5 Things to Watch: Aztecs looking to finish with a flourish in season finale against Air Force (original) (raw)
San Diego State coach Sean Lewis says each contest in a 12-game regular season is precious.
That’s because after hundreds of workouts and meetings and endless hours of preparation, it all boils down to just a dozen occasions to test yourself on the field.
SDSU (3-8, 2-4 Mountain West) its final test of 2024 needing a victory against Air Force (4-7, 2-4) to end a five-game losing streak and match last year’s win total.
A loss would leave the Aztecs with their worst record since a 2-10 finish in 2008.
“A great opportunity here to end this season the right way, send our seniors out the right way,” said Lewis, adding, “We’ve got to do a great job handling the adversity that we’re in right now and continue to build the character of our team, of ourselves, of our identity, and end this thing the right way.”
The Aztecs are 3 1/2-point underdogs coming into the game at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. for a game that will air on Fox Sports 1.
Here are five things to watch:
1. Aztecs’ opening drive
SDSU has one more opportunity to get off to an “AztecFAST” start after failing to score on its opening possession in all 11 games this season.
Eight drives ended with punts, two ended on downs and one was stopped by an interception. Average drive: five plays, 16 yards.
The Aztecs came very, very close to a score last week at Utah State, advancing to the Aggies’ 1-yard line before losing three yards on a fourth-down screen pass.
It’s been at least 25 years since SDSU went an entire season without scoring on its first possession.
2. Tackling the triple option
Air Force annually ranks among the nation’s rushing leaders with a triple-option offense that gives opponents fits because it provides such a contrast to most offenses face week to week.
The Falcons are rushing for 213.3 yards a game, which ranks 12th in the nation. That’s low for them. It’s also a bit misleading. Air Force struggled early as new personnel acclimated to the offense. Most notable was quarterback Quentin Hayes, who did not start until midseason.
The Falcons rushed 67 times for 318 yards (they were 0-for-3 passing) in last week’s win over Nevada. It marked the team’s third straight victory. A win over Fresno State included 80 carries for 358 yards and the win over Oregon State included 66 carries for 270 yards.
“It’s obviously something you don’t see every week,” SDSU defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt said after a midweek practice. “It’s really important that we do a really good job of trying to resemble what it’s going to look like on Saturday night, as much as we can.
“That’s the thing, we’ve got to get settled in quickly. Every time we’ve played option teams, that first drive is way faster than it is during the week, and it takes a little to see what they need to see every play and the speed of the game.”
Schmidt said keys are being “real disciplined with our eyes, being great tacklers and every single play doing our job.”
One more note: Air Force used the pass as an element of surprise against the Beavers, with Hayes going 5-for-5 for 110 yards. That shouldn’t be a surprise to SDSU. The Aztecs were burned for 53- and 54-yard touchdown passes by the Falcons in last year’s 49-10 loss.
3. Penalties
As might be expected of a service academy program, Air Force is among the most disciplined teams in the nation with only 3.3 penalties a game. That average ranks second in the nation for fewest penalties; Iowa, at 3.2 per game, is the best.
On the other hand, SDSU is tied with New Mexico for most penalties in the nation with an average of 9.4 per game. The Aztecs were whistled for 13 penalties (one was offsetting, so they totaled 12) last week, most of them along the offensive line.
4. Last chance
With 11 games in the books, the Aztecs have one more chance for a complete performance.
They really haven’t put together four good quarters in a game this season.
The offense has been limited to a touchdown or less in the first half of four games and a touchdown or less in the second half of five games while producing 21.5 points a game (112th).
The defense is allowing 332.6 yards per game, which ranks 114th in the nation. It was able to keep most scores manageable — except for the 56 points (including an interception returned for a TD) scored by Boise State.
That was before allowing 41 points in back-to-back road losses to UNLV and Utah State, which has pushed points allowed to 25.5 a game (99th).
What does Lewis want to see the Aztecs do with this last opportunity?
“I want us to do the simple things better,” Lewis said. “I want us to communicate as good as we have. I want us to play with the best fundamentals that we have. I want us to play with the most passion, the most fight, that we have all year long.
“We do those simple things better, and I think the results will be better.”
5. So long, seniors
The Aztecs will honor 24 seniors before the game, including seven players who have been with the program their entire college careers — running backs Jaylon Armstead and Nick Gardinera, cornerbacks Arnold Escano and Joshua Goynes, defensive lineman Keion Mitchell, wide receiver Mekhi Shaw and longsnapper Ryan Wintermeyer.
Shaw was a walk-on from Scripps Ranch High School who earned a scholarship midway through his career. He is among 12 starters in the group, along with defensive tackle Tupu Alualu, running back Marquez Cooper, tight end Mikey Harrison, defensive end Marlem Louis, safety Deshawn McCuin, linebacker Kyle Moretti, cornerback Bryce Phillips, punter Tyler Pastula, wide receiver Ja’Shaun Poke, offensive lineman Nate Williams and tight end Jude Wolfe.
Last week, Cooper became one of 23 players to rush for more than 5,000 career yards. He comes into the game with 5,036 yards and could move up to 18th place all-time if he matches his 107-yard season average against the Falcons.
The other seniors being honored are wide receiver Nate Bennett, safety JD Coffey II and William Nimmo, kicker Nick Lopez, linebacker Cody Moon and offensive lineman Myles Murao.
Originally Published: November 29, 2024 at 11:35 AM PST