SDSU Travels to Fresno State Looking to Reclaim the Old Oil Can
- Riding its first two-game win streak of the season, San Diego State travels to Fresno State in the 61st meeting for the Battle of the Old Oil Can.
- The game is an important showdown between two of the three teams at the top of the West Division of the Mountain West. The Aztecs (4-3 overall) and Bulldogs (3-4) are tied with San Jose State (4-2) for the top record in the West Division at 2-1, a 1/2-game ahead of UNLV's 2-2 league record and a game up on Hawai'i (1-2 MW).
- It is the third straight game out of five for SDSU against the West Division. San Diego State opened the stretch with wins over Hawai'i (16-14 on Oct. 8) and Nevada (23-7 on Oct. 22), and after the matchup at FS on Saturday play host to UNLV (Nov. 5) and San Jose State (Nov. 12).
- It's the fourth road game of the season for the Aztecs and the 27th away from San Diego County in their last 31 games. Prior to this season, SDSU had played its previous 23 games (two-plus seasons) out of San Diego County, including 12 "home" games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, some two hours away from the San Diego State campus.
- The Aztecs lead the all-time series with Fresno State, 30-26-4. Either SDSU (2015, 2016 and 2021) or the Bulldogs (2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018) have represented the division in the conference championship game in seven of the first eight years of the two-division format (there was only one division in the COVID shortened 2020 campaign). Amazingly, the composite score of the 60 previous meetings is Fresno State 1,247, San Diego State 1,225.
- Since 2012, SDSU and FS have each won three Mountain West championships.
- This is San Diego State's first trip to Valley Children's Stadium (formerly Bulldog Stadium) since 2018 after the 2020 scheduled game in Fresno was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Bulldog program. The Aztecs scheduled a game at Colorado in its place. That contest was announced on Thanksgiving and played two days later on a Saturday.
- SDSU is 6-2 on the road since the 2021 season. The .750 road win percentage since 2021 is tied for the 10th best in the country over that span. San Diego State also has a 38-24 win over UTSA in the 2021 Frisco Bowl in Frisco, Texas.
- The Aztecs (4-3) and Bulldogs (3-4) have combined for a .500 record so far this season. This is the first meeting between the two schools where their combined record wasn't over .500 since 2016 when SDSU was 4-1 and FS was 1-5 (.455 combined). In the previous four meetings since 2017, the two teams entered the showdown with a combined 49-17 record (.742).
- The series hasn't been particularly close as of late with the last seven meetings all being decided by more than one score, including six double-digit scoring margins of victory for the winning team.
- San Diego State is coming off a 23-7 victory at Nevada on Oct. 22. The Aztec defense arguably had its most complete game of the season, holding the Wolf Pack to its fewest points (7) and yards (227) in a home game since Sept. 28, 2019. SDSU had 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and 30-yard recovery for the opening score, an interception and five pass breakups. According to Pro Football Focus, San Diego State had 23 quarterback pressures, including 17 hurries, three sacks and three hits.
- The fumble return for a touchdown by Patrick McMorris was the fourth non-offensive touchdown of the season for the Aztecs, tied for the most in the country with Alabama, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky. SDSU now has nine non-offensive touchdowns since the start of the 2021 season (T-3rd in FBS) and 13 since 2020 (T-3rd in FBS).
- Starting his second game at quarterback after switching over from safety, Jalen Mayden threw for 156 yards and added a highlight reel 32-yard rushing touchdown.
- Kicker/punter Jack Browning, meanwhile, kicked three field goals for a second straight game for a San Diego State team that has the best special teams efficiency rating in the country according to ESPN.
- The Aztecs are 32-14 against the West Division of the Mountain West since the league split into two divisions in 2013. That's the best winning percentage (.696) against the West Division among the six West Division schools, while Fresno State is second at 27-17 (.614).
- SDSU has held its opponent scoreless in five straight first quarters, its longest streak since a five-game stretch from 2003-04 (last four games of 2003, first game of 2004).
- San Diego State has held its opponents scoreless in 15 of the 28 quarters this season, including 15 of the last 23.
- The Aztecs are in the midst of playing just one home game - the 16-14 win over Hawai'i on Oct. 8 - in a 27-day stretch.