Sept. 29, 2014
SAN DIEGO -
MW West Division Favorites Meet Friday in "The Battle For The Oil Can"
• The two teams that were picked in the media poll to finish atop the West Division of the Mountain West meet in Fresno on Friday night when San Diego State plays at Fresno State. Announced kickoff time is 7 p.m. PT.
• In the preseason conference media poll, the Bulldogs were selected to win the league with 174 points (15 first-place votes), while the Aztecs were picked for second place with 172 points (15 first-place votes). The two points of separation was the closest of any two teams in either division of the preseason poll.
• San Diego State improved to 14-2 in its last 16 Mountain West games with a 34-17 victory over UNLV last Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium.
• The 17-point victory over the Rebels marked SDSU's largest margin of victory in a league game since defeating Air Force by 19 points on Nov. 10, 2012. San Diego State went 6-2 last year in league play, but didn't win a game by more than seven points.
• Saturday will mark the SDSU's fifth game against a team that advanced to postseason play in 2013 (four bowl games and one FCS playoffs). The Aztecs are one of just four teams in the country to play their first five games against 2013 postseason teams (Iowa State, South Carolina and USC).
• Rocky Long, the all-time Mountain West leader in coaching victories, owns 92 career wins. Now in his fourth season at SDSU, Long owns a 27-16 record, including an 18-6 league mark, with the Aztecs.
• Sophomore running back Donnel Pumphrey recorded his third 100-yard rushing game in four outings this season. His six career 100-yard rushing efforts rank 14th in school history. The Doak Walker candidate has nine rushing touchdowns this season (tied for second nationally) and 116.8 rushing yards per game (17th nationally).
• San Diego State has allowed just 83 points through four games this season (20.8 ppg, 38th nationally). That is the second-fewest points allowed through four games for an Aztec squad in the last 11 seasons (allowed 55 points in 2010). That is particularly impressive given SDSU's competition to date and the rash of injuries to the linebackers.
• What a difference a year makes. Through four games in 2013, SDSU was 1-3 with a scoring margin of -50 (SDSU 82, Opp. 132). This season, the Aztecs are 2-2, but with a scoring margin of +23 (SDSU 106, Opp. 83). Through four games, that is an improvement of 73 points in scoring margin.
• San Diego State is one of just nine teams in the nation not to have a lost fumble this season. The Aztecs were a +2 in the turnover category against UNLV on Saturday, winning for a ninth straight time when owning at least a two turnover advantage. For the season, SDSU is even in turnover margin after ranking 111th in the nation last season at -11.
• Since Sept. 28, 2013, San Diego State owns a 10-4 record, tied for the 24th-best record in the nation during that span. That record is tied for tops in the Mountain West with Colorado State.
• SDSU has advanced to four consecutive bowl games. The Aztecs join Stanford as the only football teams in California - FBS or NFL - to advance to the postseason in each of the past four seasons.
• Through four games, San Diego State has had 15 players make their first career start and 28 players see their first Division I game action. SDSU currently has four projected starters that are out due to injury - senior linebacker Derek Largent, junior linebacker Jake Fely, senior quarterback Quinn Kaehler and senior wide receiver Ezell Ruffin.