Football

Aztecs Travel to Air Force for Saturday Showdown

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Aztecs Travel to Air Force for Saturday ShowdownAztecs Travel to Air Force for Saturday Showdown

San Diego State Travels to Air Force for Saturday Showdown

  • San Diego State continues its Mountain West play Saturday night when it travels to Air Force.
  • Saturday will just be the second road game of the year so far for the Aztecs (2-3, 0-1 MW).
  • SDSU is one of six schools which have played four home games this season - the most in FBS - joining Arizona State, Baylor, Georgia, Michigan State and Michigan.
  • Amazingly, after having four home games in a 27-day span to start the season, San Diego State goes 28 days (starting Sept. 23) in between its next home game on Oct. 21 vs. Nevada.
  • The Falcons (4-0, 2-0 MW) enter Saturday's game on a nine-game winning streak, tied for the fifth-longest active winning streak in the country. AFA also has won four straight home games, which is tied for the 17th-longest active streak in the nation.
  • Air Force is already the fifth opponent for the Aztecs this season that had at least nine wins and played in a bowl game a year ago.
  • SDSU is playing one of the toughest schedules in the country this season with five games against 10-win teams - vs. Ohio, 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 San Diego State's schedule has been particularly tough as five of its 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 (L, 35-10), at Oregon State (10-3) on Sept. 16 (L, 26-9), vs. Boise State (10-4) on Sept. 22 (L, 34-31) and at Air Force (10-4) on Sept. 30 before hitting its open week in the first week of October.
  • The four FBS opponents for the Aztecs so far have combined to go 12-5 (.706). When you take away the games vs. SDSU, those opponents are still 9-4 (.692).
  • Thirteen (13) players have earned their first career collegiate start this season for San Diego State and 16 players overall have made their first start at SDSU.
  • The Aztecs are coming off a tough 34-31 loss to Boise State on Friday night. SDSU controlled the clock (32:10-27:50) and outgained the Broncos, 439-403, but lost two costly fumbles - one in Boise State's end zone and another in its own territory which led to a touchdown - gave up six explosive plays (20 yards or longer) and missed a 40-yard field goal early in the second half.
  • San Diego State saw its 13-game winning streak snapped when scoring at least 30 points and 14-game winning streak snapped under Brady Hoke.
  • The Aztecs totaled a season-high 439 yards of offense, including 326 yards from senior quarterback Jalen Mayden. Mayden was 16-for-22 for 241 yards and a touchdown through the air. He added 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground but fumbled twice.
  • True freshman wide receiver Baylin Brooks had a breakout game vs. Boise State, setting career highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (117), while logging his first career touchdown. He became the first Aztec true freshman with at least 100 receiving yards in nearly 29 years since Az Hakim had 143 at Wyoming on Oct. 22, 1994 and just the fourth in SDSU's Division I history (since 1969).
  • Senior Brionne Penny added a career-high 97 yards as San Diego State nearly had its first game with multiple 100-yard receivers since Dec. 3, 2011.
  • SDSU has already played three top-50 defenses in the country this year, including No. 4 Ohio (237.2 yards allowed per game), No. 9 UCLA (263.8) and No. 45 Oregon State (327.0). In those games, San Diego State totaled 318 against Ohio, 259 vs. UCLA and 326 at Oregon State. Air Force's defense enters the week ranked second in total (223.0), fourth in rushing (62.0), 12th in passing (161.0) and 14th in scoring (12.8).
  • The Aztecs have lost three straight games for the first time since falling in the final four contests of the 2018 season. SDSU played 50 consecutive games without a three-game losing streak prior to the latest stretch.
  • San Diego State trails the all-time series with Air Force, 20-18, but has won nine of the last 10 meetings. The Aztecs' nine-game winning streak in the series was snapped in a 13-3 loss to the Falcons on Senior Day last November (Nov. 26). Heading into the game, SDSU's nine-game winning streak was the longest active winning streak against the Academy (TCU was second at four games).
  • The last five games in the series have been decided by a total of 27 points. Over the last five 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), a six-point victory in 2021 (20-14 at AFA) and a 10-point loss at home in 2022 (13-3). Over the last 10 games vs. the Falcons, six have been decided by seven points or less.
  • This marks the sixth consecutive meeting between the two schools where the combined winning percentage was at least .600 heading into the matchup.
  • The Aztecs have forced 10 turnovers on the season, tied for the eighth most in the country.
  • SDSU also ranks in a tie for second in FBS with eight interceptions, two behind Liberty's 10.
  • Five different players have San Diego State's eight interceptions, including three by safety Cedarious Barfield, tied for the most in the nation.