zavala, P, 6-1, 200, JR, San Bruno, Calif./City College of San Francisco

- 2007 SJSU Season
- 2007 SJSU Preview
- 2006 SJSU Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record: 5-7

Sept. 1 at Arizona St L 45-3
Sept. 8 at Kansas St L 34-14
Sept. 15 at Stanford L 37-0
Sept. 22 at Utah State W 23-20
Sept. 29 UC Davis W 34-14
Oct. 6 Idaho W 28-20
Oct. 12 Hawaii L 42-35 OT
Oct. 20 at Fresno State L 30-0
Nov. 3 at Boise State L 42-7
Nov. 10 N Mexico St W 51-17
Nov. 17 at La Tech L 27-23
Nov. 24 Nevada W 27-24

2007 Recap

Recap: Although the Spartans failed to make a return to the postseason, they did persevere through an ominous 0-3 start and injuries to key players to finish 5-7 and tied for fourth place in the WAC.  While it wasn’t enough to land the program a bonus game in December, it do show head coach Dick Tomey that his kids wouldn’t fold when faced with adversity.  The defense and record-setting QB Adam Tafralis kept the Spartans in most league games, but losing 1,000-yard rusher Yonus Davis crushed a running game that wound up averaging only 83 yards a game.

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Kevin Jurovich

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Matt Castelo

Biggest Surprise: Jurovich.  A safety in his first two seasons, Jurovich made a seamless and unlikely transition to the offensive side of the ball during spring practice.  The junior went on to deliver an All-WAC season, backed by a school-record 85 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdown grabs.    

Biggest Disappointment: The Spartans had unbeaten and 17^th-ranked Hawaii on the ropes on Oct. 12, but couldn’t land the knockout blow.  San Jose State blew a two-touchdown lead with four minutes left, losing in overtime, 42-35.  Had the Spartans held on, they would have been eligible for a December bowl game.  Ouch.       

Looking Ahead: Out of junior Myles Eden and sophomore Jordan La Secla, San Jose State needs to decide on a successor to Tafralis at quarterback.  Whoever gets the ball will be throwing to one of the WAC’s top pass-catching tandems, Jurovich and David Richmond.

Nov. 24
San Jose State 27 ... Nevada 24
Nevada's Brett Jaekle hit the left upright on a 37-yard field goal attempt with 36 seconds to play to seal the San Jose State comeback win. The Spartans gave up Marko Mitchell touchdown catches from 64 and 59 yards out in the first half, and then shut down the Wolf Pack attack in the second half while the offense scored 17 unanswered points for the win. Adam Tafralis threw two touchdown passes, but it was a 13-yard Jacob French touchdown run early in the fourth that gave the Spartans the lead for good. San Jose State controlled the ball for 36:24.
Player of the game: San Jose State QB Adam Tafralis completed 29 of 46 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Nevada - Passing: Colin Kaepernick, 12-22, 252 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Luke Lippencott, 16-74. Receiving: Marko Mitchell, 4-144, 2 TD
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 29-46, 342 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jacob French, 16-62, 1 TD. Receiving: David Richmond, 9-143
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The defense came up with its best half of the year as it kept Nevada off the scoreboard in the second half to get the win. In his final game, Adam Tafralis threw extremely well as he kept the chains moving and kept the Wolf Pack offense off the field. As was the case all season long, the running game wasn't there, but the passing attack, and key stops from the defense, helped out. While this might not have been a bowl season, this win kept things from crashing after the breakthrough 2006 campaign.

Nov. 17
Louisiana Tech 27 ... San Jose State 23
Louisiana Tech got out to a 24-6 halftime lead on three Zac Champion touchdown passes, highlighted by a 49-yard pass to Phillip Livas, and then hung on for dear life as San Jose State came back with 17 second half points with Adam Tafralis running for a four-yard score and hitting James Callier for a 23-yard score. Tech got up four in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard Danny Horwedel field goal, which would prove to be critical with the Spartans getting down to the Tech 16 in the final moments only for the drive to sputter out. The two teams combined for 18 penalties.
Player of the game: Louisiana Tech LB Mark Dillard made 13 tackles, a sack, forced two fumbles and recovered a fumble, while in a losing cause, San Jose State LB Matt Castelo made 21 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 28-47, 369 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jacob French, 9-41. Receiving: Kevin Jurovich, 11-156
Louisiana Tech - Passing: Zac Champion, 22-36, 261 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Patrick Jackson, 16-77. Receiving: Phillip Livas, 4-129, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense and the passing game have been fine, but turnovers are proving costly and it took too long to get the machine going against Louisiana Tech. This was a game the Spartans had for the taking but couldn't come through in the fourth quarter. To beat Nevada in the season finale, more will be needed from the missing running game early on, and Adam Tafralis can't throw picks. He didn't throw any against the Bulldogs, but the offense gave up two fumbles. Matt Castelo had a huge game as he cemented himself as one of the league's best linebackers once again.

