Football

Aztecs Host Air Force for Senior Night on Saturday

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Aztecs Host Air Force for Senior Night on SaturdayAztecs Host Air Force for Senior Night on Saturday
Derrick Tuskan/San Diego State

San Diego State Plays Host to Air Force for Senior Night on Saturday

  • Riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak overall and a five-game winning streak at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego State plays host to Air Force Saturday for Senior Night.
  • It's the seventh home game of the season for the Aztecs (7-4, 5-2 MW) but just the seventh played in San Diego County over their last 35 games. Prior to this season, SDSU had played its previous 23 games (two-plus seasons) out of San Diego County, including 12 "home" contests at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, some two hours away from the San Diego State campus.
  • The five-game home winning streak is currently tied for the 14th longest in FBS play and the longest by the Aztecs in San Diego since a seven-game stretch from Nov. 18, 2017-Oct. 20, 2018.
  • SDSU's three-game winning streak overall is tied for 16th longest in the country. Over the three games, San Diego State is outscoring its opponents, 91-47 (30.3-15.7), and has a big advantage in total offense (1,199-757 | 399.7-252.3).
  • The Aztecs have won nine straight games against the Falcons (8-3, 4-3 MW), their longest win streak in the series.
  • The nine-game winning streak over AFA is tied for SDSU's longest active winning streak in a series along with New Mexico and New Mexico State.
  • San Diego State's nine-game winning streak is the longest active winning streak against the Academy (TCU is second with four straight wins) and the fourth-longest active winning streak against any service academy (see chart at the left on the bottom of the page). Notre Dame's 15-game winning streak against Army West Point is the currently the longest but the two programs have not met since 2016.
  • The streak hasn't been easy, however, as the last four games in the series have been decided by a total of 17 points. Over the last four meetings, San Diego State has a three-point win (27-24 in the 2015 Mountain West Championship game), two four-point wins (28-24 at Air Force in 2017 and 21-17 in San Diego in 2018) and a six-point victory last year (20-14 at AFA). Over the Aztecs' nine-game winning streak vs. the Falcons, six have been decided by seven points or less.
  • Saturday's game will once again feature SDSU and AFA playing at its best. The two teams have combined for a 15-7 record (.682) and each has won three straight games. This marks the sixth consecutive meeting between the two schools where the combined winning percentage was at least .600 heading into the matchup.
  • Despite San Diego State's recent success in the series, Air Force holds a slim 19-18 advantage overall.
  • The Aztecs have won seven consecutive games in November (last loss: 20-10 at Colorado on Nov. 28, 2020 on two days notice).
  • SDSU is coming off a 34-10 win at New Mexico on Friday night. Jalen Mayden threw two touchdown passes to Mekhi Shaw, Kenan Christon scored on a 49-yard run and the San Diego State defense shut out the Lobos in the second half with just 26 yards allowed. Mayden became the first Aztec quarterback since Christian Chapman in 2016 with multiple touchdown passes in four straight games. Shaw set career highs with six catches, 120 yards and two touchdowns, and then earned a scholarship before Monday's practice. Christon, meanwhile, notched his first 100-yard rushing game and first rushing touchdown since his Division I debut against Arizona on Oct. 19, 2019 while at USC. Christon became the first Aztec to average at least 10 yards per carry on at least 10 attempts since Rashaad Penny accomplished the feat in the 2017 Armed Forces Bowl vs. Army West Point and just the third Aztec overall since 2000 (has happened eight times overall since 2000, including four times by Penny and three times by current SDSU defensive GA coach Donnel Pumphrey).
  • San Diego State continues to play its best football, improving to 5-1 since head coach Brady Hoke made coaching changes (moving associate head coach/running backs coach Jeff Horton to offensive coordinator and adding Ryan Lindley to the staff as the quarterbacks coach) and Jalen Mayden became the team's quarterback. The Aztec defense has also been stellar since it's bye week (idle week) on Oct. 15.