Date/Time: Saturday, November 21, 2025 – 7:30 PM PDT
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Broadcast: Fox Sports 1
Radio: 860 KTRB AM (SF Bay Area)
Head-to-Head: SDSU leads the overall series 24-2-21
Spread: SDSU -11.5 favorites, O/U 49.5
Visiting a powerful San Diego State team (8-2, 5-1 MW), San Jose State (3-7, 2-4 MW) is staring directly into the kind of adversity that tests the soul of a program.
After a humiliating blowout loss last week to Nevada, SJSU Athletic Director Jeff Konya summoned Spartan head coach Ken Niumatalolo into a Monday morning meeting.
It quickly culminated into the firing of long-time defensive coordinator Derrick Odum and special teams coordinator Joe Palcic; creating an emotional week on South Campus — one Niumatalolo described as “sleepless,” “heartbreaking,” and “unacceptable” all at the same time.
Niumatalolo didn’t mince words when discussing the fallout of the Nevada disaster.
“We got blown out by a team, record-wise, was at the bottom,” said Niumatalolo. “The fashion we lost in — it was just unacceptable, so something had to happen.”
Odum was in his ninth season with SJSU. Last year, the Spartans forced 28 turnovers for the fifth highest in the country. This year SJSU only garnered 11 turnovers and allowed 32.4 points per game; among the worst in the FBS. Palcic, a veteran special teams coach, had a struggling field goal unit, where a late-game 99-yard kickoff return by Nevada provided the last nail.
“Probably the hardest thing you have to do as a coach,” Niumatalolo said, pausing. “These are phenomenal men. Great coaches. And our players love them.”
The emotional shock waves were immediate. Niumatalolo described the team meeting as filled with heavy emotions with numerous players approaching him afterward to apologize — something Niumatalolo pushed back on strongly.
“They said, ‘Coach, I’m sorry. I feel like this is my fault,’” said Niumatalolo. “But it’s not on them. These are awesome young men. I wish we had done better for them. I wish I coached better for them.”
Despite the turbulence, players returned to practice Monday with effort and energy. It was something that moved the veteran head coach.
“Here we have a three-and-seven record and we just got pummeled. And still, our guys came out to work hard,” Niumatalolo said. “That tells you everything about their character.”
All said, it’s an “almost there” season of lost high potential.
Now, facing one of the Mountain West’s best teams, the path to some level of redemption makes things even tougher.
First–place San Diego State is a resurgent, physical, and statistically dominant squad under second-year head coach Sean Lewis. The Aztecs boasts the top defense in the Mountain West led by the league’s most disruptive pass rusher in Trey Wright.
Quick tangible keys for Saturday’s game are the numbers around the Aztecs’ run game and run stop game. The Spartan are 1-5 when opponents rushed over 30 times a game and 0-5 when the SJS offense is converting less the 50% on third down. So, we’ll know almost immediately when or if things go south for San Jose State.
But in this Bizarro World that is the Mountain West, we’ll just say, “That’s why they play the game.”
With Odum gone, inside linebackers coach Bojay Filimoeatu steps in as interim defensive coordinator—a familiar name internally now thrust into the most challenging moment of his career.
For Filiameatu, the chaos hasn’t shaken his foundation.
“My feelings and impressions of Coach Ken don’t change,” said Filimoeatu from first meeting Niumatalolo last year to now. “He’s one of the greatest men I’ve ever been under… a father figure.”
Filimoeatu also spoke emotionally about Odum, the coach who first brought him to San Jose State back in 2017 before departing to Utah State and returning to SJS last year because of Niumatalolo and Odum.
“D.O. taught me so much — not just football, but life,” Filimoeatu said on Odum. “I’ll always be grateful.”
Now the job becomes stabilizing a defense that has oscillated wildly this season — from shutting down top teams like Hawaii and New Mexico, but collapsing against Air Force and Nevada.
The personnel is there Filimoeatu believes.
“Great players make great coaches,” Filimoeatu said on his philosophy. “We’ve recruited well at linebacker and I look forward to seeing what we do going forward.”
For the rest of us, Filimoeatu’s demeanor is similar to Niumatalolo. A smart, calm soul simmering over the intensity and energy to lead.
If the defensive problems have been dramatic, the offense has also been quietly frustrating. QB Walker Eget’s up-and-down season continued in Reno, where he played conservative and seemingly rushed through reads against Nevada’s coverage shells.
Offensive coordinator Craig Stutzman acknowledged it.
“Maybe he played too cautious,” Stutzmann said to the assumed question. “Maybe he wanted to get the ball out quick. Maybe he felt a little nicked-up.”
The film showed open shots downfield — shots Stutzmann said the Spartans “missed” despite Nevada being late out of their coverages.
But now? The challenge becomes exponentially harder.
San Diego State defends “every blade of grass,” Stutzmann said, and ranks near the top of the conference in almost every defensive metric.
“They make you play ‘left-handed,’” Stutzmann added. “They’re disciplined. They’re active and they execute.”
Still, Stutzmann sees Saturday as a chance for redemption.
“What an opportunity,” said Stutzmann. “In-state rival. The number one defense and one of the top defenses in the country. This is who you want to compete against.”
For Niumatalolo, it has been repeated it for ten straight weeks, but it’s never been more true than now:
“We have to take care of the ball.”
Last week: five turnovers, a kickoff return allowed for a touchdown and momentum-killing mistakes.
“That’s normally a score of a lot to nothing,” Niumatalolo said bluntly.
San Diego State thrives on exactly those mistakes.
SJSU must also somehow, someway stop the Aztec run.
“If we play the way we’re capable of, we feel we can beat anybody in this league,” said Niumatalolo. “At the same time, our margin for error is zero.”
Gut-check time.
Saturday night will be a referendum.
On a staff in transition.
On leaders facing adversity.
On a locker room that spent the week in self-blame.
On whether San Jose State can still summon a complete performance despite everything.
At this point, the moment to find that best is now — or not at all.
