The 2025 college football season is officially over for San José State after the Spartans finished 3–9 overall, 2–6 in the Mountain West Conference and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2021.
SJSU opened the season 0–2, one year after starting 3–0 and went winless on the road at 0–6 for the first time since 2018.
Seven of the Spartans’ 12 games were decided by one score and all three of their wins came by one possession, including a 45–38 victory over Hawai‘i on Nov. 1.
The low point came in a 55–10 loss to Nevada on Nov. 15. The Wolf Pack had just one win entering the game and the victory marked their first conference win since November 2023.
Following that loss, SJSU made major coaching changes. The program fired Derrick Odum, the associate head coach and defensive coordinator, after the Spartans allowed 402.8 yards per game and ranked 99th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Special teams analyst Joe Palcic was also dismissed after SJSU went 12-for-23 on field goals between senior kicker Denis Lynch and sophomore kicker Mathias Brown.
The staff overhaul continued Monday when head coach Ken Niumatalolo announced the firing of cornerback coach Greg Burns and offensive line coach John Estes.
Despite the move, the offensive line had been one of the team’s bright spots, standing at 13th nationally with just 13 sacks, according to another college football webpage.
“We are continually evaluating every aspect of our program to ensure we are moving in the right direction,” Niumatalolo said.
Injuries also played a significant role in the Spartans’ struggles. Sophomore wide receiver Malachi Riley, a transfer from Arizona, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 against Central Michigan. SJSU also lost two of its top running backs early in the season.
Senior running back Floyd Chalk IV redshirted after not appearing for SJSU’s 35–28 win on Oct. 3.
The backfield took another major hit on Sept. 27 during a 30–29 loss to Stanford in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, when junior running back Jabari Bates went down after rushing for 192 yards on 27 attempts with two touchdowns on the year.
Injuries opened the door for freshman Steve Chavez-Soto, who made his first start against New Mexico and finished as the team’s leading rusher with 448 yards on 87 carries and seven touchdowns.
“There’s so much stuff that we’ve got to get fixed, that I’ve got to get fixed in our program,” Niumatalolo said. “My mind’s already racing on the things we’ve got to do. That’s one of the benefits of not going to a bowl game. We can start early, we can start next week.”
One of SJSU’s bright spots was wide receiver sophomore Danny Scudero, who finished the season in his hometown as the nation’s leading receiver with 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“Not everything goes the way you expect, but no matter what you just keep fighting,” Scudero said. “You don’t quit. You finish what you start and you keep going day by day.”
Scudero’s future with the Spartans is uncertain, as Niumatalolo said multiple teams have expressed interest in him.
“We’ve been in contact with him a lot and I just saw him out there, so I’m grateful he’s still here,” Niumatalolo said. “There are a lot of people after him, receivers across the country. So we’re going to do everything we can to keep him.”
SJSU also announced 12 new freshmen signees on early signing day this Monday, who will join the team in the spring.
They will look to replace departing seniors including quarterback Walker Eget, who threw for 3,047 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions and ranked 21st nationally in passing yards.
Eget became the full-time starter after beginning the previous season as a backup before leaving the season in the eleventh game with a knee injury against San Diego State.
The Spartans will also say goodbye to senior linebacker Jordan Pollard, who led the team with 108 tackles in 2025 and spent all four of his collegiate seasons at SJSU.
“It’s been fun. I’m glad I stayed here,” Pollard said. “I’m glad I got to play my last test with people I wanted to be around and my brothers I’ve been around the last couple years.”
