San Diego State Heads to Logan to Take on Utah State

San Diego State Heads to Logan to Take on Utah State

• San Diego State plays its second consecutive road game and final road contest of the season Saturday when it travels to Logan, Utah, to take on Utah State. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. MT (12:30 p.m. PT) on CBS Sports Network and San Diego Sports 760.
• The Aztecs (3-7, 2-3 MW) are coming off a 41-20 loss at UNLV Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium. SDSU spotted the Rebels (8-2, 4-1 MW) the first 21 points of the game and ultimately came up short, snapping its four-game winning streak in the series.
• The loss guarantees the Aztecs just their second losing season since the 2009 squad went 4-8.
• Following that 2009 season, SDSU won three Mountain West championships (2012 (shared with Boise State and Fresno State), 2015 and 2016), was bowl eligible for 13 consecutive seasons and finished in the Associated Press Top 25 poll on two occasions (2016 and 2021).
• San Diego State was outgained by UNLV, 515-270.
• Aztec running back Marquez Cooper ran for 97 yards on 26 carries and surpassed 1,000 yards for the season. He now has rushed for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns on 246 attempts (4.3 avg.).
• Cooper is the first SDSU player with a 1,000-yard rushing season since Greg Bell in 2021 (2021 (Bell had 1,091 yards in 14 games).
• Cooper is the first player in NCAA FBS history with 1,000-yard rushing seasons with three different teams, including 1,080 and 1,326 while at Kent State in 2021 and 2022, respectively, 1,043 last year at Ball State and 1,062 so far this year.
• Cooper’s four 1,000-yard rushing seasons overall are tied for the most in NCAA FBS history. The other players to accomplish the feat are Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh, 1973-76), Amos Lawrence (North Carolina, 1977-80), Denvis Manns, New Mexico State (1995-98), Ron Dayne (Wisconsin, 1996-99); Cedric Benson (Texas, 2002-05), DonTrell Moore (New Mexico, 2002-05), Tyrell Fenroy (Louisiana, 2005-08), Damion Fletcher (Southern Miss., 2006-09), Justin Jackson (Northwestern, 2014-17) and Myles Gaskin (Washington, 2015-18).
• Cooper is the active leader in FBS play in rushing yards (4,918) and all-purpose yards (5,619), and is third in rushing touchdowns (42), tied for third in total touchdowns (43), and fourth in rushing yards per game (94.6, min. 25 GP).
• QB Danny O’Neil, the first true freshman to start a season-opener in SDSU’s Division I history (since 1969), has completed 162 of 267 passes (60.7 pct.) for 1,752 yards and 11 touchdowns with six interceptions, while posting a 124.9 pass efficiency rating. He scored his first rushing touchdown on Saturday night at UNLV, making him the first player not named Marquez Cooper with a rushing touchdown this season for San Diego State.
• EDGE Trey White was held without a sack or tackle for loss but is still having a tremendous season. White ranks third in the country in total sacks (11.5), sacks per game (1.15), total tackles for loss (16.5), tackles for loss per game (1.70) and total tackles for loss yards (94), and eighth in total sack yards (61). He leads the Mountain West as well in all of those categories.
• White is already tied for sixth in SDSU single-season history with 11.5 sacks along with current Kansas City Chief Cameron Thomas (11.5 in 2021), only trailing Mike Douglass (21.0 in 1976), Brett Faryniarz (13.0 in 1987), Andy Coviello (12.5 in 1991) and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (12.0 in 1997 and 1999).
• Last month, White was added to the Bednarik Award Watch List for the most outstanding defensive player and was named to five midseason All-America teams.
• The San Diego State special teams has continued to impress as this year’s unit is ranked sixth in the country, according to ESPN’s special teams efficiency rating (70.1). The Aztecs have won five of the nine Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year awards issued since 2015. Those five include three kick returners (Rashaad Penny from 2015-17), two punters (Matt Araiza in 2021 and Jack Browning in 2022) and one kicker (also Araiza in 2021).
• Both of SDSU’s kickers are leading the league in their respective categories. Punter Tyler Pastula leads the Mountain West with a 45.98 punt average, which ranks seventh nationally and ranks fourth in San Diego State single-season history. Pastula has two of the six longest punts in FBS play this season (79-yarder at Boise State on Nov. 1 and a 75-yarder at Wyoming on Oct. 12).
• Placekicker Gabe Plascencia, meanwhile, has made 10 consecutive field goals and is 11-for-12 on the season. His 91.7 field goal percentage leads the MW and would be a school record if the season ended today. For his career, Plascencia is 15-for-16 in field goal attempts and his 93.8 percentage would be a school record if he had enough attempts (25) to qualify.
• Half (5) of SDSU’s games this season have been decided by one score. San Diego State is 2-3 in one-score games (all happening over its last seven). The five one-scores games have been decided by a total of 15 points. Total score of those five games: San Diego State - 117; Opponents - 120.
• Saturday’s San Diego State-Utah State game will mark the 18th meeting in series history, with the Aztecs owning a 13-4 series lead.
• The Aggies, however, have won the last two encounters and the two-game win streak is USU’s longest in the series.
• SDSU has claimed all five series meetings in Logan, although the teams have met only twice in the city since Sept. 27, 1975 (a 19-10 San Diego State win).
• This is the seventh time the teams have met with both being members of the Mountain West (the series is tied 3-3).
• Both San Diego State and Utah State will play in the Pac-12 Conference beginning in the 2026 season.
• The Aggies enter with an identical record with SDSU as both teams are 3-7 overall and 2-3 in MW play.
• USU is coming off an impressive 55-10 win against Hawai’i last Saturday at home.
• Following Saturday’s clash at Utah State, San Diego State ends its season at Snapdragon Stadium on Nov. 30 against Air Force.