SAN JOSE STATE VS. FRESNO STATE
Records: San Jose State (5-2, 3-1 Mountain West); Fresno State (4-3, 2-1 Mountain West)
Start: 5:00 p.m., Valley Children's Stadium, Fresno
TV: TruTV/Max
Radio: 860 p.m
Series history: Fresno State leads the series 44-39-3. The rivalry began in 1921 and continued through three conference changes. San Jose State won its final game 42-18 last yr but hasn't won in Fresno since 2016.
Storylines: This will probably be the 87th edition of the Battle of the Valley rivalry. … Due to conference realignment (Fresno State joining the Pac-12 in 2016), this may very well be the last game the teams play at Valley Children's Stadium for some time. … Fresno State's home game is Saturday. … A San Jose State victory would clinch team bowl eligibility for 3 consecutive seasons. … SJSU quarterback Walker Eget will probably be the starter going forward, head coach Ken Niumatalolo announced Tuesday. … Fresno State interim coach Tim Skipper played linebacker for the team (1997-2000) and had his first profession interception against SJSU in 2000.
Matchup to look at: San Jose State special teams vs. Fresno State special teams. Last week against Wyoming, SJSU blocked a field goal and thwarted a punt that resulted in a turnover. Fresno State stayed alive in games resulting from the opponent's special teams errors. In last week's game, Nevada's punt unit prevented a punt from being fired twice and was inches away from having one other one blocked. Punt returner Jalen Moss is averaging 16.5 yards per punt return, rating in the highest five within the country.
Key stats: San Jose State forced 18 turnovers, including 13 interceptions: each are second nationally. … Fresno State has 4 sacks in each of its last two games. … Last week, 139 yards of Fresno State's 190 receiving yards against Washington State got here after the catch. … San Jose State has allowed only one sack in its last three games. … Linebacker Malachi Langley has led Fresno State with 22 total tackles during the last two weeks. … SJSU's Nick Nash is averaging 7.25 receptions per game against conference opponents and leads the nation with 72 receptions.
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