Last season’s preview “safely” forecasted the Spartans to finish 8-4. They finished 7-5 in 2022 and remained in the conference championship run late into that season finishing second behind conference champions Fresno State in the west.
Other 2022 prognosticators predicted the Spartans in the upper middle class of the conference. And up to the middle of last season, SJSU was going like gangbusters, even temporarily convincing fans and non-fans they were the favorites to win the conference.
Then came a hard-fought physical rivalry game against Fresno where the Spartans loss 17-10. It’s a game that seemed to alter the momentum of the season going forward.