Nov. 10
San Jose State 51 ... New Mexico State 17
The Spartans blew past the Aggies as Kevin Jurovich caught scoring passes from 36 and 45 yards out in the second quarter as part of a 31-point run. Adam Tafralis threw two touchdown passes and ran for one, while Jared Strubeck nailed field goals from 42, 41 and 38 yards out. The Aggie passing game came up with Chase Holbrook touchdown passes from 46 and 24 yards away, but it also gave away three interceptions. The Spartans cranked out 507 yards to 398 and didn't turn the ball over.
Player of the game: San Jose State WR Kevin Jurovich caught ten passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: New Mexico State - Passing: Chase Holbrook, 30-49, 318 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Justine Buries, 14-62. Receiving: Nick Cleaver, 5-46
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 19-31, 317 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Myles Eden, 5-64. Receiving: Kevin Jurovich, 10-233, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... For the first time in weeks, the offense was able to open things up and get rolling. Adam Tafralis was nearly flawless against New Mexico State, while there was even a semblance of a running game with 190 yards. Now the Spartans have to build on this and come up with a road win at Louisiana Tech to keep hope for a .500 season alive. If the offense is as efficient as it was this week, it should be able to pull it off.

Nov. 3
Boise State 42 ... San Jose State 7
Boise State blew the game wide open in the second quarter with a 44-yard touchdown catch from Ryan Putnam, the first of two Austin Pettis touchdown catches, and a 37-yard Jeremy Avery scoring dash, and Ian Johnson put it away in the second half with two short scoring runs. San Jose State managed just a four-yard Kevin Jurovich touchdown catch in the second quarter before the Broncos went on a 28-point runs. Boise State committed ten penalties, San Jose State didn't commit any.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Taylor Tharp completed 28 of 35 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 11-19, 77 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jacob French, 10-37. Receiving: Jalal Beauchman, 4-33
Boise State - Passing: Taylor Tharp, 28-35, 259 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeremy Avery, 7-56, 1 TD. Receiving: Austin Pettis, 7-54, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... At some point a running game needs to emerge to take the pressure off Adam Tafralis. It's too late to make any WAC noise, having lost to Hawaii, Fresno State and Boise State in the last three weeks, but there's still a shot at bowl eligibility by winning out. It's not going to happen if the offense keeps playing like this. How did the Boise State game get so ugly? SJSU converted two of 14 third down conversions, while BSU converted ten of 14.

Oct. 20
Fresno State 30 ... San Jose State 0
Ryan Mathews ran for scores from 14 and 58 yards out and Clint Stitser connected on field goals from 35, 40 and 44 yards away in the Fresno State win. The Bulldogs got a 21-point third quarter on the Matthews runs and a two-yard Lonyae Miller run to put the game well out of reach. San Jose State outgained the Bulldogs 394 yards to 383, but missed two field goal chances and was killed by penalties.
Player of the game: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 16 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Fresno State - Passing: Tom Brandstater, 16-26, 132 yds
Rushing: Ryan Matthews, 16-144, 2 TD. Receiving: Bear Pascoe, 4-38
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 22-41, 254 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Adam Tafralis, 15-97. Receiving: David Richmond, 5-119
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... 12 penalties for 90 yards, continued problems with the kicking game, and nothing from the running backs killed any chance to keep up with a hot Fresno State. The Bulldogs didn't do anything fancy, but the Spartans couldn't hang on in the third quarter as things started to get out of hand. Just when things appear bleak after losing to Hawaii and Fresno State in painful fashion, but in different ways, here comes the trip to Boise State.

