San Jose State vs. Boise State: Keys to a Spartans victory

The San Jose State Spartans kick off Week 10 against No. 24 Boise State Broncos in Albertsons Stadium on Friday night.

San Jose State (3-6) is coming off its third win of the season. The Spartans started out 1-5 but have won two of their last three games against the Nevada Wolf Pack and UNLV Rebels.

Boise State (7-1) watched their perfect season come to an end after the Wyoming Cowboys handed the Broncos their first loss of the season.

The Broncos fell to 30-28 last Saturday after the Cowboys forced a safety with just over a minute remaining in the game. The loss dropped the Broncos' 11 spots to No. 24. It also made their path to both the conference championship and a New Years Six bowl much more difficult.

Boise State is a perfect 12-0 in the all-time series against San Jose State. Last year, the Broncos beat the Spartans 40-23.

Here are three keys to a SJSU victory this Friday.

Offense: Brett Rypien is still a talented quarterback. In addition, running back Jeremy McNichols has been unstoppable this season. The Spartans have to find a way to slow down the Broncos' offense. Last week, San Jose State took their shots and were able to connect to make some huge plays against UNLV. They need to do the same thing this week. Kenny Potter, Tre Hartley and Tim Crawley have been making good decisions lately, so the game should be a thriller.

Defense: Boise State is No. 46 in total defense, allowing 379.6 yards per game. Although the Spartans have been winning turnover battles for three straight weeks, defense is still a concern. Last week, San Jose State scored 21 unanswered points in the first half, but managed just one field goal in the second half. A breakdown cannot happen this week. The Spartans need to emphasize on open-field tackling in order to hold off the Broncos.

Special Teams: Broncos cornerback Jonathan Moxey is a real threat in the return game. Let's rewind a minute to when the Spartans lost to the San Diego State Aztecs 42-3 in Week 8. San Diego State used special teams that forced San Jose State into an unsatisfactory first half starting field position. Special teams account for 34 percent of all scoring in football games. Therefore, San Jose State needs to maintain good field position and keep their opponent in bad field position.

Can the Spartans get a win against an almost perfect Broncos team? Let me know in the comments.