SAN DIEGO – San Diego State Football completed the fourteenth fall camp practice with the 2026 season opener just over two weeks away. Temperatures reached the high-70s with the players taking the field to the sounds of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart.
The first half of practice was highlighted by ball security drills and special teams’ exercises. Once they transitioned to the grass field the focus shifted to team-oriented matchups including end of game offensive scenarios and offensive execution drills. Overall, it was a lighter day on the field with the Aztecs wearing spider pads and helmets.
San Diego State Football has become synonymous with elite special teams’ production. In 2025 the Aztec’s, under coach Zac Barton, fielded one of the best special teams’ units in the conference. Punter Hunter Green was selected to the all-conference second team while ranking sixth in the nation in punting average while launching 22 punts 50 yards or more. Kicker Gabriel Plascencia was also elite at his position. Plascencia was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, an award given to the most outstanding kicker in the nation. Plascencia converted 19 field goals while making all 35 of his PAT attempts and earning second team all-conference recognition. Rounding out the Aztec’s elite unit was first team all-conference punt returner Jordan Napier. Napier returned 22 punts on the season for a total of 193 yards and a touchdown, which he scored on the road against Nevada.
Coach Barton is aware of the pedigree and talent that he will be looking to replace for the 2026 season but was adamant that his new punter, Tashi Dorje, is more than up to the task. Dorje punted three times last season for a total of 150 yards. During the team’s road matchup against Hawaii, he posted a career best 60-yard punt despite rainy conditions. When asked about Dorje’s emergence Barton said, “I'm asking him to do a lot. We're asking him to do a lot of different stuff. We're changing the drop angle. He's being asked to hit a multitude of punts. He's just not going straight back and hitting a hitting a turnover. We're asking him to hit different sides of the ball. Sometimes I'm asking him to put it out of bounds and punters know that's not really easy. We're asking him to move around with new rules. We're asking him to move around quite a bit in the “A” gap to do some different things.”
Not only has Dorje risen to the occasion on the field, but Barton has looked to him to lead the kicking units as the season approaches.
“He's gone from last year where he's the backup to a whole different scenario. Now he's the guy, and everybody knows he's the guy. Last year Gabe was the leader of that unit. That whole group knew Gabe was the leader. Now Tashi is that guy. So not only has he continued to get better, but he’s also got to lead the group. Everybody's looking at him, me included, and he's done a fantastic job with that. That kid is obsessed with playing football. He's obsessed with it, and since camp started, he's gotten dramatically better, which is a huge testament to that kid's work ethic.”
The senior punter from Brentwood, California understands the big shoes he is being asked to fill. Despite what some would consider pressure, Dorje has embraced the expectations that come with serving as a leader on the Aztec’s special teams’ unit.
“I just think it's about me going out there and doing my best every single rep. I know I'm more than capable and I have all the talent, all the abilities to do it. Just putting it together and putting my team in the best place. I think that's one of the biggest things I've been trying to focus on. It is all about the team, the team, the team. What can I do to help the team? What can I do to put us in a better field position so the defense can go out and get a safety? How can we be in better field position? How can I get us out of bad field position? It's just doing the little things right, focusing on how I can help my teammates.”
The Aztecs will now look to wrap up the third week of fall camp with their fifteenth workout set for tomorrow morning. 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
8/13/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/14/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/17/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/18/2026 Fall Practice Recap
8/18/2026 Fall Practice Recap
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
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