SJSU’s Josh Love thought he might be the Pokes next QB … they chose another guy instead

LAS VEGAS -- Josh Love remembers Googling "Laramie, Wyoming."

He thought he was heading there for college. He thought he was going to be the Cowboys next quarterback. He thought he might actually be landing his first Division-I scholarship offer.

He even looked into meal plans, dorm rooms and the team's roster.

Then, the phone stopped ringing, texts stopped coming and the area code 307 all but vanished from his phone.

"They decided to go a different route," said Love, San Jose State's third-year starting quarterback. "They decided to go with a junior college guy instead."

That guy was Josh Allen. And in hindsight, Love says Wyoming made the right decision.

"I would've come and played with Josh Allen," Love laughed as he sat behind a table at Mountain West Media Days Tuesday morning in Las Vegas.

Love might have even played, too.

Remember, Allen shattered his collar bone in his first start, missing the entire 2016 season. Over in San Jose, the walk-on from Mission Viejo, Calif., was starting his career for the Spartans. He appeared in all 12 games that season, completing just 5 of 31 passes for 392 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Not great numbers, but he was on the field.

"That was a growing year, for sure," he said.

Since that forgettable freshman campaign, Love has amassed 2,891 yards in just 16 games. He has tossed 19 touchdown passes. Love was on track for a big season in 2018. That is until his line let him get hit one too many times in a dismal 2-10 campaign. Love missed the last four games of the season.

Tuesday, he was all smiles. The chip on his shoulder is evident, too. He isn't upset with Wyoming or the coaches who stopped ringing, he is upset with college football -- just like Allen was.

Despite throwing for 3,199 yards and 41 touchdowns at Long Beach Poly High School, no one wanted him. No one thought he was worth a scholarship. No one gave him a shot.

Sound familiar?

"I know I am where I'm supposed to be," Love said. "Things worked out the way they were supposed to."

The Spartans have won just seven games over the last three seasons. Back-to-back 1-11 campaigns was not exactly on Love's to-do list. But, he's optimistic. Love gained a lot of confidence in 2018, he said. Some of that even came in Laramie.

Love went 19-for-32 during that cold, snowy November day. He threw a touchdown pass with 8:48 to play. If the extra point would've went through the uprights, it could've been a seven-point contest. But, it didn't and the Pokes hammered down their second straight win when Sean Chambers hit Austin Fort on a 20-yard scoring strike.

"It was crazy playing in snow," Love said. "I literally have never been in snow. I've stood in snow, but have never seen it coming down."

Maybe he wasn't cut out for Laramie anyway? Especially if he thought that was snow -- or cold.

"Yeah, maybe not," Love laughed.