Big Victories by a Whisker

Maybe it’s by the hair on Coach Dave Baldwin’s chin, but the San Jose State football team has won its past two games. And although Baldwin, Cal State Northridge’s coach from 1995-96, said he loathes his whiskers, he’s hoping they continue to grow.

“I hate it, but it’s not coming off now,” said Baldwin, whose Spartans upset No. 24 Air Force on Saturday, 25-22, on national television. “I’ve never had hair on my chin for more than three days, but people keep coming up to me and talking about it.”

Baldwin began growing the goatee about 10 days ago for good luck, copying his son Sean, a senior linebacker at Willow Glen High in San Jose, whose team was undefeated.

Now, after San Jose State knocked off Texas-El Paso and Air Force, Spartan players and boosters are beginning to shave selectively.

“It was a huge victory for San Jose State,” Baldwin said. “We hadn’t been on national TV for 10 years and to beat a ranked team at home was the right step at the right time.”

One player who helped the Spartans take that step was freshman receiver Waking Bailey, an All-Valley player from Kennedy High who caught seven passes for 97 yards and returned a kickoff 33 yards despite playing with an injured shoulder.