Dec. 15, 2012
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Poinsettia Bowl Notes vs. Brigham Young
Aztec Football Set for Brigham Young in 2012 Poinsettia Bowl
Having secured its first conference championship since 1998, San Diego State will play in a bowl game for an unprecedented third consecutive year when it faces long-time rival Brigham Young in the 2012 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 20 at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Aztecs, who make their second appearance in the bowl game in the last three seasons, carry a seven-game winning streak into the contest. It is tied for the fourth-longest active win streak in the nation, is the longest SDSU winning streak since a similar streak from Nov. 15, 1980-Oct. 10, 1981 and is the longest win streak contained in a single-season since 1977. San Diego State's last loss came on Sept. 29 (82 days ago on game day).
The Aztecs put their finishing touches on their share of the Mountain West title by winning at Wyoming, 42-28, on Nov. 24.
SDSU, which was picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West preseason poll after losing four players to the NFL Draft, were well represented on the all-conference team selected earlier this month. Head coach Rocky Long, the all-time winningest coach in league history, was named conference coach of the year for the second time in his career. Senior offensive guard Nik Embernate, junior tight end Gavin Escobar and senior cornerback Leon McFadden earned first-team all-league honors. Junior safety Nat Berhe, sophomore linebacker Jake Fely, senior center Alec Johnson and sophomore running back Adam Muema each garnered second-team accolades. Sophomore linebacker Derek Largent, junior offensive tackle Bryce Quigley and sophomore defensive tackle Sam Meredith earned honorable mention honors.
This is the 11th all-time bowl game for the program and the seventh since moving to the Division I ranks prior to the 1969 season. As previously mentioned, this is the first time in its 90-season history that San Diego State has advanced to a bowl game in three consecutive seasons.