This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Let's say it: San Jose State gets no respect.

The Spartans opened as 13-point underdogs, are currently 13.5-point underdogs, and http://bit.ly/2cUNcdb";>they're sandwiched in Utah's schedule between BYU and USC home games. Furthermore, http://bit.ly/2co9KiA";>some hack writer just openly asked the question, "Why is Utah playing this game?"

And yet, SJSU is taking this game seriously, and the Utes have plenty of reason to as well. This is a program that won two bowl games in the last four seasons, which had an 11-2 season not that long ago. Which has a returning quarterback, a lot of returning weapons in the passing game, and a running back who was very recently at a Pac-12 school. Which just finished plus-6 in turnover margin as Utah comes off a game in which it surrendered six turnovers.

For some insight into San Jose State, I asked for the help of Ray Hacke, who is a SJSU correspondent for the San Jose Mercury-News. You can follow him on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/RayHacke43";> at @RayHacke43, and you can read thehttp://www.mercurynews.com/sports/college-sports/";> Mercury-News coverage of the Spartans on their website. And you can read Hacke's answers to my questions if you just keep moving your eyeballs:

1. Ron Caragher noted that it's highly unusual for SJSU to host a Power 5 opponent, and they haven't done it in 10 years. Do you get the sense that bringing in the Utes creates any added excitement for the team, coaches or fans?

Ray Hacke: Absolutely. San Jose State typically does not draw well — let's just say, to quote Charlestown Chiefs broadcaster Andrew Carr from the movie "Slap Shot," "There are plenty of good seats available." Having a Power 5 team come to town may be what SJSU needs to put fannies in seats — especially on a weekend where Stanford is hosting USC in the Pac-12 Conference opener and Cal is hosting national power Texas. Santa Clara University, which is located about 10 minutes away from SJSU, tends to draw well when BYU's men's basketball team comes to town. I'm willing to bet a lot of those same fans will come out to watch Utah.

2. What is unique about quarterback Kenny Potter, and how has he developed in his second year as a starter?

RH: That's hard to say, because we're only two games into the season. http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/09/10/san-jose-states-offense-explodes-for-66-points/";>What I can tell you is that Kenny Potter is a playmaker — he reads the field well, gets the ball to open receivers for big yardage, and finds ways to make plays with his legs when his receivers are covered or when he's under pressure. In the games I've seen, he hasn't thrown many interceptions, so he makes good decisions. He did have a tendency to get sacked a lot last year, but I saw less of that against Portland State — he got sacked maybe once at most — and since the Spartans' offensive line is more experienced than it was last year, I expect him to get sacked less, especially since he's starting to make good decisions a lot faster.

3. Caragher noted that SJSU will be without starting tackle Nate Velichko this week. How big of a blow is that to the offensive line, particularly facing Utah's defensive front?

RH: That all depends. Losing Velichko hurts, but as Kenny Potter said last week, the Spartans' victory over Portland State proved what the team could do when the entire offense is on the same page. San Jose State will definitely have its work cut out for it when it faces the Utes, but as long as whoever replaces Velichko can execute the schemes and doesn't give up too many sacks, SJSU may have a chance.

4. SJSU managed to be plus-6 in turnover margin last week. Who are the playmakers on the Spartans defense, and what kind of problems could they create for Utah's offense (which gave away 6 turnovers last week)?

RH: Junior cornerback Andre Chachere had two interceptions against Portland State. Sophomore linebacker Frank Ginda had a team-high seven tackles and also recovered a fumble. Senior defensive end Eugene Taylor also had a fumble recovery and can be quite disruptive up front. I'd also watch out for junior free safety Maurice McKnight.

Ron Caragher places a great deal of emphasis on turnover margin — getting as many as possible while giving up as few as possible. He was disappointed after giving up three while getting none in the season-opening loss at Tulsa, and he was thrilled with how his players turned that around against Portland State. The Spartans did it mainly by putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback. The more pressure SJSU creates, the more likely it is that the quarterback will make bad decisions and throw picks. It's worth noting that SJSU ranked second in the country against the pass last year. They were soft against the run, which was also a problem against Tulsa, but the more the Spartans can force Utah into passing situations, the better a chance they'll have.

5. What is the outlook for SJSU in the Mountain West, and how is Caragher's job security as head football coach for the foreseeable future?

RH: That's an excellent question. San Jose State has traditionally been a tough place to win. They appeared to be on the upswing when they went 10-2 under Mike MacIntyre, but then MacIntyre left for Colorado, and Caragher has found it difficult to win since replacing him. He went 6-6 in his first season and hasn't posted a winning record since. He did get the Spartans to a bowl game last year, but bear in mind that they got in as a 5-7 team — mainly because the NCAA had more bowls than they had teams to fill them.

From the looks of things, I'd say a bowl game is doable for San Jose State — this time with a winning record (or at least a .500 record). Boise State, Nevada,and San Diego State appear to be their toughest Mountain West opponents, and possibly Air Force as well. Every other game is winnable. If Caragher can get San Jose State to a bowl game for the second straight season — something that hasn't happened in a while — I'd say his job is pretty safe. His job security will probably be a bigger question as the season plays out, depending on whether the Spartans can win consistently.

*****

Thanks for answering questions for us, Ray. See you all on Saturday.

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon