The visiting Cowboys would like nothing more than to fight a tough, hard-nosed ballgame in which the chains are moved at a leisurely pace. Meanwhile, the Mustangs want to get out and run in wide open spaces.

The workhorse for Salinas will be junior Alvin Jelks, who is second in rushing in the Tri-County Athletic League with 499 yards in five games.

"He has some real good strength and speed and he'll put his pads down and come after you," said Steve Goodbody, head coach of the 3-2 Cowboys. "But we expect Gilroy to come after him pretty good. We have to get our whole offense going."

Ironically, that's exactly what Gilroy wants too, albeit for different reasons.

"Our goal is to start fast, choke off the running game and make them throw the football," said Gilroy defensive coordinator Chris Vasseur.

Salinas quarterback Ryan Gregg, a receiver last season, has shown an ability to make plays with his legs, but his arm has been suspect. He currently has a 4-7 touchdown to interception ratio while completing just 20 of his 51 pass attempts for a total of 278 yards.

Last season, Salinas gave Gilroy one of its toughest games in the TCAL before falling by five, 23-18. Gilroy scored all of its points in the second quarter, which proved to be enough to hold on for the victory before eventually going undefeated in league. Gilroy is 4-0 this season and has hopes of repeating as flawless TCAL champs.

"Last year was a strange game," Mustangs head coach Rich Hammond said. "I think we had them two to one on yards, but we just didn't score."

Actually, Gilroy's 512 yards were only 111 more than what Salinas gained, but the Mustangs were clearly uncomfortable on offense the entire second half.

Goodbody credited his defensive coordinator for coming up with a good scheme, which the head coach is hoping for again.

"They have some great athletes, so we have to really contain their athleticism and speed," Goodbody said.

So far this season, the Cowboys have mainly been using a 3-4 base with tight man-to-man coverage over the top, according to Gilroy's coaches.

Along with possibly tight coverage, another thing the Mustangs will have to deal with is the distraction of Homecoming. Hammond said it's nothing new.

"You don't have control over what happens to you," he said. "You only have control over how react. So, it's as big a distraction as we make it."