Aug. 31, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU NOTES vs. USD | KICKOFF LUNCHEON
Aztecs Look To Extend Regular-Season Home Win Streak Against USD
* San Diego State opens its 93rd season of football, 48th at the Division I level, the 17th as a member of the Mountain West and the fifth under head coach Rocky Long on Saturday, Sept. 5, against San Diego (USD).
* For the first time in the 17-year history of the Mountain West, San Diego State is picked to win the West Division of the league (Aztecs were picked to finish second in both 2014 and 2013). The Aztecs have finished at or higher that the preseason poll in each of the previous six seasons.
* The Aztecs have won eight consecutive regular-season home games and posted a perfect 6-0 regular-season home record at Qualcomm Stadium last season. It is the longest regular-season home win streak for SDSU since a 16-game streak from Oct. 16, 1976 through Nov. 5, 1978.
* The two universities are located just 9.4 miles apart and are both close to Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego State is 3.5 miles away, USD is 5.1 miles from the venue). Among all games involving at least one FBS team in the opening weekend, this is the closest to the venue for both teams. The next closest is Fordham and Army, with both schools located within 37 miles of West Point.
* San Diego State has advanced to a school-record five consecutive bowl games, and is one of only 27 schools nationally and one of just three from a "Group of 5" conference (also Boise State and Northern Illinois).
* From the state of California, only SDSU and Stanford have played in five consecutive bowl games.
* This marks just the second football contest played between the schools. The Aztecs claimed a 42-12 victory over the Toreros at Aztec Bowl on Nov. 18, 1961.
* San Diego State is 47-40-5 all-time in season openers, including a 22-23-1 mark in the Division I era. The Aztecs are 19-6-1 since 1969 (Division I era) when the lidlifter is at home. SDSU is looking to win its season opener for the second consecutive season.
* Aztec head coach Rocky Long enters his fifth season as head coach and seventh year on The Mesa. The Mountain West's all-time winningest coach, Long has guided SDSU to 32 victories in his first four seasons, which is the second-highest total in school history.
* San Diego State had 19 student-athletes receive preseason honors, including seven that are on watch lists for national position awards - junior defensive lineman Alex Barrett, senior offensive lineman Darrell Greene, senior placekicker Donny Hageman, junior cornerback Damontae Kazee, junior running back Donnel Pumphrey, senior offensive lineman Pearce Slater and senior cornerback J.J. Whittaker.
Ticket Information / Saturday Details
* Individual-game tickets start at $15 and are available 24 hours a day at GoAztecs.com. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Qualcomm Stadium ticket office (Monday-through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., day of the game, the ticket office opens at noon).
* The game serves as the annual SkyShow game with a spectacular firework display following the game. This is the 12th consecutive season SDSU has hosted the event, and the Aztecs have averaged 49,900 fans for the games affiliated with the event.
* The Aztecs opening-night opponent, USD, owns a 34-11 record since the beginning of the 2011 campaign. That is third-highest winning percentage among school's that have played all of their games at the FCS level during that time span.