Washington State 2024 Opponent Scouting Report: San Jose State

The Spartans will pay Washington State a visit in Week 4.

Aug 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Nick Nash (3) celebrates his touchdown scored against the Southern California Trojans with wide receiver Matthew Coleman (15) during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Who/When/Where: San Jose State and Washington State will meet for the first time since 2018 on September 21 in Pullman. The Spartans will be the first of several Mountain West opponents WSU sees this year. They are fresh off a 7-6 season and an appearance in the Hawaii Bowl but will not look quite like they did a year ago. Both the Spartans and the Cougars have several big questions swirling around their programs right now and that might make for a closely-contested game.

Offensive Players to Watch: Nick Nash (WR), Floyd Chalk IV (RB), Marist Talavou (OG)

Defensive Players to Watch: Jordan Pollard (LB), Robert Rahimi (S), Soane Toia (DL)

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There will be a new face under center for SJSU but they'll still have a heck of a target on the outside with redshirt senior Nick Nash (#3). As he did last season, Nash will likely serve as the primary target in the passing game. Standing at 6-foot-3, 193 lbs, Nash is a threat in both the short and long passing game. He's sharp with his route running and has terrific hands. His ability to shake defenders if given enough time is something that could really hurt Cougars DBs if they aren't acutely aware of where he is planning on going. Nash will surely be the biggest threat through the air.

The guy throwing to him will be probably be a familiar face to WSU fans. Emmett Brown (#9) transferred over to the Spartans this offseason after seeing limited action as a reserve in Pullman last season. Brown is currently the projected starter for San Jose State and will likely lean on both Nash and running back Floyd Chalk IV (#0) to aleviate some of the pressure if he is indeed a first-time starter this year.

Chalk came in from FCS Grambling State after piling up over 1,000 yards and ten touchdowns in two seasons with the Tigers. He's a physical runner that absorbs contact and seldom is brought down by the first tackler he sees. Chalk has great durability throughout the course of a game and can handle a large workload if the Spartans opt to run him a lot. If he has enough space, Chalk is fast enough to outrun and outmaneuver defenders meaning WSU defenders need to wrap up every time he's coming their way.

Not letting Chalk get space might be difficult, though, with big offensive guard Marist Talavou (#61) paving the way. The redshirt senior checks in at 6-foot-3, 346 lbs and is a force up front. Mix in his large frame with good hands and sound blocking technique and Talavou shapes up to be a headache in the trenches. SJSU posted a Top 30 rushing offense in college football last year with him anchoring the unit.

Defensively the Spartans will center their game plan largely on junior linebacker Jordan Pollard (#10) and senior defensive lineman Soane Toia (#42). Pollard is a solid tackler, authoring 79 total stops in 2023, but is also effective in pass protection. He can slide from his middle spot into deeper coverages with ease. Pollard picked off two passes last year. Toia, meanwhile, will be the big threat up front. He registered five sacks and seven TFLs last fall thanks to his tenacity at the line. Toia can shed blockers with the best of them and has the athleticism and size to overpower many of his matchups.

On the back end, former Liberty safety Robert Rahimi (#1) will be the one to watch for. He did not play last year due to injury but in 2022 Rahimi intercepted five passes and got in on 56 tackles. Rahimi reads plays extremely well and adjusts to throws, often positioning himself well to have an upper hand on opposing receivers.

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Final Analysis: The Spartans, in many ways, are a spitting image of Washington State in terms of having a healthy mix of fresh faces and familiar ones. Nash will bring a veteran leadership the offense and team will need heading into 2024. If WSU isn't careful on defense, Nash might be the guy that carries the Spartans to a victory here. The Cougars chances, though, are just as good as the SJSU has lost a lot of production from last season. If they can find answers for Chalk on the ground and Nash through the air, then things get a lot easier. Fans might be in for a treat of a game.