San Jose State started the season 1-5, failing to record an FBS victory during a challenging stretch of games. Impressively, the Spartans didn’t fold over the final half of the season.
The Spartans not only rallied, but they won all six of their remaining regular-season games. Only one of the wins, a road victory over UNLV, came by fewer than 10 points.
San Jose State has a chance to put a bow on a solid season Saturday night in the EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl against Coastal Carolina, a 7-5 team from the Sun Belt.
College football betting odds give San Jose State the edge, as they’re a 10-point favorite against a Chanticleers group without star quarterback Grayson McCall.
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Plenty At Stake For SJSU
Not only are the Spartans looking for consecutive victory No. 7, but they’re also hoping to record the program’s first bowl victory since 2015. They’ve only appeared in two bowls since, dropping both.
Picking up a victory against Coastal Carolina would end a nice stretch of football for the program. The Spartans are in the midst of their third winning season in four years, and it will be the first time they’ve had three winning seasons in four years since 1989-92.
Recently a Mountain West pushover, the Spartans have proved themselves to be a formidable foe in the league. Capping off a season with a win over Coastal Carolina would add to that reputation, helping the program as it looks to consistently claim bowl bids.
The Spartans could be a Group of Five team to watch in 2024, with a slightly more manageable nonconference schedule. They’ll need to replace standout quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, but if the Spartans can find reliability at the quarterback position, they’re trending in the right direction as a program.
Saturday’s game will hold special meaning for Cordeiro, as he’s from Hawai’i.
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Anything Left For Coastal Carolina?
Another year, another disappointing end for Coastal Carolina? Last season, Coastal Carolina lost its final three games of the year to spoil a 9-1 start.
After starting 7-3 this year with a few gritty wins, the Chanticleers have lost two games in a row, including a 56-14 home loss to JMU. Can Tim Beck’s team avoid another major letdown to a season?
Without McCall, the Chanticleers will have their work cut out for them against a surging San Jose State team. Slowing down the pass will be of critical importance for the team’s defense, which allowed 324 passing yards and five passing touchdowns to JMU in its final regular season game.
If Coastal Carolina plays like it did during the middle portion of the season, Saturday’s game could be a competitive contest to wrap up a busy weekend of college football bowl games. If the Chanticleers look anything like they did against JMU, Cordeiro will have a happy homecoming for the Spartans.
As is typical for bowl season, motivation often plays an important factor in determining the winning side. On the surface, Cordeiro and San Jose State have more to play for Saturday night.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
