SAN DIEGO – The Aztecs wrapped up the second week of fall camp with a light practice before turning their attention to August 15 and the “First Saturday at Snapdragon” scrimmage. It was slightly overcast with temperatures in the low to mid-70s as practice began to the tune of 2Pac’s “California Love”.
The team wrapped up their morning position group meetings before heading to the locker room where the players donned spider pads after having worn full pads earlier in the week. Practice began on the turf field with special teams’ drills before progressing to other “indy” sessions. Once the team transitioned to the grass field the focus shifted to “skelly” and 1-on-1 drills as well as some situational, offense vs. defense team periods.
While there are plenty of new faces on The Mesa who will be suiting up for the Aztecs this coming season, one of the position groups that is poised to return a lot of production is the interior defensive linemen. The trio of Malachi Finau, Krishna Clay and Amari Comier combined for 13 starts and 53 total tackles. They are joined by transfers Gavriel Lightfoot and Tuaoa Tauili’ili and a pair of freshmen in Koi Taiese and Roman Paseka.
Leading the men in the trenches is coach David Lose. Lose enters his third year on the Mesa having helped the Aztecs field one of the best defensive units in the nation, ranking sixth in all of FBS in scoring defense during the 2025 season. Lose highlighted the depth of his position group saying, “If you look at the room, from top to bottom, you start with those two guys that you guys spoke to with Gavriel [Lightfoot] and Mali [Malachi Finau]. Krishna Clay and Amari Comier truly have done a good job pushing themselves as well. Tuaoa Tauili'ili has done a great job. He has had a phenomenal summer and done a really good job during camp improving his game, being stalled at the point of attack. He also has added some repertoire to his finesse pass rush game and capabilities. Then we're really excited about our two young guys, Koi Taiese and Roman Paseka as well, and the potential they bring to the program for the near future and the far future.”
Coach Lose emphasized the interior defensive line’s focus of shutting down opposing teams running games while giving credit to Coach Bill O’Boyle and SDSU’s offensive linemen who battle against his pass rushers daily.
“Well, the interior priority of the program is in place, and one of the cultural values here is that we have to kill the run, and we're going to kill the run. We've got to be physical, we've got to be violent, and we've got to be able to attack people. Our offensive line has done a great job, giving us great looks to put us in peculiar predicaments to push us to get better. We are looking forward to continuing to compete that way through camp and developing the defensive interior along with the edges as well. When you talk about the offensive line, you got to start with Coach O'Boyle. The tenacity, the intensity he brings, it is a direct reflection and correlation to where the guys are playing and competing and improving on a day-to-day basis. Whether it's a footwork thing or a posture thing or a pad level thing, they're getting off the ball. They're being violent, and Coach O'Boyle does a phenomenal job with those guys. Coach O'Boyle allows me as an interior defensive line coach to work every day that we have pads on, and so it's really, really about physicality and developing the physical nature, not only defensively but offensively as well.”
Malachi Finau was a staple up front for the Aztecs defense during the 2025 campaign. Finau collected 21 total tackles and a pair of quarterback hurries across 13 appearances, nine of them starts. Across his career Finau has been a force in the middle including an impressive 2024 campaign with the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii where he posted 19 total tackles, 3.0 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
As one of only a handful of defensive returners with starting experience, Finau understands that he has been tasked with an increase in leadership responsibilities.
“It’s a new role I wanted to take on. You know, last year I had a bunch of dogs that I could follow. You know, you got Chris [Johnson], you got Trey [White] all those guys. So, I think just taking on this new leadership role, I think my biggest thing is just showing the ropes to the young guys, and not just the young guys, even older guys. Coach Farrell [EDGE Coach Colin Ferrell] always tells me, even Coach Lose, you're not just leading the young guys; you're leading everybody.”
Finau believes that the constant competition between the offensive and defensive lines during practice is preparing both groups for big seasons once games begin later this fall. While the units don’t normally receive recognition, it requires a certain mentality to thrive along the frontlines on the field.
“Honestly, you just got to be a dog. The trenches aren’t meant for everybody. It's just the biggest dog is going to win at the end of the day. So big ups to our offensive line too. We compete with them every day, and they're progressing. We're progressing. So, I think as long as both us and the offensive line keep competing, nobody's going to be able to stop us at all.”
While the Aztecs return a strong core of proven contributors on the interior, newcomer Gavriel Lightfoot has wasted no time making an impact on the field. Lightfoot began his career with Fresno State where he appeared in 35 games for the Bulldogs. There he posted 66 total tackles and five tackles for loss. He transferred to Colorado for the 2025 season where his season was cut short before making an appearance due to injury. Now, he joins the Aztecs and looks to be a critical piece of the defensive front.
Lightfoot has already seen growth and development from the defensive front over the last few days of camp. Stopping the run will be a point of pride for the Aztecs in the trenches this year.
“I think we're meshing together. Plays are coming. Everybody's playing fast. Everybody's having fun out there. That's what matters most: being violent, being physical. It is going well…I think our responsibility is definitely stopping the running game before getting after the passer, Coach Lewis says whenever you go inside we call it “Inside Fun”. Stop the run. Stop the run. Stop the run.”
The Aztecs are heading to Snapdragon Stadium Saturday, August 15 as they prepare to host “The First Saturday at Snapdragon”, a showcase and scrimmage for SDSU fans to get a first look at the team. The first game of the season will be a home matchup against the Vikings of Portland State on Saturday, September 5. SDSU’s home slate also includes a non-conference game on Sept. 19 against James Madison (7 p.m. PT), and Pac-12 home matchups with Texas State (Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Fresno State (Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. PT), Washington State (Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. PT) and Utah State (Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. PT).
Fall Camp Recaps
8/5/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/6/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/7/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/11/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/12/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/14/2026 Fall Practice Recap
First Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium Info
The San Diego State football team will play host to the “First Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium” on Aug. 15. Admission and parking are free at the event, but fans must claim tickets. The Aztecs will begin scrimmaging at 5:30 p.m. PT with the gates opening at 4:30 p.m. Limited concessions will be available. There will be giveaways throughout the scrimmage, including unique Aztec apparel and more. Following the scrimmage will be an autograph session. Fans will also have the chance to participate in their own Behind the Fandom video, similar to the Behind the Helmet series currently featured on GoAztecs.com. See Episode 1, Ep. 2, Ep. 3 and Ep. 4.
Ticket Information
Season Tickets
Season tickets remain the best value for Aztec football at Snapdragon Stadium. Season ticket pricing has been lowered across the board to make tickets more affordable and accessible for the loyal fans and community. Fans are encouraged to purchase season tickets through San Diego State, which start as low as $175 ($150 plus $25 Aztec Club Membership), only $29.17 per game. This shift supports SDSU’s focus on strengthening local connections and building a gameday atmosphere worthy of the program’s next chapter. PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS
Family 4-Packs
The four tickets can be purchased for $76 (plus fees), which includes parking (a combined $125 value). Additional seats can also be purchased for $20 apiece (plus fees). The four available games at Snapdragon Stadium include the Sept. 5 opener against Portland State at 6:30 p.m. PT, the Sept. 19 game vs. James Madison at 7 p.m. PT, SDSU’s inaugural Pac-12 game on Oct. 3 against Texas State at 7:30 p.m. PT and the final home game of the season on Nov. 14 vs. Utah State at 6:30 p.m. PT.
Single-Game Tickets
Single-game tickets start as low as $23, which includes all fees. PURCHASE SINGLE-GAME TICKETS