San Diego State Looks to Become Bowl Eligible Saturday Against San Jose State
* Fresh off a 14-10 victory where San Diego State forced four turnovers on defense, including two interceptions in the end zone, and held the ball for 34 minutes with an overpowering final drive, the Aztecs (5-4, 3-2 MW) welcome San Jose State to Bashor Field at Snapdragon Stadium for a Saturday night tilt.
* It's just SDSU's sixth outing played in San Diego County in its last 33 games. Prior to this season, San Diego State 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 home game is one of three for the Aztecs over the final month of the regular season, following the 14-10 win over UNLV last Saturday and ending with Air Force on Nov. 26. SDSU's lone road game in November is Friday, Nov. 18 at New Mexico.
* San Diego State is 4-1 at home this season in the first year of Snapdragon Stadium with four consecutive wins. The four-game home winning streak is tied for the 21st-longest active streak in the country.
* A win will make SDSU bowl eligible for a 13th consecutive season.
* The Aztecs lead the all-time series with the Spartans (6-2, 4-1 MW), 23-20-2, following a 19-13, double-overtime victory over defending league champion SJSU last year in San Jose.
* San Diego State has won eight of the nine meetings since San Jose State joined the Mountain West in 2013 and 15 of the last 19 encounters.
* Saturday's game is between two of the top-four teams in the Mountain West since the 2020 COVID season. The Aztecs are 14-5 in league games (excludes MW Championship contests) for a .737 winning percentage, just behind Boise State (15-3, .833). The Spartans and Fresno State, meanwhile, are tied for the third-best league record over that span at 13-6 (.684).
* As mentioned, SDSU jumped out to a 14-0 lead for Homecoming and held onto a 14-10 win over the Rebels. Jalen Mayden threw a pair of touchdown passes, the first to Jesse Matthews and the second to Mark Redman, and San Diego State methodically closed the game out, marching 79 yards on 11 plays over 5:41 before ending in victory formation. Jaylon Armstead rushed six times for 56 yards on the final drive, converting a pair of third-and-short situations.
* It was the Aztecs' third one-score victory (games decided by eight or less points) of the year and ninth since the start of the 2021 campaign. SDSU's nine one-score wins are the second most in the country since 2021, trailing only UTSA (10), and one ahead of Clemson (8), Coastal Carolina (8) and Northern Illinois (8).
* San Diego State has won nine of its last 10 one-score games (9-1) and 23 of its last 32 (23-9).
* The Aztecs have been playing their best football over the last month of action in all three phases. Through its first five games, SDSU averaged 12.4 first downs, 65.6 passing yards, 258.2 total yards, 28:21 time of possession and an 18.2 third-down conversion percentage. 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, over the last four games (since Oct. 8) San Diego State is averaging 20.0 first downs, 246.3 passing yards, 374.5 total yards, 33:24 time of possession and a 40.4 third down percentage.
* Defensively, San Diego State is looking more like its defense of the last decade following its bye week. Over the last three weeks (since Oct. 22), the Aztecs have 13 sacks (4.3 avg.), 26 tackles for loss (8.7), 83 pressures (27.7, sacks/hits/hurries according to Pro Football Focus) and forced eight turnovers (2.7), while allowing just 314.3 total yards and 50.0 rushing yards per game. Over the first six games, SDSU totaled eight sacks (1.3 avg.), 29 tackles for loss (4.8), 97 pressures (16.2) and forced nine turnovers (1.5), while allowing 394.2 yards and 166.7 rushing yards per game.
* ESPN's special teams efficiency rating, meanwhile, has San Diego State at 77.7, which ranks third in FBS, trailing South Carolina (80.0) and North Carolina State (78.5).
SDSU Looks to Become Bowl Eligible Saturday vs. SJSU
