Aztecs Play Host to Utah on Saturday Afternoon

SCENE SETTER (as of Sunday, Sept. 12)
* Off to a 2-0 start for a third consecutive season and one of 50 remaining undefeated teams entering the week, San Diego State concludes consecutive games against Pac-12 Conference teams by playing host to Utah Saturday afternoon. This is the first of three consecutive home games for the Aztecs. 
* San Diego State and former Mountain West member Utah will meet for the 31st time Saturday. The Utes own a 17-12-1 series lead and have won five straight in the series. The last time the Aztecs defeated Utah was Oct. 15, 2005.
* The game features two of the nation's most successful programs recently. Since the start of the 2015 campaign, San Diego State's 55-22 record (71.4 percent) ranks in a tie for the 12th-best winning percentage nationally and is tops among teams in the Pacific Time Zone, while Utah's 50-24 record (67.6 percent) is 19th in the country. There are three games on Saturday between teams that appear on the top 20 of this list (also: Alabama at Florida and Oklahoma State at Boise State). This top 20 list is found in the column on page 3.
* Two of the nation's top defensive programs will be featured in Saturday's game. San Diego State and Utah are first and second nationally among all FBS teams in longest active streak of holding opponents to 450 yards or less of total offense. Utah leads the nation at 26 games, while San Diego State is second at 24. No other team has a streak of longer than 18 games. 
* Since the start of the 2016 campaign, San Diego State is 6-2 (75.0 percent) against the Pac-12 Conference. That is the best non-conference record in the nation against the league (minimum five games played). There are only four teams in the nation that have a winning record in games played in the above criteria - San Diego State (6-2, 75.0), Notre Dame (5-3, 62.5), Texas (3-2, 60.0) and Boise State (3-2, 60.0).
* Last Saturday, the Aztecs dominated in all three phases - offense (38 points; SDSU's second most at a Power 5 school in the DI era), defense (allowed only 228 total yards; Arizona's lowest offensive output against an unranked team since 2006) and special teams (SDSU blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, averaged 53.1 yards per punt and had seven touchbacks in seven kickoffs) - and cruised to a 38-14 victory at Arizona.
* San Diego State rushed for 271 yards on 55 carries and two touchdowns. The Aztecs are now 49-2 the last 51 times when they have rushed for at least 200 yards.
* Senior Greg Bell, member of the Maxwell Award Watch List, posted his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game (17 carries, 125 yards, TD) and now has six 100-yard rushing games in his nine games played at San Diego State. Bell is seventh nationally at 143.0 rushing yards per game and is tied for the national lead with 10 carries of at least 10 yards.
* Senior quarterback Jordon Brookshire produced the best game of his career, going 10-of-14 for 183 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating of 228.4, is the highest by an Aztec since 2012 (min. 14 attemps) and the sixth highest in the last 25 seasons. He also produced his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks.
* Senior tight end Daniel Bellinger, a Mackey Award Watch List member, caught three passes for a career-high 113 yards and a touchdown. He produced the first 100-yard receiving game by an Aztec tight end since Gavin Escobar did it in 2012.
* Senior left tackle Zachary Thomas is currently ranked as the fifth-best offensive lineman in the nation by Pro Football Focus (min. 100 snaps). He has allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, has not committed a penalty through 133 snaps this season.
* Senior running back/special teams player Kaegun Williams was named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week Monday after blocking a punt that was returned for a touchdown. Williams plays on four special teams units and also has 55 yards rushing on 12 carries this season.
* Defensively, San Diego State has been one of the top units nationally for the better part of a decade. In the 10-games in which Kurt Mattix has served as defensive coordinator (since the start of 2020 season) San Diego State ranks first nationally in scoring defense (14.4), second in rushing yards allowed per game (81.0), rushing touchdowns allowed (13) and yards per rush (2.8), third in total defense per game (287.4) and passing efficiency defense (111.2), seventh in interceptions (30) and 18th in turnovers forced (44).