Oct. 12
Hawaii 42 ... San Jose State 35 OT
Colt Brennan hit Jason Rivers for a two-yard touchdown on Hawaii's overtime possession, and then Myron Newberry sealed the win with an over-the-shoulder interception on San Jose State's possession to cap a furious comeback. Down 14 with fewer than four minutes remaining, Hawaii got an 11-yard Davone Bess touchdown catch, and went 45 yards in eight plays leading to a two-yard Brennan touchdown run with 31 seconds in regulation to put it into overtime. Hawaii scored the first 14 points, and then San Jose State went on a 28-point run thanks to an 84-yard Dwight Lowery punt return for a score and a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown. Kevin Jurovich lit up the third quarter with touchdown catches from 16 and 68 yards out, before Hawaii broke the run on a 34-yard C.J. Hawthorne scoring grab. Hawaii outgained San Jose State 601 yards to 344.
Player of the game: Hawaii QB Tyler Graunke completed nine of 11 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 27-47, 302 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: James T. Callier, 13-30, 1 TD. Receiving: Jacob French, 8-65
Hawaii - Passing: Colt Brennan, 44-75, 545 yds, 4 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Kealoha Pilares, 10-52, 1 TD. Receiving: Ryan Grice-Mullen, 14-175, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Spartans did a good job of keeping up the apace in a firefight with Hawaii, but once the momentum shifted late, it didn't appear as if the offense had any answered. Once again, there wasn't much of a running game, with Adam Tafralis taking over the game early on with his arm, while Dwight Lowery cemented a spot on the All-WAC team with a strong game, even if the Warrior passing attack went nuts. The team has to quickly get over this loss with road games at Fresno State and Boise State ahead.

Oct. 6
San Jose State 28 ... Idaho 20
The Spartans broke the game open with a 21-point run on James T. Callier's second short touchdown run of the game, a 33-yard Kevin Jurovich scoring grab with 33 seconds to play in the first half, and a 13-yard Jeff Clark catch to open up the second half. And then the offense stopped working, while Idaho came back late in the fourth on a blocked punt for a score and a 19-yard Brian Flowers run to pull within eight. But that was as close as it would get, as Idaho's final drive was snuffed out by an interception from Dominique Hunsucker.
Player of the game: San Jose State QB Adam Tafralis finished 22-of-30 for 302 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, running four times for seven yards.
Stat Leaders: Idaho - Passing: Brian Nooy, 8-15, 68 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Deonte Jackson, 22-94. Receiving: Deonte Jackson, 3-33
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 22-30, 302 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: James Callier, 31-93, 2 TDs. Receiving: Kevin Jurovich, 10-161, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Spartans have beaten who they were supposed to over the last three weeks, and now it's on to the real cheese ... Hawaii. The defense stopped Idaho's passing game cold, but things will be a little different next week, with or without Colt Brennan. The Spartan running game has to keep getting creative, and Adam Tafralis has to stay hot. He has three straight 300-plus yard games, and he'll need another to keep pace with the Warriors.

Sept.  29
San Jose State 34 ... UC Davis 14
Adam Tafralis threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers, highlighted by a 59-yard play to Kevin Jurovich early in the fourth quarter. UC Davis started to make it interesting, as Tim Plough threw his second touchdown pass of the game on a 20-yard throw to Brandon Rice, but the Spartans finished it off with a 35-yard Jonathan Harris interception return for a touchdown. Plough got picked off four times.
Player of the game: San Jose State QB Adam Tafralis was 25-of-34 for 330 yards and four touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: UC Davis - Passing: Tim Plough, 22-38, 174 yds, 2 TDs, 4 INTs
Rushing: Joe Trombetta, 21-76. Receiving: Joe Trombetta, 8-40
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 25-34, 330 yds, 4 TDs
Rushing: Jacob French, 13-18. Receiving: Kevin Jurovich, 7-135, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's amazing what playing at home can do. The last D-I team to play at home, San Jose State came up with its best game so far, rolling over UC Davis with a huge passing day from Adam Tafralis. Unfortunately, the running game was stunningly bad, netting just 15 yards and averaging 0.6 yards per carry. LB Matt Castelo, with 15 tackles, led the way for a strong defensive effort, but to come up with a few WAC ins over the next month, the run defense has to be stronger.

Sept.  22
San Jose State 23 ... Utah State 20
Adam Tafralis connected with David Richmond for a 31-yard touchdown with 53 seconds remaining to pull off San Jose State's first win of the season. The Spartans got three touchdown passes from Tafralis, including a 24-yarder to Richmond in the second quarter, while Utah State's offense struggled to close. The Aggies answered a 31-yard Jared Strubeck field goal with an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Kevin Robinson, but they could only manage two field goals on offense before going on an 18-play, 92-yard drtive that took of 8:23 in the fourth quarter and finished up with a one-yard Derrvin Speight touchdown run. The Spartans needed just 56 seconds to go on their final scoring drive.
Player of the game: San Jose State QB Adam Tafralis completed 35 of 48 passes for 426 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions, and ran three times for 14 yards.
Stat Leaders: Utah State - Passing: Leon Jackson, 11-21, 78 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Derrvin Speight, 22-99, 1 TD. Receiving: Kevin Robinson, 3-32
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 3548, 426 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jacob French, 15-74. Receiving: David Richmond, 10-180, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Spartans can take a deep breath after not blowing the game to Utah State. They outgained the Aggies 524 yards to 253, and outpassed them 426 to 78, but a special teams breakdown, eight penalties, and two key interceptions almost meant a loss. While this wasn't a great overall performance, and the D has to be a little concerned about getting marched on late on the long Aggie fourth quarter scoring drive, the Spartans are where they probably should be at 1-3. Beat UC Davis, beat Idaho, and things start to get interesting when Hawaii comes to town.

Sept. 15
Stanford 37 ... San Jose State 0
Derek Belch nailed a 52-yard field goal on Stanford's opening drive, and that's all the scoring needed as the defense shut down San Jose State allowing 163 yards of total offense. Belch connected from 37 and 50 yards for a 9-0 Cardinal lead going into halftime, and then the offense found its groove with two T.C. Ostrander touchdown passes, including a 46-yarder to Richard Sherman, and a touchdown runs from Toby Gerhart and Anthony Kimble. Stanford outgained the Spartans 276 yards to 32 on the ground.
Player of the game: Stanford RB Toby Gerhart ran 12 times for 140 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 12-24, 130 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Dominique Hunsucker, 10-26. Receiving: David Richmond, 4-38
Stanford - Passing: T.C Ostrander, 18-28, 220 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Toby Gerhart, 12-140, 1 TD. Receiving: Richard Sherman, 4-71, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There's no running game, and the new starting receivers aren't coming close to stepping up in place of last year's top targets. Adam Tafralis is having a hard time being as efficient as he was in 2006 now that all his weapons are gone, and while the defense had its moments against Stanford, and kept the game close for a half, the offense couldn't sustain any drives to help out. Things get much easier over the next three weeks against Utah State, UC Davis, and Idaho.

Sept. 8
Kansas State 34 ... San Jose State 14
Kansas State had few problems getting past the Spartans as Josh Freeman threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Deon Murphy and ran for a one-yard score in the first half, and James Johnson and Murphy each had scoring runs in the fourth quarter. San Jose State didn't let the game get out of hand until the fourth, but it struggled to put pount on the board as it only managed a 20-yard Jalal Beauchman touchdown catch in the second quarter before getting back on the board late on a 21-yard Jacob French scoring grab.
Player of the game ... Kansas State RB James Johnson ran 15 times for 111 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh Freeman, 25-36, 272 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: James Johnson, 15-111, 1 TD  Receiving: Jordy Nelson, 6-82
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 16-20, 134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Myles Eden, 7-33  Receiving: Kevin Jurovich, 10-82
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Spartans' big concern going into the year was the loss of the top receivers, and now it appears to be an even bigger killer than ever expected. QB Adam Tafralis was efficient against Kansas State, but there wasn't much in the way of yards or deep balls, and the running game, without Yonus Davis, was non-existent for stretches. The defense needs to stop getting shoved around, and the next few weeks against Stanford and Utah State should help that. The team needs to be in a game first, and then it can try to recapture some of last year's spark.

Sept. 1
Arizona State 45 ... San Jose State 3
Arizona State stomped on the Spartans as Ryan Torian ran for three touchdowns and Rudy Carpenter threw for two others in the surprising blowout. The San Jose State offense managed a 28-yard Jared Strubeck field goal and gained a mere 115 yards of total offense on the day. The Sun Devils did whatever they wanted to, rushing for 250 yards and passing for 270.
Player of the game ... Arizona State RB Ryan Torian ran 17 times for 123 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis, 5-13, 39 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Adam Tafralis, 6-19  Receiving: David Richmond, 5-32
Arizona State - Passing: Rudy Carpenter, 14-20, 197 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ryan Torian, 17-123, 3 TD  Receiving: Michael Jones, 4-63, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This wasn't the way San Jose State envisioned the season starting after such a great 2006. All the strides made last year go out the window as the offense came up with a mere seven first downs and the defense did absolutely nothing to slow down the Sun Devil attack. First, Adam Tafralis has to become a consistent passer again. Next, someone has to run the ball effectively. Considering how well the Kansas State defense played against Auburn, next week might not be that much fun either.