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The Fresno State Bulldogs have enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they must head out on the road. Fresno State and the San Jose State Spartans will face off in a Mountain West battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at CEFCU Stadium. The Bulldogs should still be feeling good after a big win, while SJSU will be looking to regain their footing.
Fresno State ran circles around the New Mexico Lobos last week, and the extra yardage (399 yards vs. 196 yards) paid off. Everything went Fresno State's way against New Mexico as they made off with a 34-7 victory. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 24 to nothing. Fresno State QB Jake Haener was slinging it as he passed for three TDs and 300 yards on 31 attempts.
Meanwhile, the Spartans might not have won anyway, but with 95 yards lost due to penalties, they really shot themselves in the foot last week. Their painful 48-17 loss to the Utah State Aggies might stick with them for a while. QB Nick Starkel had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: besides failing to produce a single touchdown, he threw one interception and fumbled the ball once with only 138 yards passing.
The Bulldogs are the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. The odds have been favorable for them against the spread on the road this season, even if it's been tough sledding overall. They are 4-1 ATS in away games but only 6-4 all in all.
Fresno State is now 8-3 while the Spartans sit at 5-6. Two stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Fresno State is 197th worst in the nation in thrown interceptions, having thrown ten on the season. SJSU is completely their equal: they are stumbling into the matchup with the 197th most thrown interceptions in the nation, having thrown ten on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
