Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State vs. San Jose State - The Rivalry Continues
11/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 21, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State makes the short trip to Spartan Stadium on Friday in preparation for its annual showdown with rival San Jose State. The two teams tangle for the 67th time on Saturday at 2 p.m. in San Jose, Calif., a game that will be televised by KFRE WB 59 (cable 5).
It will mark yet another chapter in a series that began in 1921, the first year the Bulldogs had a Division I football program. SJSU has a narrow 32-31-3 all-time lead over Fresno State, although the Bulldogs have won the last eight in a row.
"The San Jose State-Fresno State rivalry is very special," head coach Pat Hill said. "It goes back a lot of years and has involved a lot of really good players. We had some real wars in the '80's, when every year it seemed like the winner of the game won the conference. And a lot of people in the Valley feel very passionately about this game, just like the people over there, which makes it even more fun to be involved in."
Like all rivalries, the Fresno State-San Jose State series has featured several quirky notes and interesting tidbits. Here is a look at some of them:
- A win will allow Fresno State to tie the all-time series at 32-32-3, the first time the series will be knotted up since 1948, when it was 7-7-3.
- Saturday is the 67th meeting between the two schools, the most Fresno State has played against any school other than Pacific, which no longer sponsors a football team.
- The first meeting between San Jose State and Fresno State came in 1921, Fresno State's first year with a football program. The Spartans won that contest 14-2.
- The longest period of time the rivals have gone without playing each other was four years (1935-38).
- The two teams played each other every year from 1946-91.
- After the rivalry briefly stopped in 1991 after Fresno State left the Big West Conference for the WAC, the two teams tangled in 1994 and have played every year since 1996.
- Both teams have played a bowl game at the other's home facility. The Spartans participated in four California Bowls at Bulldog Stadium while the Bulldogs have battled in the Silicon Valley Football Classic at Spartan Stadium twice.
- Fresno State's eight consecutive wins over San Jose State is the longest streak of either wins or losses in series history.
Is Eight Enough?
Fresno State's eight consecutive victories over the Spartans is third-longest it has over any opponent. Here is a look at the other lengthy winning streaks the Bulldogs currently own:
No Name Streak Last Played1) Long Beach State* 11 1991 New Mexico State 11 19913) San Jose State 8 20014) Cal State Fullerton* 7 1991 Northern Arizona 7 1983 UC Davis 7 1952* no longer plays Division I-A football
