NEWS AND NOTES (entering 2018 season)
* The only two football teams in the state of California - college or pro - to advance to postseason play each of the last eight seasons meet on Friday when San Diego State opens its 96th season, 50th at the Division I level and eighth under the direction of head coach Rocky Long.
* San Diego State is one of seven schools nationally to win at least 10 games each of the last three seasons. The other schools are Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin. (entire list with records can be found on page four on the left column).
* SDSU and Stanford are two of just 17 teams nationally to advance to a bowl game each of the last eight seasons. The Aztec-Cardinal matchup is one of only three during Week 1 to feature teams that have played in a bowl game eight straight years.
* Since the beginning of the 2015 campaign, San Diego State has won 32 games. That is the sixth-highest win total nationally during that span, trailing only Alabama (41), Clemson (40), Ohio State (35), Oklahoma (34) and Wisconsin (34).
* The Aztecs are coming off a 10-3 season in which they advanced to a school-record eighth consecutive bowl game.
* San Diego State returns 16 starters (7 offense (including all five offensive linemen), 7 defense and 2 kickers).
* Thirteen different Aztec players received preseason accolades, with eight players (senior PK John Baron II, senior QB Christian Chapman, senior LB Ronley Lakalaka, junior TE Kahale Warring, junior RB/KR/PR Juwan Washington, sophomore WAR Tariq Thompson, sophomore RG Keith Ismael and sophomore LT Tyler Roemer) on watch lists for national honors or named first-team all-conference.
* Head coach Rocky Long, the all-time winningest coach in Mountain West history, has guided San Diego State to a bowl game in each of his first seven seasons as head coach. He is one of eight active coaches to lead their current team to a bowl game in each of the first seven seasons.
* The Aztecs are 50-40-5 all-time in season openers, including an 8-24-1 mark in road contests. SDSU has won its last four season openers - defeating Northern Arizona, 38-7, in 2014, San Diego, 37-3, in 2015, New Hampshire, 31-0, in 2016 and UC Davis, 38-17, last season.
* SDSU is opening up on the road for the first time since 2012 (at Washington) and just the second time in the last nine seasons. The Aztecs have not won a season-opening contest that was played on the road since Sept. 12, 1981 (30-14 at Colorado State).
* San Diego State has won three consecutive games against Pac-12 teams (California (2016), at Arizona State (2017), Stanford (2017). That is tied for the fifth longest active streak in the nation.