Jose State Helps Season Into Yards

NCAA Football Betting Lines

After going 1-12 and 0-8 in the WAC in his first season with the Spartans in 2010, San Jose State improved drastically in 2011, going 5-7 and 3-4 in conference play.

"My family and I love living in San Jose. I'm very happy that President (Mohammad) Qayoumi and Tom Bowen are giving my staff and I the opportunity to continue building our program here at San Jose State. There's a belief that the program is headed in the right direction and this gives us the stability needed to build for the future," MacIntyre said.

The coaches basically had to attract players who would enter college at a higher level of competition than they would leave it. That could have alienated the Rams from some prospects whose aspirations rest with playing on the highest level of the FCS.

"To be candid, we've never beaten Villanova and William & Mary and James Madison and Delaware and those schools for kids anyway," Trainer said. "To me, it really hasn't changed much. You're trying to go and find diamonds in the rough and maybe go into some areas that other people don't necessarily go in there to pick kids.

"I think time with tell. A lot of times my analogy is always recruiting's like marriage - you don't know what you get until you're living it. A lot of those kids are going to be really good players."

Among the freshmen, linebacker Andrew Bose was particularly effective on special teams while winning URI's rookie of the year honors. Running back Assani Mudimbi had his redshirt taken off late in the season and showed promise, while offensive tackle Andrew Kestenbaum and defensive tackle Damen Vargas played well in reserve roles.

URI coaches are targeting offensive and defensive linemen as well as defensive backs as the focus of this year's recruiting class because they are areas of concern due to graduation.

With fewer scholarships, but a chance to have more impact players in the NEC than the CAA, the Rams can be selective in recruiting. As Keith Croft, the veteran head coach of Rhode Island's top-ranked 2011 high school team, Division I state champion Bishop Hendricksen in Warwick, points out, the Rams don't necessarily have to find talent that possibly slipped through the FBS cracks. They can focus on players ready to be performers on the FCS level.

"I think they're going to be more selective. I think they're probably going to look for some kids that academically will be a little stronger than they've had in the past.

Although URI has posted only three winning records in the last 26 seasons - it was 3-8 last season - NEC coaches fully expect the Rams to be a strong program in their conference. The Rams will have an instant rivalry upstate with Bryant University.

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