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San Jose Mercury News

 

Better Nebraska than Tennessee for the Spartans

By Jon Wilner Mercury News

Article Launched: 09/03/2008 09:46:57 PM PDT

 

 

This was supposed to be Tennessee Week for San Jose State. The Spartans were supposed to play Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday. But Coach Dick Tomey wanted no part of the Volunteers, so he scheduled Nebraska at Nebraska instead.

 

The snake pit instead of the lion's den?

 

"It's crazy to go to Nebraska,'' Tomey said Tuesday. "But it's double-crazy to go to Tennessee.''

 

He thinks the Spartans can beat Nebraska, and he's right. Double-right.

 

San Jose State, which almost lost to UC-Davis last weekend, is a 27-point underdog against the Cornhuskers. It would be an upset, sure, but not a Stanford-over-USC upset "... not if you consider Tomey's history in games like this, his history with Nebraska and the state of the Nebraska program.

 

"Are we good enough to win? Sure,'' Tomey said. "The best team doesn't win. The team that plays the best wins.''

 

The Spartans certainly have a better chance to outplay Nebraska than Tennessee, which was put on the schedule by former SJSU athletic director Chuck Bell.

 

After Tomey took charge of the program in December 2004, he worked with Bell's successor, Tom Bowen, to revamp the schedule. They focused on playing teams from the Mountain West Conference, signed up USC (2009) and UCLA (2011) to gain in-state exposure — the Spartans recruit heavily in the Los Angeles basin — and asked out of so-called "body bag'' games at Louisiana State, Florida and Tennessee.

 

Volunteers Coach Phil Fulmer, a good friend of Tomey's, was amenable to the change so long as SJSU found a replacement. When Northern Illinois agreed to play in Knoxville, the Spartans were free to look elsewhere.

 

For several reasons, Tomey looked to Lincoln:

 

>>It's not as far as Knoxville, not as humid as Knoxville and definitely not as hostile as Knoxville. (Passionate as they are, Cornhuskers fans are among the most polite in college football.)

 

>>Tomey is familiar with Nebraska, having coached at Memorial Stadium several times and beaten the Cornhuskers a decade ago while at Arizona.

 

>>At the time, the Huskers were struggling under Coach Bill Callahan and his West Coast offense.

 

Callahan was dismissed in November and replaced by defensive specialist Bo Pelini. Although the Cornhuskers demolished Western Michigan last week, they aren't nearly as talented as the great Nebraska teams of the 1980s and '90s.

 

Meanwhile, SJSU has several defensive players (cornerbacks Coye Francies and Chris Owens, linebacker Justin Cole and linemen Jeff Schweiger and Jarron Gilbert) who could play for the Cornhuskers, perhaps even start.

 

Then again, the Spartans needed a last-seconds touchdown to beat Davis. Their quarterback (Kyle Reed) is making the first start of his career. Their line is a mess, and their running game is on life support. A mistake here, a bad decision there, and it could be over by halftime.

 

Difficult as the assignment appears, Tomey faced an even tougher challenge 16 years ago at Arizona.

 

One week after tying a dreadful Oregon State team, the Wildcats ventured to Miami to face the defending national champions. Under Dennis Erickson, Miami had won 46 consecutive home games and featured future Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta and All-American Warren Sapp.

 

Arizona, a 271/2-point underdog, lost on a missed field goal in the final seconds.

 

So, yes, Tomey is in his element this week.

 

"We've got a shot,'' he said, "but you have to take your shot.''

 

Check out Jon Wilner's College Hotline at blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports. Contact him at jwilner@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5716.

 

 

 

No way this game will even be close.. except when it starts 0-0 :clap

 

 

This pisses me the f*** off. Time to show how we do things in Lincoln, we'll show you crazy! I look for Nebraska to put this away early.

 

GO BIG RED!!!!!!

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1) Get me what this writer is Drinkin...

 

2) the only argument that I can think of for an upset is that you all filed 11 men at a time and put your pants on just like they do. Other than that, not sure what he is thinking.

 

3) As someone must win the Lottery, it is therefore possible, and in such a way the Spartans can win. I would advise this writer, if that is his logic, to invest his retirement funds in the Lotto and see how that goes too...

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that creampuff will be wiped all over the field, spreading their gooey cream filling everywhere.

 

the ganzinator will dine on their fluffy, creamy center.

 

in other words- this creampuff will live up to its name...

 

they'll get pounded.

 

:box

 

 

 

 

 

GO BO!!

BEAT SJS!!

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The beat writer was on 590 today...he talked about how the coaches decision to rather come to Nebraska had to deal with playing in the midwest, rather than going further east. He said the coach suggested this becuase less travel time for his west-coast based team, in addition to a less humid climate. I haven't sold it well, but listening to him, I believe he meant no disrespect by what he said.

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The beat writer was on 590 today...he talked about how the coaches decision to rather come to Nebraska had to deal with playing in the midwest, rather than going further east. He said the coach suggested this becuase less travel time for his west-coast based team, in addition to a less humid climate. I haven't sold it well, but listening to him, I believe he meant no disrespect by what he said.

 

 

Damage already done. I think he's just covering his a**. He'll see how much respect the Huskers have for SJS saturday. (Cream filling anyone) :)

 

GO BIG RED :bonez

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