SCENE SETTER (through games of Saturday, Oct. 5)
* San Diego State and Wyoming, two teams that have shown the ability to challenge for their respective Mountain West division titles, meet Saturday night at SDCCU Stadium.
* Entering play this week, San Diego State and Wyoming are two of 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 11-6 in the series in the Mountain West era.
* For the second time in three conference games this season San Diego State faces an opponent that is coming off a bye week. Although the Aztecs lost to Utah State, which had the week off prior to playing SDSU, San Diego State is 4-1 the last five regular-season games in which its opponent has had a bye leading into the game (does not count season-opening games).
* SDSU improved to 4-1 on Saturday with a 24-10 victory at Colorado State. The Aztecs won their seventh straight road game in the Mountain Time Zone (longest active streak in the nation), their sixth straight game against the Rams in Fort Collins, Colo., and joined SMU as the only teams in the nation in 2019 to have played at least three road games and be unbeaten away from home.
* Senior CB Luq Barcoo was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week Monday. He intercepted three passes in the game (first player in the nation to do that this season) and added six tackles and a pass breakup. He is the first player in the nation since at least 2012 to intercept three passes on three consecutive opponent snaps.
* This is the sixth game of the season and San Diego State has won the sixth game of the season each of the last nine years (last game six loss was Oct. 17, 2009).
* San Diego State's defense ranks among the national leaders in nearly every statistical category. Among its highest rankings are: 1st in rushing defense (45.4), 2nd in rushing yards allowed per carry (1.8), T-2nd in passing touchdowns allowed (3), T-6th in total touchdowns allowed (6), T-7th in rushing touchdowns allowed (2), 8th in scoring defense (11.4), 8th in total defense (270.8), 9th in tackles for loss (8.4), 10th in first downs allowed (74), T-15th in turnovers forced (11), 16th in interceptions (6), 18th in tackles for loss (7.5), 22nd in passing yards per attempt (6.03) and 24th in passing efficiency rating (113.7).
* The Aztecs have allowed 57 points through five games. That is the lowest total for an SDSU team through the first five games since 1976 and the last time SDSU allowed fewer points in any five-game stretch since games six through 10 of the 2016 season.
* San Diego State is +8 in turnover margin in 2019 and is tied for third nationally in turnover margin per game. The stat has been a great indicator of success for the Aztecs. The Aztecs are 28-1 the last 29 times they have had an advantage in turnover margin.
Football Ready for Wyoming on Saturday
