San Jose State returned to the Pacific Islands for its second straight season finale within the Hawaii Bowl.
In the 2023 bowl game, SJSU lost 24-14 to Coastal Carolina. This time the Spartans will play against South Florida on Tuesday evening (5 p.m., ESPN).
Last season, Ken Niumatalolo was home in Hawaii weighing his profession options when San Jose State University defensive position coach Joe Seumalo invited him to the team's pre-bowl practice.
Brent Brennan, the Spartans' head coach on the time, had Niumatalolo speak to the team at practice.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” Niumtalolo said.
About a month later, Niumatalolo was announced as SJSU's next head coach after Brennan left for Arizona.
“I don’t think it was a coincidence,” Niumatalolo said. “The University of Hawaii is right down the street from my house.”
This recent coaching staff has many ties to the island, including Niumtalolo, offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, senior offensive analyst Billy Ray Stutzmann and offensive line coach John Estes, all of whom played for the University of Hawaii.
“We’re excited to come to the most beautiful place in the world and play in this bowl game,” Niumatalolo said.
Safety Robert Rahimi is one among many players visiting Hawaii for the primary time for this game.
“It's exactly as I dreamed, the beaches are beautiful. We are blessed to be here,” Rahimi said.
But the Spartans (7-5, 3-4 Mountain West) aren't treating this trip like a vacation. They actually need to win.
“Even though we're in a beautiful place with beautiful weather, we still have to remember what we're focused on,” quarterback Walker Eget said.
Eget said the team is more focused in comparison with last season's Hawaii Bowl trip.
“We're just focusing more on what we're really here for and not just treating a trip here like a vacation,” Eget said. “We’re here on a business trip and that’s the most important thing.”
Niumatalolo has six bowl victories as a head coach. SJSU has achieved seven bowl victories throughout program history.
But they shall be without 2024 Fred Biletnikoff Aaward finalist Nick Nash and Pro Football Focus fifth-ranked defensive back DJ Harvey.
According to Niumatalolo, Nash decided to forgo the Hawaii Bowl to give attention to his next goal, the NFL Draft.
“He’s not going to play and prepare for the next level,” Niumatalolo said. “It would be selfish of me to say he has to play for us. Nick (Nash) has to do what’s best for him.”
Niumatalolo said Nash could have come to Hawaii on game day without practicing and he would have played, something other players within the transfer portal wouldn't have had the luxurious of doing with SJSU.
Harvey entered the transfer portal on Dec. 8 and announced his commitment to USC six days later.
The Spartans had a complete of seven players enter the transfer portal, including defensive back Michael Dansby, who began every game, and quarterback Emmett Brown, who began the primary five games.
Wide receivers coach Kevin McGiven also left the Spartans before the bowl game and took a job as offensive coordinator at Utah State.
“We have mostly retained our squad,” said Niumatalolo. “We feel pretty happy where we are.”
Last season, SJSU entered 28 players within the transfer portal.
Dansby committed to Arizona, where Brennan will coach him.
Brown continues to be coaching at SJSU, has traveled to Hawaii and can support Eget on Tuesday.
Other transfers include wide receiver Sawyer Deerman, running back Kayden Collins, running back Paolo Burak and linebacker Alexander Cobbs.
SJSU has a plan to fill those spots for the upcoming bowl game.
According to Stutzmann, wide receivers Sebastian Macaluso and Matthew Coleman will split reps on the slot position and fill in for Nash.
“It will be a really interesting game to see how we play together without Nick Nash,” Stutzmann said.
“These are two guys that even in big moments like this, people don’t realize that they’re the ones making these plays and they’re still big playmakers,” Eget said. “What sets them apart from someone like Nash is that they also have a lot more ability to run after the catch, whereas Nash is more of a bigger body guy.”
On the defensive side, defensive coordinator Derrick Odum has a plan to fill the starting corner spots.
“Any time you lose starters, it’s a big loss,” Odum said. “We’re looking at a lot of guys to see who will rise above us and set the standard as a starter.”
USF (6-6, 4-4 American) led the FBS with 201 points in November.
“They're a very explosive offense, they're fast-paced and I think they were No. 1 in the country in getting the ball away the fastest,” Odum said. “They have an experienced offensive line, they have a receiver that has caught a lot of balls, and they just have weapons everywhere.”
The Spartans will even have their hands full with the Bulls' defense.
“They’re big at the top,” Stutzmann said of USF’s defense. “They’re probably bigger than a lot of Mountain West schools we’ve played.”
Stutzmann said the Spartans also must do higher football-wise.
Look for SJSU to depend on freshman running back Lamar Radcliffe and center Joseph Harbert, who began within the regular-season finale against Stanford, to each add size.
“He’s a big guy and it’s hard to beat him,” Eget said of Radcliffe. “He moves really well for his size and has great vision.”
Stutzmann also expects second-team All-Mountain West wide receiver Justin Lockhart to do more in Nash's absence.
“My Christmas wish is for Justin Lockart to get 200 yards,” Stutzmann said.
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