ANOTHER BIG GAME AT THE BANK
* San Diego State and Wyoming, two teams that have shown the ability to challenge for their respective Division titles, meet Saturday night at SDCCU Stadium.
* Entering play this week, San Diego State and Wyoming are two of the 38 teams with one or fewer losses (there are 16 undefeated teams and 22 one-loss teams).
* The teams are meeting for the first time since the 2016 season when the Aztecs and Cowboys played twice in a 15-day period at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo. Wyoming won the regular-season encounter, 34-33, while the Aztecs took the Mountain West title game, 27-24.
* Saturday marks the 38th all-time meeting between the teams with Wyoming owning a 19-18 series edge. The Aztecs have won three of the last four encounters and are 10-6 in the series in the Mountain West era.
FROM THE FILM ROOM (through games of Oct. 6)
* Senior CB Luq Barcoo had an unbelievable day. Let's start with three interceptions that came on three consecutive Colorado State snaps. We have been able to confirm that has not happened since at least 2012 and that Barcoo became the first player to end three consecutive opponent drives with an interception since 2015. He is the only player in the nation with three picks in a game this season. This decade, 45 players have intercepted three passes in a game (no one has more than three), and San Diego State has two players that have done it (Barcoo and Damontae Kazee on Sept. 5, 2015). Barcoo was targeted a game-high nine times and allowed just four receptions, no touchdowns, three interceptions, a pass deflection and a passer rating when targeted of 61.8. Barcoo was the top graded cornerback in the nation, per Pro Football Focus, this week with an 89.1 overall grade. On the season, Barcoo's overall grade of 87.3 ranks second in the FBS among corners. He has allowed zero touchdowns this season on 37 targets with four interceptions and four pass deflections. In addition, Barcoo has yet to miss a tackle this season (24 tackles, nine stops).
* According to PFF, senior QB Ryan Agnew has an overall grade of 82.1 this season, which ranks second in the Mountain West among quarterbacks and his passing grade of 84.4 ranks first. Agnew currently has an adjusted completion percentage of 81.5 percent against pressure this season, which ranks first in the league and fourth overall at the position in FBS.
* Sophomore WR Kobe Smith hauled in seven passes on eight targets at Colorado State for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first San Diego State player to record consecutive 100-yard receiving games since Ezell Ruffin in 2013. Smith caught passes against four different Colorado State defenders and recorded multiple receptions against three of them. Smith caught touchdown passes against the Rams via both a go-route and a corner route.
* Redshirt freshman DT Cameron Thomas had yet another big game this week. He was productive on the rush with a sacks and two quarterback hits (PFF pressure rate of 14.2 percent) and in run defense with four solo tackles, five stops and no missed tackles. Thomas recorded more pressures than any other interior defender in the MW this week and his overall grade of 78.3 ranked second in the league. On the season, Thomas' overall grade of 85.9 ranks first in the MW at the position and 15th in the nation.
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE WIN AT COLORADO STATE
* SDSU is one of only two teams in FBS to be undefeated on the road with three road wins (SMU).
* The Aztecs have won their first three road games for the second time in the last 38 seasons ('17).
* SDSU improved to 15-5 (.750) in road games since the start of the 2016 campaign. The 15 road victories since 2016 only trail Clemson's 16.
* San Diego State won its seventh consecutive game in the Mountain Time Zone, which is the longest active road streak in FBS play (since 1980).
* San Diego State's passing efficiency of 191.24 was its highest since a 245.66 effort at San Jose State (11-4-17). The Aztecs improved to 25-0 in the Rocky Long era when owning a passing efficiency rating of at least 165.
* SDSU's completion percentage of 80 percent was the second-highest figure of the Rocky Long era and the highest with a minimum of eight pass attempts. It is tied for the sixth-highest completion percentage for the Aztecs in the Division I era regardless of the number of attempts.
* San Diego State was +4 in turnover margin. The Aztecs improved to 33-1 in the Division I era when owning a turnover margin of +4 or better (including 7-0 in the Rocky Long era).
The Aztecs have now gone five straight games with one turnover or less (three total during that span).
Football Sunday Notes and Tidbits
