The Sports Sentiment

It’s Rivalry Week! The 89th edition of the Battle for the Valley is set for San Jose, as Fresno State travels to the South Bay to take on the San Jose State Spartans.Al Scott joins the podcast to break down this high-leverage matchup and provide his key components for Saturday’s game. We discuss Fresno State QB Jayden Mandal, the Bulldogs’ ground game, the defensive playmakers representing the Central Valley, and plenty more.What will be the difference-maker when these two rivals meet? We break it all down ahead of Saturday’s Battle for the Valley!

San Jose State improves to 2-1 on the season after a hard-fought 30-20 win over Cal Poly in the Spartans’ home opener. We break down the positives and negatives from the victory, including Jabari Bates’ career day in the backfield, a defense that had its share of breakdowns but came up with big plays down the stretch, and much more.

After spending the first two weeks of the season on the road, San Jose State returns to the Bay Area for its home opener against the Cal Poly Mustangs.Joining the podcast to preview the Week 2 clash between the Spartans and Mustangs is Ty Soria, journalist and podcaster for Cal Poly Student Radio.We discuss the optimism surrounding the rise of the Mustangs’ program under new head coach Tim Skipper, his familiarity with San Jose State, Cal Poly’s flashy offense led by QB Anthony Grigsby Jr., and plenty more.

The Mountain West goes 5-3 in Week 1 as we break down every result from around the conference. Week 1 featured a statement win from UNLV in its Mountain West opener at Hawaii, an inconsistent showing from Wyoming on the road, and impressive performances from New Mexico and Nevada.We also look ahead to Week 2, breaking down the biggest storylines from every matchup, including a major conference showdown between North Dakota State and Air Force.

San Jose State secures its first win of the season on the road, defeating Eastern Michigan 27-21. It’s the Spartans’ first road victory since November 9, 2024.Joining the podcast to break down the win is Niles Hall, SJSU football beat writer for The Spear and the San Jose Mercury News.We discuss the threat of Jabari Bates in the backfield, the emergence of wide receivers Cooper Hoch and Jase Nix, the play of SJSU’s linebackers, and how the secondary and offensive line battled through adversity to help the Spartans secure the victory.