SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State football team returned to the practice fields on Monday, two days after conducting a scrimmage at Snapdragon Stadium for Fan Fest.
Practicing in helmets and shoulder pads, the Aztecs went for right around two hours, utilizing both the practice turn field and the grass field at the on-campus facility. Temperatures were in the lower-to-mid-80s under mostly sunny skies.
The team opened with 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 drills, followed by special teams work and individual position drills. The Aztecs also worked off-the-ball drills, inside run, skelly, pass rush, team tempo and more special teams drills, before finishing practice with third down situations and team play-it-outs.
Monday was the 10th of 20 practices scheduled this fall before game week begins on Aug. 25 for the Aug. 31 opener against Texas A&M - Commerce.
Locked in.
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The Aztec running game and its versatility was on full display at Saturday’s Fan Fest with the running backs combining for 247 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries (5.4 avg.). Lucky Sutton led the way with 79 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts, while Jaylon Armstead chipped in with 45 yards and a score on eight attempts. Marquez Cooper (3 att., 32 yds.) and Kenan Christon (3 att., 31 yds.) made the most of their limited play early on in the scrimmage.
“(Everyone in the room) compliments each other,” SDSU running backs coach Darian Hagan said. “We have guys with speed, and we have guys that are bruisers. Some can come in and get tough inside yards, some are deadly when they get in space and some can do it all, so they really compliment each other in those regards.
Hagan is in his first season at San Diego State after spending 20 years on the Colorado football staff. One of the names synonymous with Colorado’s rise to glory in the late 1980s, Hagan starred at quarterback for the Buffaloes between 1988 and 1991, leading the school to its first national championship in 1990, while being named the 1989 Sporting News Player of the Year.
“I preach it to these guys that they are all going to get their opportunity,” Hagan added. “It may not be this play or the next one but we have six guys in that room that can play and do some really good things, so we can make sure that we’re keeping them fresh.”
Armstead is coming off his best season in 2023, when he rushed for 448 yards and eight rushing touchdowns with the eight scores ranking 10th in the league.
“My teammates have really helped push me forward to prepare for the fast tempo,” said Armstead on adjusting to the new style of offense. “We’re all very supportive of each other, and even though we compete with each other on the field, we all have each other’s backs.”
Sutton, meanwhile, came on late to rush for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 30 attempts (6.0 avg.) in five games in 2023 as a redshirt freshman. Sutton is expected to have more carries in 2024.
“We have some new faces and it’s changed the dynamic a bit,” Sutton said. “But I like the changes and everything the new coaches have brought to the program. Everything has been running smoothly and I like how high energy it is.”
Tickets are on sale for all six Aztec home games, including season tickets, two or three-game mini-plans and single-game tickets.
The Aug. 31 opener against Texas A&M - Commerce is set for 5 p.m. PT.