Past 2025 Fall Camp Recaps
Coach Lewis Press Conference - July 28
Practice No. 1 - July 30
Practice No. 2 - July 31
Practice No. 3 - Aug. 1
Coach Lewis Post-Practice - Aug. 4
Practice No. 5 - Aug. 4
Practice No. 6 - Aug. 5
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State football team completed its seventh practice of the 2025 fall camp on Wednesday morning at the on-campus facility.
After a special teams meeting and position meetings, the Aztecs did a walk-thru and followed with team flex (stretching). SDSU then went for just under two hours under a bright sun and cloudless skies with temperatures in the low 80s. San Diego State practiced for the first half on the turf field and the second half on the grass field.
After practicing in full pads for the first time on Tuesday, the Aztecs went in helmets and spiders in today’s session. The team started out with special teams individual drills, pops, win, more special teams and individual drills before moving over to the grass field. On the grass, SDSU worked on ball security, more special teams, third down skelly and team execution.
After losing first-team all-Mountain West Marquez Cooper last year after a phenomenal career that saw him tie a NCAA FBS record with four 1,000-yard rushing seasons, San Diego State returns only 34 rushing yards from a year ago (second fewest in the country according to a recent FBS athletic communications survey), 82 yards of total offense (second fewest in the country) and 36 points scored from non-kickers (third fewest in the country).
Second-year running backs coach Darian Hagan said this year’s team will likely be running back by committee. The Aztecs will rely on three local products, including two who are returning to America’s Finest City after stops at two other schools apiece. Lucky Sutton (Cathedral Catholic High) is the only returning running back with a carry in a SDSU uniform, while Byron Cardwell Jr. (St. Augustine High/Morse High) comes to The Mesa after stops at Oregon (2021-22) and California (2023-24) and Christian Washington (Helix High) after stints at New Mexico (2022-23) and Coastal Carolina (2024).
“I'm really proud of all three of those guys,” said Hagan. “They bring it every day. They do everything we ask of them and they’re really good teammates. That’s important. They complement each other really well. All these guys are capable of doing good things with the ball in their hand. And the most important thing is they've been consistent. They've been trustworthy and they're accountable. They're all smart. They deserve opportunities and they're taking advantage of those opportunities.”
Sutton did most of his damage in 2023 as a redshirt freshman, where he ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries (5.2 avg.). Sutton appeared in four games in 2024 behind Cooper, rushing for 35 yards on just five attempts (7.0 avg.) and had two attempts for eight yards (4.0 avg.) in one game in 2022.
“I would say that just having that patience,” said Sutton when asked what kept him waiting for his time. “I honestly wanted to develop as a player. When Coach Hagen and Coach Lewis came to me, they said they wanted to develop me. They wanted to give me some good coaching. That definitely helped me to stay, and the San Diego fans and everybody here in San Diego helped me stay here as well."
“Lucky is a big, rugged guy,” said Hagan. “He’s smart, he's intense. He's detailed with everything that he does. He runs behind his pads. I tell him all the time, when you're going up against linebackers and (defensive backs), you’ve got to man up and run through guys. Be a really physical runner, and that's what he's doing.”
Cardwell Jr., meanwhile, has rushed for 568 yards and four touchdowns on 96 attempts (5.9 avg.) in 18 career games, including 16 of those at Oregon in 2021 and 2022. He played in just two games the past two seasons at California, missing all of 2023 with an injury.
Hagan likes Cardwell Jr.’s physicality as well.
“Same thing in Byron, they feed off each other the same way,” said Hagan. “Just a big, athletic guy with who runs behind his pads. Both of them (Sutton and Cardwell Jr.) are surprisingly fast, and they're quick in and out of the hole, which is important for a running back. We're all having patience.”
Cardwell Jr. embraces getting to play with other San Diego running backs.
“We have very high expectations,” said Cardwell Jr. “All three lead backs, all from San Diego, all played against each other at some point in high school or training growing up. I have high expectations for this season. I’m excited, (and) ready to just attack it. We're all involved and have a big piece in this, and this season we're going to run the ball.”
Washington, who joined the Aztecs in the spring, has played in 23 career games, rushing for 858 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 17 receptions for 115 yards. He also has 30 kick returns for 709 yards (23.6 avg.) and a 100-yard touchdown.
“Christian is really dynamic, both in the rush and pass game,” said Hagan. “He sees it all. He has a natural wiggle, which is important. He can make guys miss naturally.”
Washington is happy to be back in San Diego and would like to win a championship for the city.
“I feel like I've grown tremendously as a player and as a human being,” said Washington. “(Coach Hagan) has been on me ever since I got here, really pushing me to keep me going forward. And as for the role, anything that really will help the team win. The goal is that (Mountain West) championship come December.”
The eighth of 24 fall practices before the opener against Stony Brook on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Snapdragon Stadium is set for Wednesday morning.
San Diego State also has home games vs. California (Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Colorado State (Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Wyoming (Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. PT), Boise State (Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. PT) and San Jose State (Nov. 22, time TBA).
Fan Fest Information
The San Diego State football team will host its annual Fan Fest on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Snapdragon Stadium.
Admission to the Aug. 14 Fan Fest is free, but all fans will need to claim their ticket in advance at https://am.ticketmaster.com/sdsu/buy/AztecFanFest. Fans may claim up to four tickets. If you need additional tickets, please call the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-SDSU (7378). Parking is $10 and can also be purchased at the same link.
The parking lot opens at 5 p.m. PT with the gates opening at 6 p.m. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m. PT.
The team store and select concessions will also be open.
Ticket Information
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2025 campaign start at just $200 ($175 plus $25 Aztec Club Membership), only $33.33 per game. Fans are encouraged to purchase season tickets with benefits featuring interest-free payment plans, pre-sale access for most third-party events, and discounts on merchandise at the team store, additional single-game tickets and food/beverage. Additionally, season-ticket members will have the ability to purchase discounted season parking, access to a personal account representative and the ability to transfer and resell tickets digitally.
To purchase, or renew, your season tickets, visit goaztecs.com/sports/football-tickets.
Mini Plans
For the first time, fans can now build their own three-game mini-plan completely online. Fans can choose from any of SDSU’s six home games and save on single-game fees. Fans can also leverage their three-game mini-plans into becoming a season-ticket member. For example, purchasing an Orange Mini-Plan puts you just $39 away from becoming a season-ticket member. Contact the SDSU Athletics Ticket Sales Office at (619) 594-9834 to discuss other ways to save money while enjoying San Diego State football.
Single-Game Tickets
Single-game tickets can be also purchased Monday for as low as $23, which includes all fees.