San Diego State will play it’s final season in the Mountain West Conference in 2025. Throughout those nearly 25 years they’ve had to deal with competing against BYU’s 30 something year olds, the Rocky Mountain biased executive decisions, the ridiculous Boise only revenue cut-out, and whatever other cockamamie business the league could thrown at them. In the words of some in Aztec Nation, it’s time to burn it down to the ground, on the way out.
We’ve discussed the first half of games already and now focus in on the final remaining games of the schedule—Fresno State, Wyoming, Hawai’i, Boise State, San Jose State, and New Mexico.
at Fresno State (Oct 25)
So when we last left off, the Aztecs had just finished playing on the road at Nevada before heading into their second bye week of the season. A full 29 days go by between home games during this stretch. The final road game at the end of that timeframe is the traditional rivalry game that is taking the college football world by storm—‘The Battle for the Old Oil Can’.
San Diego State vs Fresno State is a true American Classic. Two Cal State system universities, with massive inferiority complexes, beating up on each other for the pride of our great state’s machismo. It’s wonderful.
Bulldogs former head coach Kaelen DeBoer won some MW Championships, left the Bulldogs for Washington, and is now the head man at Alabama. After that I couldnt tell you who was coaching in the valley to save my life. But you know what I can tell you? The Aztecs own the Old Oil Can.
But seriously Matt Entz takes over the Bulldogs program after spending a season at USC as associate head coach/Linebackers coach. It figures to be decent hire as Entz was previously head coach at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. Aside from the new coach, the addition and announcement of EJ Warner (son of NFL hall of fame QB Kurt Warner) as starting QB has made waves and will be curious to see his performance leading up to this showdown in the valley.
Either way, this is a game the Aztecs will have plenty of time to prepare for. It should be fascinating to see how Coach Lewis handles his first real rivalry game in a hostile environment.
Wyoming (Nov 1)
Last season against the Pokes was by the far the most thrilling game of the season for the Aztecs. It had a little bit of everything in it; great defensive plays, exciting offensive touchdowns, and the kind of tough, gritty & emotional victory that should’ve propelled that team to many more victories. The wins didn’t roll in however. In fact, last years Aztecs didn’t win another game all season after beating the Cowboys in Laramie
This year’s game for Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel is important now that we see his team finished with the same 3-9 record as Coach Lewis & the Aztecs. Both coaches enter into their 2nd season and will show just how much (if any) their respective programs are going in the right direction.
It will definitely be the last time the two football programs meet for a very long time, we suspect. It will also be that first home game in almost a whole month at Snapdragon for SDSU. This game might be a deciding factor whether or not the Aztecs go bowling in 2025.
at Hawai’i (Nov 8)
Next on the list is the 2nd and likely final roadtrip game for us Sons of Montezuma as a crew. The trip to Hawai’i for a football game is one I’ve always wanted to personally make. I regret not watching a game at the old Aloha Stadium, but I get the warm & fuzzy’s knowing that a new Aloha Stadium is in the works for the good people on the islands.
Coach Timmy Chang has been very close in beating SDSU the last three years, only to come up just short each time. It seems like he’s got his offense up to his standard from all reports in camp. The Rainbows are even favored to beat Standord in their opening game this season.
By the time of this game in the season, coach Chang will know if redshirt QB Micah Alejado will truly be the guy all the Warriors fans saw him to be last season. The freshman only performed in four games last season but carries with him a ton of potential & hopes that the Hawai’i fans need if their program is to move forward with their legend as coach.
Boise State (Nov 15)
The Broncos fresh off their College Football Playoff appearance trot their brand of football down to Southern California again for this once fiery matchup between two programs that mirrored each other so much. Those days are gone.
Both programs in recent years faced challenges of moving forward through the changing landscape of college ball. But only one has proven to come through on the other side with flying colors. The Broncos to their credit, spotted the issues holding them back from progress, made the necessary changes, and then hit the targets needed to improve their situations.
Whether in new hires, recruits, or strategic focuses on & off the field, in 2025 Coach Spenser Danielson and the Blue Turf Boys will be the heavy favorites to do it all over again. Despite losing Heisman Trophy snub, Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos have another strong caliber RB in Malik Sherod. QB Maddux Madsen is projected as the best in the Mountain West, and CB A’marion McCoy is figured to be one of the nation’s best in the secondary.
The Aztecs gladly have the Broncos at home this go round. It was not pretty last season on the blue, once the game got passed the 1st quarter.
San Jose State (Nov 22)
Ken Niumatalolo is a bonafide football coach. The native of Hawai’i spent 15 years as leader of the Naval Academy and got everything that he could out of his players. This was an interesting hire for the Silicon Valley based Spartans and though I wasn’t sure how it would go at first, credit to San Jose State it appears it was just what they needed.
Toughness, discipline, no flash, all substance—just a few traits that the Spartans needed to reconnect themselves to. Sure they had a good thing going with Bren Brennan—he brought them back to respectability. But to follow up his tenure with the experience of Coach Ken, was a crucial get.
San Jose State has maybe the easiest schedule in the Mountain West Conference. Sure they play the #1 team in the country, Texas Longhorns in week #2 of the season. But they avoid playing against the top conference contenders of Boise State, UNLV, and Colorado State. Don’t be surprised if you see the Spartans sneak into the Conference Championship game on that advantage alone.
at New Mexico (Nov 28)
The Aztecs wrap-up the 2025 regular season on the road in Albuquerque vs the Lobos. UNM had a flash of success last season when Bronco Mendenhall led the cherry & gray to a 5-7 record. Yes, that was successful year for the land of enchantment, Lobos.
Well, Bronco fled the land of entrapment, leaving the Lobos high & dry, as he joined Utah State as their head coach. Up next New Mexico brought in Jason Eck, longtime assistant coach through the ranks and across the country. In Eck’s most recent job as HC at Idaho, he turned around the afterthought Vandals into back to back winners of 9 and 10 games his last two seasons. Now that is a doing a job well done.
Eck loses at least 17 players due to the portal before he arrived in New Mexico. Those included a standout trio of RB Naquari Rogers, WR Ryan Davis, and QB Devon Dampier, all heading together to the University of Utah.
Eck quickly responded by adding his Idaho players, starting QB Jack Layne, LB Jaxton Eck (Eck’s son), RB Deshaun Buchanan, and WR Jordan Dwyer to relieve the situation. Now that is showing some loyalty to each other right there.
The Aztecs and Lobos have a shared commonality through football, and a vitriol hatred towards each other in basketball. The Lobos will playing this entire season with house money, so there’s no telling what kind of shape they will be in come this final game of the year.
But no matter what they may have on their plate, this game for the Aztecs will be one of the only must win games of the season. SDSU cannot afford to end the season on a sour note by losing to a New Mexico team for the 2nd year in a row. Let alone one that has had such a frantic turnaround in leadership as the Lobos.
Well Aztecs fans, there you have it. That’s our rundown of the two halves of the 2025 SDSU football season. What are your thoughts? What unique challenges or advantages do you feel SDSU holds over or under each team they play? Let us know in the comments and we will be back shortly with our ranking of the schedule, from the easiest to the toughest games.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
