[Embo]

I remember the 1975 game. I was 12 years old, really getting into football. I remember hundreds of Stanford players over the years, but just a handful of SJSU players...all from this time period. Kim Bokamper (LB/DE), and Wilson Faumina (DE/NT) were both first round picks. They had Rick Kane, a really good running back, 3rd round. DeBerg at QB, of course, and two OLs who were drafted. Good receiver Jim LeJay. Darryl Rogers, in his third and final year before he moved on to coach the Lions.

Stanford was ranked #18 going into that game. SJSU was 3-0, finished 9-2 that season, ranked #20 at one point. Very close game, 36-34, SJSU won.

Ok, please forgive me for this indulgent post. The 1975 game was my first as a freshman, happening during freshman orientation.  Yes, Stanford had a record of 0-1-1 but was ranked #18 (back then, the list only extended to the top 20).  The ranking was due to a 19-19 tie vs Michigan in the Big House the week prior.  

The game vs. SJSU was on ABC (back in those days, a school could be on TV for only two regular season games.)  Mike Cordova started, SJSU pulled way ahead, and by the second half Guy Benjamin came in.  He valiantly brought the score close but ran out of time.  The next home game, the Stanford Band pregame show made the formation "27-3" explaining that was the second half scoring and played Carol King's song "It's too late", mocking Jack Christiansen's insistence on going with Cordova. 

Speaking of bad decisions, and Michigan:  Stanford usually would not schedule the first two games at home, as school was not in session.  In September 1976, Michigan was to play in Palo Alto as part of the home and home.  But Michigan offered to switch the game back to the Big House, offering then AD Joe Ruetz a sellout crowd and more $$.  Ruetz took the bait, even though this meant only 4 home games at Stanford.  The result?  A 0-49 shellacking, which, along with Christiansen's starting Cordova, led to his firing at the end.  The silver lining to all this was the hiring of Bill Walsh.

[Embo]

I remember the 1975 game. I was 12 years old, really getting into football. I remember hundreds of Stanford players over the years, but just a handful of SJSU players...all from this time period. Kim Bokamper (LB/DE), and Wilson Faumina (DE/NT) were both first round picks. They had Rick Kane, a really good running back, 3rd round. DeBerg at QB, of course, and two OLs who were drafted. Good receiver Jim LeJay. Darryl Rogers, in his third and final year before he moved on to coach the Lions.

Stanford was ranked #18 going into that game. SJSU was 3-0, finished 9-2 that season, ranked #20 at one point. Very close game, 36-34, SJSU won.

Ok, please forgive me for this indulgent post. The 1975 game was my first as a freshman, happening during freshman orientation.  Yes, Stanford had a record of 0-1-1 but was ranked #18 (back then, the list only extended to the top 20).  The ranking was due to a 19-19 tie vs Michigan in the Big House the week prior.  

The game vs. SJSU was on ABC (back in those days, a school could be on TV for only two regular season games.)  Mike Cordova started, SJSU pulled way ahead, and by the second half Guy Benjamin came in.  He valiantly brought the score close but ran out of time.  The next home game, the Stanford Band pregame show made the formation "27-3" explaining that was the second half scoring and played Carol King's song "It's too late", mocking Jack Christiansen's insistence on going with Cordova. 

Speaking of bad decisions, and Michigan:  Stanford usually would not schedule the first two games at home, as school was not in session.  In September 1976, Michigan was to play in Palo Alto as part of the home and home.  But Michigan offered to switch the game back to the Big House, offering then AD Joe Ruetz a sellout crowd and more $$.  Ruetz took the bait, even though this meant only 4 home games at Stanford.  The result?  A 0-49 shellacking, which, along with Christiansen's starting Cordova, led to his firing at the end.  The silver lining to all this was the hiring of Bill Walsh.