San José State looks to earn its second win of the season when it faces Stanford in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game this Saturday.

The Spartans edged the Cardinal 34-31 in last year’s matchup and now have another chance to secure their first road win of the year.

It won’t come easy as Stanford is still searching for its first win over a Mountain West Conference (MWC) opponent since its team beat University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 37-24 in 2023.

The Mountain West is a Division I FBS conference that includes 12 schools, all located near the West Coast.

Spartans head coach Ken Niumatalolo,  praised Stanford despite their slow start to the season and emphasized that his team needs to fight hard.

“One of the better rosters we’re gonna play, being coached by an NFL coach who played in Super Bowls, this is gonna be a tough game,” Niumatalolo said. “Just watching them on tape, big physical team that likes to run the football. We gotta be ready to play every game. It’s gonna be a tough matchup for us, but we’re looking forward to it.”

The Cardinal are led by interim head coach Frank Reich, who spent seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, one year as head coach of the Carolina Panthers and was hired by Stanford this year.

Stanford has rushed for 444 yards through its first four games.

However, that does not rank it in the top 50, as the team has averaged 111 rushing yards per game, according to an NCAA statistics webpage.

The Spartans’ defense has allowed 543 rushing yards over three games, an average of 181 per game, posing a significant test for San José State’s run defense.

SJSU defensive coordinator Derrick Odum believes the Spartans can stop opponents on short third and fourth-down rushing plays, which have often resulted in significant gains.

Preventing big plays on second down, he noted, is crucial to avoiding those short-yardage situations.

“When those drives get a little longer, those third downs getting off the field, that just prolongs them, a 12-yard drive, a 13-play drive, a 17-play drive,” Odum said. “Those things are difficult, and you just gotta keep at it and hopefully you’ll get off the field and get it back to our offense as soon as possible.”

The Spartans are 19 for 41 on third-down conversions this season, while the Cardinal are 21 for 58. On fourth down, Stanford is 5 for 7, whereas SJSU is 0 for 2.

Although the Spartans have a higher third-down conversion rate, fourth-down conversions told the story in their last game, as they allowed Idaho to go 5 for 5.

This could be a game where SJSU takes more chances on fourth down, as Stanford’s defense has allowed opponents to convert 40% of its attempts.

SJSU offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann has faith the offense can build on its momentum after scoring a season-high 31 points last Saturday.

“Everybody’s looking at number 10 running across the field, and that safety takes off, and there’s Jackson right inside the hash and we’re able to hit him,” Stutzmann said. “We’ve done a lot of good things, and Coach Judge has done a wonderful job getting the tight ends to be consistent and guys we can rely on, because we don’t call their number all the time.”

Spartans quarterback Walker Eget is coming off his best performance of the season, finishing without an interception.

It also marked the top outing by a tight end this year, as senior Jackson Canaan recorded two catches for 40 yards, the most receiving yards by a Spartan tight end this season.

The Spartans also look to build on sophomore receiver Danny Scudero’s 130-yard performance, as he aims for his third 100-yard game of the season. He currently ranks seventh in the nation in receiving yards.

“It’s definitely something that God’s put me on this path, and I’m really thankful for the opportunity that Coach Stutz and Coach Ken have given me,” Scudero said. “Moving forward, we’ve got to come out and do whatever we can, and the most important thing is the W, so we just want the win.”

SJSU is scheduled to face Stanford in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium, another chapter in the storied rivalry.