It has been a cake walk for the Oregon Ducks through the first two weeks of the regular season, as their opponents in the first two games (Bowling Green and Portland State) have served as sacrificial lambs for head coach Mario Cristobal’s bunch en route to their 2-0 start. The road to 3-0 doesn’t figure to get much bumpier with the Ducks set to play host to the San Jose State Spartans of the Mountain West Conference this Saturday.

Under the direction of current headman and former Oregon State wide receivers coach Brett Brennan, the Spartans have struggled to a 2-13 record in Brennan’s two years as head coach, which includes losses in 2018 to FCS opponent UC Davis (44-38) and Washington State (31-0). Though notching a 3-0 start for a second straight season appears to be a near certainty for Oregon, it won’t keep us at WFOD from providing you with an up close and personal look at San Jose State and what the Ducks can expect from the Spartans on Saturday afternoon.

Below is your San Jose State primer…

San Jose State Spartans

2018 record: 0-2 overall
Last game: 31-0 loss at Washington State
Ranking: N/A
All-time record vs. Oregon: 6-12
When and where to watch: Saturday, Sept. 15 at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific), Pac-12 Network

Items of note:

• Saturday’s contest between Oregon and San Jose State will be the first game between the two teams since 1998. That year, the then No. 22-ranked Ducks defeated the Spartans 58-3. Oddly enough, the Spartans were led at quarterback by current Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, who at the time was only the third freshman in school history to start at quarterback for SJSU.
• Arroyo served as both a player (’98-’02) and an assistant (’03, ’05-’08) at San Jose State, though he’s not the only member of the Oregon coaching staff with previous experience coaching the Spartans. Oregon running backs coach Jim Mastro (’96), defensive line coach Joe Salave’a (’08-’09), and cornerbacks coach Donte Williams (’13-’15) have each held posts as SJSU assistants as well.
• But wait, there’s even more coaching crossover between the two schools! Current Spartans offensive line coach Joe Bernardi was a graduate assistant at Oregon from 2013 through 2015.
• The Spartans travel to Eugene seeking their first win over a current Pac-12 Conference member in 12 years. San Jose State is 0-12 since defeating Stanford, 35-34, on September 9, 2006.

Five San Jose State names you should know:

5. Bailey Gaither (WR)

After leading the Spartans in touchdown receptions a season ago (4), the junior wideout from Paso Robles, Calif. is off to another promising start in 2018. In the Spartans’ season opener versus UC Davis, Gaither recorded a career-high in receiving yards (137) and tied a career-high in touchdown catches (2), positioning himself in the early portion of the season as one of San Jose State’s most reliable receiving options. A dynamic player who has also starred on special teams throughout his career in San Jose, the 6-foot-1, 178-pound Gaither will look to continue his encouraging early play against the most athletic secondary he has faced to date.

4. Montel Aaron (QB)

Though he didn’t earn the start in the Spartans’ season opener versus UC Davis, sophomore quarterback Montel Aaron was impressive in relief of junior Josh Love, completing 68.4 percent of his passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort. Though he would come back to earth on the road versus Washington State the following week (13-of-25 for 94 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs), Aaron is perhaps the most physically gifted of all the quarterbacks on the San Jose State roster. At 6-foot-5 and 199 pounds, Aaron will be among the biggest quarterbacks the Ducks face this season, possessing a skill set that could see him develop into promising player for the Spartans by the time his collegiate career comes to an end. As a redshirt freshman a year ago, Aaron set the school record for most touchdown passes thrown by a freshman quarterback with eight.

3. Owen “Boogie” Roberts (NT)

If we’re being honest, there isn’t much to write home about defensively for San Jose State. Entering Saturday’s game versus Oregon, the Spartans lay claim to what is statistically speaking the second-to-worst pass defense in the entire country, surrendering 433 yards per game through the air. Up front, however, San Jose State is experienced – particularly along the defensive line where the Spartans boast three seniors with a combined 64 career starts. Headlining the group is Owen “Boogie” Roberts, a 6-foot-2, 289-pound nose tackle who entered 2018 as SJSU’s top returning defender in terms of career tackles for loss (14.5). Though he figures to have his hands full going up against Oregon’s experienced and massive offensive line, he will be the player commanding the bulk of the attention in the defensive trenches.

2. Bryce Crawford (K/P)

Kickers are people too, and one of the most pivotal individuals on the San Jose State roster is senior kicking specialist Bryce Crawford. We use the words “kicking specialist” with regard to Crawford due to the fact that the Frisco (Texas) native doubles as the Spartans’ placekicker and punter, excelling in both areas. As a kicker, Crawford is both the San Jose State single-season and career record holder for the most field goals made from 50 yards or more after converting five such field goals last season. A Lou Groza semifinalist in 2017, Crawford also holds the distinction as the most accurate kicker in school history, having converted 32 of 39 field goal attempts (82.1%) for his career. This season, in his first full season as the Spartans’ punter, Crawford is averaging 42.3 yards per punt.

1. Josh Oliver (TE)

For the second straight week the Ducks will face an inferior opponent with a superior tight end. This week, Oregon draws San Jose State senior Josh Oliver, a Mackey Award Watch Lister who also serves as the featured weapon in the Spartans’ offense. Standing 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Oliver is a versatile athlete who is a big, reliable target for the Spartans in the passing game. Oliver enjoyed a breakout season in 2017 after he finished second on the team in receptions (35), and is off to a strong start this season, as he currently leads all FBS tight ends with 13 receptions for 137 yards. With 24 career starts to his name, Oliver is the most experienced player for the Spartans on offense.