For San Jose State offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, there was no hiding it. Saturday's game against the University of Hawai‘i means just a little bit more to the former Rainbow Warrior player and coach.
"You'd like to say every game is the same but there's a little bit of extra oomph to want to win this one," said Stutzmann, who was also a standout receiver at Saint Louis. "That's where we're from, born and raised, played there, coached there, and it's the Dick Tomey Legacy game. There's a lot of tie-ins to this game. But at the same time, too, the way that we treat it is just another game. They're all the same. You don't get a bonus point."
Saturday's matchup between Hawai‘i (6-2, 3-1 Mountain West) and San Jose State (2-5, 1-2), which kicks off at 4:30 p.m. HST on Saturday at CEFCU Stadium, will be a pivotal game for each team in achieving their current goals for the season. A win for the Rainbow Warriors would keep them in Mountain West championship game contention, while San Jose State's bowl hopes would improve with a win.
The game between the Rainbow Warriors and Spartans will be for the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy. Tomey was Hawai‘i's head coach from 1977 to 1986, as well as San Jose State's head coach from 2005 to 2009.
In addition to Tomey, the connections between the 'Bows and Spartans run deep. San Jose State head coach Ken Niumatalolo is a Hawai‘i alum and Lāʻie native. Meanwhile, former Hawai‘i standout offensive lineman John Estes is SJSU's O-line coach, while former UH receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann is the wide receivers coach for the Spartans. Furthermore, analyst Kolney Cassel was a backup quarterback for Hawai‘i in 2018.
San Jose State's roster has five players who graduated from a Hawai‘i high school in Tama Amisone (Kapolei), receiver Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa (Kahuku), offensive lineman Laakea Kapoi (Saint Louis), tight end Kamaehu Kopa-Kaawalauole (Campbell) and defensive lineman Quicy Likio (Saint Louis). Spartans linebacker Champ Kapanui is the son of UH quarterbacks coach Chad Kapanui for good measure.
"Very respectful of their program, the coaches in the program, a lot of Hawaii ties, guys that we call brothers," said Hawai‘i head coach Timmy Chang, whose father, Levi, was Niumatalolo's junior varsity basketball coach at Radford. "We love to see them do good. They know what we do and we kind of understand what they do."
Both offenses run modern variations of the run-and-shoot, the offense that former Hawai‘i coach June Jones brought to the Islands from 1999 to 2007.
Pieces of the run-and-shoot offense are evident in Stutzmann's own offensive philosophy, which he calls the spread-and-shred offense. Stutzmann's mind for offense has earned him praise in each of his coaching stops, which have included stints at Washington State, Utah Tech and Texas State in addition to UH and San Jose State. In 2025, both Stutzmann brothers have overseen the development of Spartans sophomore Danny Scudero into one of the country's top receivers. The 5-foot-9 slotback has 870 yards and eight touchdowns on 56 receptions.
As Craig Stutzmann prepares to coach against his alma mater for the first time, he acknowledged the progress the 'Bows have made under defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. In Stutzmann's eyes, the UH defense is the backbone behind their 6-2 start.
"Defensively, that's where they hang their hat. I don't know Dennis Thurman. I never met him, but I got a lot of respect for him," Stutzmann said. "What he was able to do last year and turn that defense around, and this year, they're really good. They don't do a lot, but what they do, they know it like the back of their hands. They play hard. They play fast, they're physical, they're going after the football. I really think that's the heartbeat of their team, is defense. It really sets the tone for how they play as a team. It's gonna be a tall task and a good challenge for us but we'll be up to it."
Historically, San Jose State has a 23-22-1 advantage over the Rainbow Warriors. While the rivalry is close on paper, the Spartans have had Hawai‘i's number on the field, winning four straight over the 'Bows. In the most recent matchup between the teams in 2023, San Jose State walloped the Rainbow Warriors 35-0 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex behind former UH quarterback Chevan Cordeiro.
UH redshirt freshman quarterback Micah Alejado wasn't on the team at the team at the time, but he was at the game on a visit.
"I think some of the guys still have that taste in their mouth," he said. "So, it's one of the games I want to get back."
It's been over 30 years since Niumatalolo last coached with Hawai‘i as a graduate assistant in 1994. As he continued to climb the coaching ranks, which included 15 full seasons as Navy's head coach, his heart remained in the Islands.
"That's still my home. It's gonna be exciting to play them and play Timmy, especially since he's doing a really good job. Really proud of him. To be honest with you, I watch them a lot and pull for them a lot. If they're not playing us, I'm always pulling for the University of Hawai‘i. That's my school. Just not this week. Every other week, I'm pulling for the Rainbow Warriors," he said.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
