San Diego State Welcomes Oregon State on Saturday Night

San Diego State Welcomes Oregon State on Saturday Night

• Fresh off a 42-point second half, a 223-yard rushing game by the FBS active rushing leader and a first career start for a true freshman quarterback, San Diego State plays host to Oregon State Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium in the second game of the Sean Lewis era.
• The Aztecs overcame a slow start and a 6-3 deficit at halftime to Texas A&M-Commerce last Saturday night, before scoring six touchdowns in the second half to down the Lions, 45-14.
• Senior transfer running back Marquez Cooper proved to be as good as advertised as he ran for 223 yards and two touchdowns. The 223 yards were the second most in a SDSU season opener in its Division I history (since 1969) as he became the first Aztec with a 200-yard rushing game since Rashaad Penny in the 2017 Armed Forces Bowl. It was the 18th career 100-yard rushing game for the Gaithersburg, Md., native, who entered 2024 with three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the most rushing yards among all active FBS players.
• Danny O’Neil, meanwhile, showed poise in the pocket as he became the first SDSU true freshman quarterback to start a season opener in its DI era. O’Neil was 11-for-12 for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. For the game, the Indianapolis native threw for 214 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
• The San Diego State defense forced three TAMUC turnovers with two of those returned for a touchdown. Trey White forced a fumble that was recovered by Tano Letuli in the end zone for the first score while later in the game JD Coffey III returned a 45-yard interception for a touchdown. It was the first time since Nov. 5, 2016 vs. Hawai’i that the Aztecs had two defensive touchdowns in the same game.
• SDSU outgained Texas A&M-Commerce, 468-180, including an eye-popping 321-58 advantage in the second half, where San Diego State outscored the Lions, 42-8.
• One of the most innovative minds in college football over the past decade, Lewis was named the 19th head coach in the history of the San Diego State football program, as announced on Nov. 29, 2023. Lewis, 38, brings an extensive résumé to The Mesa, serving as head coach at Kent State from 2018-22 before spending the 2023 campaign as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders. He has also witnessed great success as a coordinator/ assistant coach in stops at Syracuse (2016-17), Bowling Green (2014-15) and Eastern Illinois (2012-13).
• Last season at Colorado, the Buffaloes were ranked sixth in the country in passing yards per game (330.0) and 39th in scoring (32.1) with Lewis calling the plays. When Lewis stopped calling plays, Colorado dropped to 59th in passing (224.0) and 100th in scoring (20.3).
• In 2021, Kent State set program records in plays (1,052), yards (6,907), first downs (364), rushing yards (3,482) and passing yards (3,425). Additionally, the Golden Flashes ranked third in the country that year in rushing (248.6) and first downs (364), fourth in total offense (495.2) and 30th in scoring (33.0).
• In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Kent State led the country in scoring (49.8) and total offense (606.5), ranked second in in pass efficiency rating (191.2) and third down conversion percentage (56.1), third in rushing (283.0) and fourth down conversion percentage (87.5), and 10th in passing (323.5).
• While at Syracuse, his 2016 offense set or tied 40 program records, including passing yards (3,855), while the 5,290 yards were the second most in school history.
• Lewis also had the fourth-ranked offense (546.8) at Bowling Green in 2015 and the sixth-ranked scoring offense (42.2).
• The Aztecs have posted a .500 or better overall record and a winning record in Mountain West action in 13 of the past 14 seasons, only failing to do so last year (4-8 overall, 2-6 in MW).
• San Diego State once again plays one of the toughest schedules in the country with seven of its 11 FBS games against teams that made a bowl game in 2023 and three against former Pac-12 teams (hosting Oregon State on Sept. 7, at California on Sept. 14 and hosting Washington State on Oct. 26).
• SDSU returns only two all-Mountain West players from a year ago in Mekhi Shaw (honorable mention at both wide receiver and punt returner) and Kenan Christon (honorable mention at kick returner).
• Gone from San Diego State are second-team honorees TE Mark Redman, OL Cade Bennett, CB Noah Tumblin and P Jack Browning, including the latter two which are vying for spots in NFL camps. Other all-conference performers gone from SDSU are QB Jalen Mayden, LB Zyrus Fiaseu and CB Dez Malone. In all, 18 starters are gone from the 2023 squad.
• Joining first-year head coach Sean Lewis are 55 total newcomers (combining scholarships and walk-ons).
• The Aztecs have only player - DL Wyatt Draeger - in his final year of eligibility who began his career at San Diego State. Only Troy (zero) has fewer players in their final year of eligibility who began their career at their current school (see chart on right).
• Overall, the Aztecs have 15 players in their final year of eligibility, which is the fifth fewest in the country. Only Illinois (12), Troy (12), Iowa State (14) and San Jose State (14) have fewer (see chart on right).
• Additionally, SDSU returns only 54 players from a year ago, which ranks as the fourth fewest in the country. 
• San Diego State has 44 scholarship newcomers, the sixth most in the nation. The 40 scholarship returnees are tied for the sixth fewest in the country.
• Lewis has brought along an impressive coaching staff to The Mesa, including six full-time coaches with previous coordinator experience. Three assistant coaches on the Aztec offensive staff have previous offensive coordinator experience, including pass game coordinator Lanear Sampson (2023 co-offensive coordinator/2022 pass game coordinator at Austin Peay), run game coordinator Mike Schmidt (2023 run game coordinator at Mississippi State, 2022 run game coordinator at Syracuse) and quarterbacks coach Matt Johnson (2023 offensive coordinator at Kent State). Additionally, senior offensive analyst Ryan Lindley was SDSU’s offensive coordinator last season.
• Defensively, Eric Schmidt is in his first season as SDSU’s defensive coordinator. Schmidt previously spent two seasons at Washington as its special teams coordinator and coach of the EDGE position on defense. Defensive edges coach Rob Aurich (2022-23 defensive coordinator at Idaho, 2018-21 special teams coordinator at South Dakota, 2015-17 defensive coordinator at Bemidji State) also has previous coordinator experience.
• Finally, associate head coach Zac Barton is in his first season as SDSU’s special teams coordinator after spending last season at Kansas, where he served as the Jayhawks’ special teams analyst. Prior to Kansas, Barton coached the special teams at Kent State from 2018-22 under Lewis.
• Saturday will be the seventh meeting between the Aztecs and the Beavers with OSU winning the last four games after SDSU won the first two. 
• In the last meeting in 2023 in Corvallis, San Diego State got inside Oregon State’s territory in nine of its 11 drives, but only came away with nine points in a 26-9 loss.
• Saturday will be the Aztecs’ last home game until Oct. 5 when the open Mountain West play against Hawai‘i. In between, SDSU travels to California on Sept. 14, is idle on Sept. 21 and travels to Central Michigan on Sept. 28.