- Coming off its most dominating win over a Power 5 team in program history, San Diego State wraps up its non-conference season Saturday when it travels to Northern Illinois in Dekalb. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT (12:30 p.m. PT) with the game airing on ESPN+ and San Diego Sports 760, the flagship radio station of San Diego State athletics.
- On Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium, the Aztecs (2-1) showed off in front of 31,369 fans and the 2015 Mountain West Championship team with a 34-0 victory over previously unbeaten California, which coming into the game had two Power 5 wins and had outscored the opposition, 96-32.
- SDSU recorded its largest margin of victory (34 points) against a team from a Power 5 conference in its Division I history (since 1969). It was San Diego State’s first shutout against a current team from a Power 5 conference since beating Oregon State, 25-0, on Sept. 13, 1975.
- The 34-point victory is tied for the fourth-most lopsided shutout by a non-Power 5 conference team against a power conference team since 2000, trailing only a 59-0 victory by Brigham Young over UCLA in 2008, a 45-0 win by South Florida over Syracuse in 2023 and a 38-0 win by East Carolina vs. Duke in 2000.
- Coupled with a 42-0 win over Stony Brook in the opener on Aug. 28, the Aztecs have logged consecutive home shutouts to start a season for the first time in their DI history.
- Cal, which came into the game averaging 32.0 points, was shut out for the first time since Oct. 26, 2019 at No. 12 Utah and the first time against an unranked team since Oct. 22, 1994 at USC.
- SDSU won its first game against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), improving to 1-3.
- San Diego State did not record a turnover for a fifth consecutive game dating back to last season, extending its Division I record (since 1969) and matching the longest active streak in FBS play (UConn).
- Dwayne McDougle scored on a 35-yard fumble return in the third quarter and Chris Johnson added a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown later in the quarter. It was the second time the Aztecs had multiple defensive touchdowns in the same game in the Sean Lewis era (15 games) (also vs. Texas A&M-Commerce on Aug. 31, 2024). The last time SDSU had multiple touchdowns in the same game prior to this stretch was Nov. 5, 2016 vs. Hawai’i.
- Staley was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for his performance on Saturday night, coming up with seven tackles (all solo), his first career forced fumble, his first interception as an Aztec and a pass breakup.
- SDSU is ranked in the top 35 in every major defensive category, including 14th in pass efficiency defense (97.38), 17th in scoring defense (12.00), 20th in rushing defense (84.33) and 24th in total defense (260.00).
- On July 1, 2026, the Aztecs officially become a member of the new Pac-12 along with league stalwarts Oregon State and Washington State, as well as Boise State, Colorado State, Gonzaga (for men’s basketball only), Fresno State, Texas State and Utah State.
- SDSU is 62-34 (.646) in league play since the current 12-team Mountain West conference began play in 2013 (includes championship and bowl games), which ranks as the second-best mark in the league behind Boise State (83-18, .822). Utah State (third, .594), Fresno State (fourth, .586) and Colorado State (sixth, .500) each will join San Diego State in the new Pac-12 next season.
- Lucky Sutton ranks third in the Mountain West in rushing yards per game (83.00). He ran for 100 yards with two touchdowns in a 42-0 Aztec win over Stony Brook on Aug. 30 and then had 88 on Sept. 6 at Washington State on 15 carries (5.9 avg.). Against Cal on Saturday, Sutton rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts (5.1 avg.).
- Jayden Denegal is 43 of 73 for 529 yards and three touchdowns on the season without throwing an interception, while adding a rushing touchdown. He is coming off a 15-for-18 outing vs. California as SDSU tied for the fourth-best completion percentage (83.3 pct.) in its Division I history.
- Jordan Napier leads San Diego State with 19 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown. Over the past two games, Napier has 16 receptions for 223 yards (13.9 avg.) and a touchdown, including nine catches for 154 yards against Cal on Saturday night. Those were the most receiving yards bn an Aztec since Jesse Matthews has 175 vs. No. 24/25 UTSA in the 2021 Frisco Bowl.
- Owen Chambliss leads the SDSU defense with 24 tackles to go along with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Tano Letuli missed the game vs. Cal, but still has 20 tackles, while Chris Johnson has 16 stops, an interception and four pass breakups.
- Gabe Plascencia has made 16 straight field goals dating back to last year, which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the country and the longest by an Aztec since at least the 1996 season.
- Saturday’s game marks the seventh meeting between San Diego State and Northern Illinois with San Diego State winning all six in the series.
- The Huskies enter with a 1-2 record.
- The Aztecs are 16-2-1 against current members of the Mid-American Conference and 11-2-1 against teams that were members of the MAC at the time of the game.
- San Diego State is playing a game in the Central Time Zone for the first time since beating No. 24/25 UTSA, 38-24, in the 2021 Frisco Bowl on Dec. 22 in Frisco, Texas.
- The Aztecs are 10-20 all-time in their Division I era (since 1969) when playing in the Central Time Zone.
- Following Saturday’s clash at Northern Illinois, SDSU begins Mountain West play against Colorado State at Snapdragon Stadium on Friday, Oct. 3.
San Diego State Set for Northern Illinois Today
The Aztecs (2-1) play their final non-conference game of the season Saturday at Northern Illinois.
