This is the Depth Dossier: the San José State Spartans, Week 9.

San José State's defense gave the fans everything to cheer, and the offense still found a way to come up short, falling 21 to 16 to New Mexico.

The Spartans actually came out hot, driving thirteen plays to open the game for a field goal and a 3 to nothing lead. But that was about as good as it got. San José State got into the red zone three separate times and walked away with three field goals and zero touchdowns. Kicker Trajan Sinatra was perfect, hitting from 25, 24 and 28 yards, which tied his career high, but that's your kicker bailing out your offense, not a sign of health.

Quarterback Luke Weaver threw for 190 yards and connected with wide receiver Carson Clark eight times for 91 yards, but he also threw two interceptions, and the run game was basically nonexistent, a season-low 1.4 yards per carry. Defensive back Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa gave the Spartans a jolt with an 89-yard interception returned for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to five points with under eleven minutes left. But the final two possessions ended in a turnover on downs and then an interception in the end zone, and that was the game.

Let's talk about that run game, because it's the root of everything. Thirty five carries for just 48 yards is a season low, and it made San José State's offense completely predictable. Weaver himself finished with minus 22 rushing yards, partly because of three sacks. When you can't run the ball at all, a defense can just tee off on the pass, and that's exactly what happened.

The red zone problem isn't new, either. Before this game, the Spartans had scored touchdowns on just seven of sixteen red-zone trips in conference play. Three more field goals this week just continues that trend.

Here's the part that'll really frustrate fans. San José State actually won the turnover battle three to two, picking off New Mexico's quarterback three times, their most interceptions in a game since last October, also against New Mexico. Defensive back Dylan Lee got his third interception of the season, and defensive back Brian Dukes Junior got his first since joining the program. None of it mattered, because the offense couldn't finish the job. The Spartans also went just five for thirteen on third down, which lines up with a season-long third down conversion rate that ranks near the bottom of the country.

No injuries have been confirmed from this game, so let's talk about who's stepping up. Carson Clark caught eight passes for 91 yards, now nine straight games with at least five catches. He's clearly Weaver's number one target, accounting for nearly half the team's passing yardage again. If the run game stays stuck around a yard and a half a carry, expect Weaver to keep feeding him even more.

On defense, Tagovailoa-Amosa's pick-six was his first career interception, and it's the kind of play that should put him in the conversation as a difference-maker alongside Lee. Dukes' first interception since arriving is a smaller story, but it's a good sign for depth in the secondary.

The bigger question heading into next week is the same one from last week. Can the offensive line give Weaver anything to work with on the ground? A season-low rushing performance, with the quarterback himself a net negative runner, suggests the answer is still no. Nothing is official, but if those red-zone trips keep ending in field goals instead of touchdowns, expect some real scrutiny on the run-blocking rotation and the short-yardage play-calling going forward.

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