Adam Tafralis (6-1, 219, Jr.) has emerged as a big star this season, leading
the San Jose State Spartans to a 6-2 record heading into this weekend.
Tafralis has the Spartans bowl eligible for the first time since 2000.
Tafralis has connected on 67.68% of his passes, hitting 122 of 180 passes for
1,407 yards. There are only nine Division I-A quarterbacks in the nation
with a higher completion percentage than Tafralis. Tafralis has thrown 11
touchdowns against only five interceptions. He was 28-35 with three
touchdown passes against Washington of the Pac-10 in a 35-29 loss. James Jones caught 9 passes for 130 yards and John Broussard 8 for 83.
Tafralis also engineered a 35-34 win over nearby Stanford. His play has
been one of the key reasons the Spartans have enjoyed a tremendous year so
far. He is not much of a threat to run, with only 15 attempts in the eight
games. What he has done is been highly precise in his passes.
Tafralis has also gotten considerable help from his offensive line, which has
allowed just eight sacks all season long. That statistic gives a hint that
the Broncos will not be able to get to Tafralis easy. It will be
imperative for the Boise State corners to play the dangerous Spartan receivers
tight and especially limit yards after the catch.
Can Tafralis come through with all the pressure on? Two years ago as a
freshman, Tafralis nearly led San Jose State to what would have been a major
upset of Boise State, taking the Broncos to two overtimes before losing.
So the fact that he's become one of the top quarterbacks in the country is no surprise
at all to Boise State. But don't expect the Bronco defense to watch in awe
Saturday--they'll do everything possible to make the evening a rough one for San
Jose's golden boy.