OPENING KICKOFF
* San Diego State enters its 100th season of football, 54th at the Division I level and fifth under the direction of the 2011 National Coach of the Year, Brady Hoke.
* After playing their last 23 games (two-plus seasons) out of San Diego County, the Aztecs will play seven home games in 2022 at Bashor Field at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley. SDSU's last game in San Diego County was Nov. 30, 2019 against Brigham Young (W, 13-3).
* Saturday will be the first official athletic event at Snapdragon Stadium, a $310 million, 35,000-seat venue that SDSU will call home.
* San Diego State returns 13 starters off the 2021 squad (3 offense, 7 defense, 3 special teams).
* SDSU finished the 2021 campaign with a 12-2 record, including a 7-1 record in Mountain West play and an appearance in the Mountain West Championship game for the first time since 2016 and third time overall since the championship started in 2013.
* San Diego State's 12 victories in 2021 were its most in the 99 seasons of football.
* The Aztecs were one of only 10 schools with at least 12 victories in 2021.
* Only four teams had more victories than SDSU, including national champion Georgia, and CFP teams Alabama and Cincinnati.
* San Diego State finished the 2021 season ranked 25th in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. It was just the third time in program history that Aztecs finished in the final AP poll (also 16th in 1977 and 25th in 2016).
* SDSU was also ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings, making the top 25 in all six of the rankings. San Diego State had never made a CFP Top 25 prior to last season.
* The Aztecs played five teams who reached double-digit victories in 2021, securing wins over Pac-12 Champion/Rose Bowl participant Utah (10-4), UTSA (12-2) and Air Force (10-3).
* The Aztecs have posted a .500 or better overall record and a winning record in Mountain West action in each of the last 12 seasons.
* SDSU has two players who appear on preseason lists for the player of the year, including S Patrick McMorris (Bednarik Award Watch List and Bronko Nagurski Award Watch List, both for most outstanding defensive player) and LB Caden McDonald (Bednarik Award Watch List).
* Last season, San Diego State had a league-high 15 all-Mountain West selections, matching its most since 2001 (16), and the most first and second-team picks (12). Of those 14 players (one player made it at two positions), seven return for the 2022 campaign, including first-team honorees McDonald, McMorris and KR Jordan Byrd. The Aztecs have five players on the defensive side of the ball who earned all-conference accolades last season.
* SDSU is 53-41-5 all-time in season openers, including a 45-16-4 record in home season opening games. San Diego State, which is 25-7 in season openers played at home in the Division I era, has won its last seven home season openers.
Aztecs Welcome Arizona Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium
