San Diego State Welcomes Idaho State for a Saturday Night Showdown
- San Diego State continues its three-game homestand to start the season Saturday night against Idaho State.
- The Aztecs are playing three consecutive home games to start a campaign for the first time in their Division I era (since 1969) and for the first time overall since beginning 1967 with four straight home outings.
- After playing 23 consecutive games (two-plus seasons) out of San Diego County (streak started on Nov. 30, 2019 vs. Brigham Young and also included 2020 and 2021), SDSU is playing its second straight seven-game home schedule at Bashor Field at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley.
- San Diego State is 6-2 all-time at Snapdragon Stadium, including a 38-7 win over Idaho State last Sept. 10.
- The Aztecs are coming off a 20-13 win over Ohio on Saturday in their earliest game (Aug. 26) in program history.
- Senior quarterback Jalen Mayden threw two touchdown passes to senior tight end Mark Redman and SDSU intercepted three OU passes, downing a team that won 10 games a year ago and returned most of its starters on both sides of the ball.
- Eight players earned their first career start for SDSU and 10 players overall made their first start at San Diego State.
- The Aztecs started a pair of true freshmen in Aztec (safety) Marcus Ratcliffe on the defense side of the ball - the first true freshman to start at SDSU's signature position in the 3-3-5 defense since it was installed in 2009 - and wide receiver Baylin Brooks.
- San Diego State appeared to take a 26-6 lead with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter when Ratcliffe returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown. A roughing the passer penalty, however, was called on the Aztecs and the Bobcats scored on the very next play.
- Ohio stopped SDSU on fourth-and-3 on the OU 36-yard line but was unable to tie the game as New Zealand Williams recorded San Diego State's third interception of the night right before time expired.
- Two Aztecs - Cody Moon (defensive) and Jack Browning (special teams) - were named Mountain West players of the week. If was the first career accolade for Moon, who had 12 tackles in his first game at SDSU after transferring from New Mexico. Browning, meanwhile, made a pair of field goals and averaged an FBS-best 56.3 yards per punt en route to his third career weekly conference honor.
- SDSU rallied from a 2-3 start in 2022 by winning five of their next six games (5-1) and finishing 7-6 overall for its 13th consecutive .500 or better season. That is tied for the sixth-longest streak nationally and is the longest streak among Pacific Time Zone teams. In 12 of those 13 seasons, San Diego State has posted a winning record.
- The Aztecs have posted a .500 or better overall record and a winning record in Mountain West action in each of the last 13 seasons.
- San Diego State plays one of the toughest schedules in the country this year with five games against 10-win teams - vs. Ohio (W, 20-13), at Oregon State, vs. Boise State, at Air Force and vs. Fresno State - and eight vs. bowl teams from a year ago - also vs. UCLA, vs. Utah State and at San Jose State.
- The beginning of the Aztecs' schedule is particularly tough as five of their first six opponents made a bowl in 2022, including games vs. Ohio (10-4) on Aug. 26 (W, 20-13), UCLA (9-4) on Sept. 9, at Oregon State (10-3) on Sept. 16, vs. Boise State (10-4) on Sept. 22 and at Air Force (10-4) on Sept. 30 before hitting its open week in the first week of October.
- SDSU scored the final 38 points of the game in last year's win over Idaho State. Saturday will be ISU's first game of the season.