SAN JOSE STATE FOOTBALL
Winning is Contagious — Looking for More!

San Jose State University is coming off its first winning season since 2000 and its first post-season bowl game victory since 1990, as the champions of the inaugural New Mexico Bowl. More than 40 returning letter winners, including 15 starters, are back from a squad that posted a 9-4 record and seek the university's first back-to-back winning records in 15 years and first Western Athletic Conference championship since joining the conference in 1996.

For the first time in Dick Tomey's San Jose State head coaching tenure, he can point to players, call them "incumbents" (who are familiar with a system), who have savored success at the Division I-A level.

"Facing the toughest schedule since we've been here, we have to be greatly improved. We're working hard to make that happen," says Tomey, who is in his third seasons at San Jose State. Five teams, starting with September non-conference opponents Arizona State and Kansas State, played in 2006 bowl games.

As one of the most improved defensive teams in the country, there is proven quality at the core, led by linebacker Matt Castelo (5-11, 215, SR, 3V) and reaching to the perimeter with, arguably, one of the best cornerback tandems in the country in Dwight Lowery (6-1, 195, SR, 1V) and Christopher Owens (5-10, 170, JR, 2V). Castelo, the nation's top returning tackler, was a second-team All-Western Athletic Conference choice and the New Mexico Bowl's Defensive "Most Valuable Player."

San Jose State does return 10 of its 12 rotating defensive linemen from 2006. Ends Justin Cole (6-3, 240, SO, 1V), a 2006 honorable mention freshman All-American, and Jarron Gilbert (6-5, 275, JR, 2V), whose 5.0 quarterback sacks led the team, had the most playing time.

On offense, the Spartans feature a record-setting quarterback, Adam Tafralis (6-1, 223, SR, 3V), who completed 65.6 percent of his passes and finished 11th nationally in passing efficiency in a 2006 break-out season. Two-time second-team All-WAC choice Yonus Davis (5-7, 185, SR, 3V) tops a group of six returning running backs. Davis averaged 6.28 yards per carry, rushing for 1007 yards in 2006 and 6.72 yards per try in 2005. Patrick Perry, second on the team in rushing with 444 yards, topped the team with seven rushing touchdowns.

The ball handlers surround a group of offensive linemen led by two-year starting center Justin Paysinger (6-1, 290, JR, 2V) and three-year starter John Booker (6-4, 335, SR, 3V).

Jeff Clark (6-5, 250, SR, 1V) tops a group of returning tight ends. Jalal Beauchman (6-4, 200, SO, 1V) and Michael Hooper (5-9, 163, SR, SQ), who played sparingly last year, are first in line to get time at the wide receiver positions vacated by three seniors.

"Coming off a nine-win season, we had to get our guys to understand that we are building an entirely new team. It has to be built one practice at a time." says the San Jose State head coach. "Each team is different. You can't assume anything.

"We expect to be a better team than a year ago, but there is a lot of work to make that a reality," concludes Tomey.