Football

San Diego State Welcomes Nevada on Saturday Night

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San Diego State Welcomes Nevada on Saturday NightSan Diego State Welcomes Nevada on Saturday Night

San Diego State Welcomes Nevada on Saturday Night

  • San Diego State returns home to play host to Nevada Saturday night at Bashor Field at Snapdragon Stadium.
  • Saturday will be the first home game for the Aztecs (3-4, 1-2 Mountain West) since Sept. 22 and the only home contest in a 42-day stretch.
  • Amazingly, after having four home games in a 27-day span to start the season, SDSU has 28 days in between its last home game (Sept. 22 vs. Boise State) and Saturday vs. Nevada.
  • San Diego State is coming off a 41-34 shootout win at Hawai'i on Saturday night. The Aztecs scored the first 17 points of the game and then 21 in the fourth quarter to beat the Rainbow Warriors for the 10th time in the last 12 meetings.
  • The 75 points were the most combined in a SDSU game since a 42-35 loss (77 total points) to Army West Point in the 2017 Armed Forces Bowl and the most combined in a San Diego State win since a 45-40 victory (85 total points) vs. California on Sept. 10, 2016.
  • Although the Aztecs were outgained, 480-378, SDSU led for 48 minutes, 7 seconds (48:07) of the 60-minute game and only trailed for 1:27 (the game was tied for the other 10:26).
  • San Diego State forced four turnovers, dominated time of possession (36:08-23:52) and easily won the starting field position battle (SDSU42-UH23).
  • Redshirt freshman Lucky Sutton scored his first two career touchdowns in the game with the first coming on his first rushing attempt of the season and just the third of his career.
  • Junior Mekhi Shaw recorded his second career 100-yard receiving game with a career-best 126 yards on six catches, including a career-long 69-yard touchdown.
  • Senior TCU transfer Deshawn McCuin returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, the 16th by an Aztec since 2014.
  • San Diego State's 152 interceptions since the 2014 season are the second most in the country over that span while its 15 interceptions returned for a touchdown rank in a tie for 15th.
  • The interception return for a touchdown was the 15th non-offensive score for the Aztecs since the start of the 2020 COVID season, tied with Ohio State, Utah and Western Kentucky for the seventh most in the country over that span.
  • Senior Jack Browning was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week for his play at Hawai'i, his second weekly award this season and fourth of his career. Browning punted four times for a 56.0 average and 54.2 net average, both career highs (min. 4 punts). The 56.0 average is the highest in the country this year by a FBS player (min. 4 punts). Out of his four punts, three were for at least 50 yards and two went for 60-plus yards, including a career-long 66 yarder and a career-long-tying 63 yarder earlier in the game. Three of Browning's four punts landed inside the 20-yard line (and 10-yard line) with Hawai'i's average starting position of those three punts at its own 5.3-yard line (8, 1 and 7). His other punt was muffed by a Rainbow Warrior returner and SDSU recovered it. Browning also made a pair of field goals and all five PATs, accounting for 11 of San Diego State's 41 points in a seven-point win. Browning also kicked off eight times with a 64.9 kickoff average and six touchbacks, playing a big part in SDSU dominating the average starting field position against Hawai'i (SDSU 42 to UH 23).
  • San Diego State 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 the Aztecs' schedule has been 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 (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 (L, 49-10).
  • SDSU's six FBS opponents so far have combined to go 26-14 (.650). When you take away the games vs. San Diego State, those opponents are still 22-12 (.647).
  • Fourteen (14) players have earned their first career Division I start this season for the Aztecs and 17 players overall have made their first start at SDSU.
  • SDSU has already played three of the top-11 defenses in the country this year, including No. 3 Air Force (240.0 yards allowed per game), No. 4 Ohio (245.1) and No. 11 UCLA (281.0), while Oregon State is ranked 44th (343.3). In those games, San Diego State totaled 227 at Air Force, 318 against Ohio, 259 vs. UCLA and 326 at Oregon State.
  • Saturday is the 16th meeting between the Aztecs and Wolf Pack with SDSU owning a 9-6 series lead.