SCENE SETTER (through 2019 season)
* San Diego State opens its 98th season, 52nd at the Division I level on Saturday when the Aztecs play host to UNLV at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The game marks the return of Brady Hoke as SDSU head coach. Hoke, who served as the defensive line coach last season, was the Aztecs' head coach from 2009-10, posting a 9-4 record and a Poinsettia Bowl championship in 2010. That marked the school's first bowl appearance in 12 seasons and the Aztecs have appeared in a bowl game every season since (10 straight years).
* The Aztecs are playing their 2020 and 2021 home games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., while the University builds its future stadium in Mission Valley in the footprint of SDCCU Stadium. San Diego State is scheduled to play four games this season and seven games next year at DHSP, which is located 113 miles from the University's previous home stadium.
* This is the latest season opener for San Diego State in school history and marks the first time the Aztecs have opened a campaign in October since 1949. In 2009 (Brady Hoke's first season as head coach at SDSU), the Aztecs played on Oct. 24 and claimed a 42-28 victory at Colorado State in its seventh game of the season.
* Both teams have plenty of new faces on the sidelines this season with transition head coaches (Hoke and UNLV's Marcus Arroyo), offensive coordinators (Jeff Hecklinski and Glenn Thomas) and defensive coordinators (Kurt Mattix and Peter Hansen) from 2019.
* San Diego State is coming off a 10-3 campaign, culminating with a dominating 48-11 win over Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl. Among last season's highlights were the program's first-ever victory over UCLA (23 all-time meetings), a win over Brigham Young (first since 2005) and a 6-1 record in road/neutral games. SDSU spent three weeks in the Top 25 last season and ended the campaign at No. 31 in the final AP Poll.
* The Aztecs are 51-41-5 all-time in season openers, including a 43-16-4 mark in home contests. SDSU, which is 23-7 in season openers played at home in the Division I era, has won its last five home season openers.
* SDSU returns 16 starters (seven offense, eight defense and one kicker). Nine Aztec players on the defensive side of the ball have made at least nine career starts, led by senior Tariq Thompson with 39 starts (every game since arriving as a true freshman in 2017).
* Seventeen different Aztec players received preseason accolades, with nine players - sophomore kicker Matt Araiza, junior defensive end Keshawn Banks, junior tight end Daniel Bellinger, long snapper junior Turner Bernard, junior running backs/returner Jordan Byrd, sophomore guard William Dunkle, junior cornerback Darren Hall, sophomore defensive tackle Cameron Thomas and senior Warrior (safety) Tariq Thompson - on watch lists for national honors and/or named first-team all conference.
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Football Ready for 2020 Opener Against UNLV
