Entering conference play with a solid 3-1 record, the Aztecs host Colorado State at Snapdragon Stadium where they have yet to give up a single point on the season.
WEEK 6: Colorado State Rams vs. San Diego State Aztecs
WHEN: Friday, October 3rd , 2025, 7:30 PM PST | 10:30 PM EST
WHERE: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, California (35,000)
TV: CBS Sports Network
STREAM: Mountain West Network (www.themw.com)
SERIES RECORD: SDSU leads this series 22-15, winning 7 of the last 9.
ODDS: San Diego State -5.5
San Diego, CA– The SDSU Aztecs (3-1, 0-0 MW) open conference play in their final Mountain West Conference season against the visiting Colorado State University Rams (1-3, 0-0 MW), who also follow the Aztecs next year to the newly-rebooted PAC-12.
SDSU eked out a 6-3 victory in Dekalb, Illinois against a disciplined albeit challenged Northern Illinois Huskies last week. A rare touchdown-less match put strong defenses (and underperforming offenses) on full display. Still: a win is a win is a win, so let’s credit Aztecs coach Sean Lewis with a solid 2025 non-conference result. If Lewis and the Aztecs keep it up, and if ticket prices are reasonable, fans will show up at Snapdragon Stadium en masse.
Now, let’s take a closer look at Colorado State.
GET TO KNOW THE 2025 RAMS
Colorado State Rams head coach Jay Norvell is struggling to move his team in a positive direction this season- so much so that he recently relieved himself of offensive play calling and reassigned it to associate head coach / quarterbacks coach Matt Mumme.
The Rams on the season are averaging 15.2 points as defense gives up 23 points per contest. Technically and mathematically speaking, this can be described as “not good.” Offense is ranked a dismal 131st in FBS as the defense is ranked 64th. If the Rams don’t turn it around soon, their season could resemble SDSU’s 2024 season.
On offense, quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi has 488 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while completing 53% of his passes. Wide receiver Armani Winfield leads with 156 yards, while tight end Jaxxon Warren has managed 95 yards and one touchdown. The ground game is led by tailback Jalen Dupree, with 267 yards and one touchdown, followed by Lloyd Avant who has 209 yards and two TD’s on the season.
Defense is spearheaded by linebacker Owen Long, who has 52 tackles. Linebacker Lemondre Joe has 1.5 sacks, and cornerback Jahari Rogers has the team’s only interception. The Rams have scored just 19 points over the last two games, and this has added pressure to their defense to do more to keep the Rams in the game.
Last week, Colorado State got hammered 20-3 on the road at Washington State. In that game, CSU scored just one field goal. QB2 Jackson Brousseau completed 19 of 28 passes for 188 yards, but never reached the end zone. The offense was largely contained during the game. Overall, they ran 65 plays for a total 334 yds. The Colorado State Rams rushed 37 times for 146 yds, averaging 3.9 yards per run. Against the run, the Rams gave up 158 yards on 33 attempts- 4.8 yards per carry.
The Rams’ sole victory this season was three games ago against Northern Colorado.
THE AZTECS FOLLOWING A ROAD WIN
Quarterback Jayden Denegal has 636 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions on 60% passing. Receiver Jordan Napier leads with 290 yards and a touchdown, and Jacob Bostick has 126 yards and two TD’s. On the ground, star running back Lucky Sutton has been rock solid with 337 yards and three scores on 67 carries.
On defense, linebacker Owen Chambliss has 36 tackles, and lineman August Salvati leads with 3.5 sacks. Cornerback Chris Johnson has two interceptions, including a 97-yard return. On special teams, kicker Gabriel Plascencia has made all six of his field goal attempts this season and has made 17 straight.
Two games ago against Cal, the Aztecs waged a 34-0 victory. In their last game against Northern Illinois, defense was elite, and although the offense struggled, they registered the low scoring 6-3 win. Jayden Denegal didn’t have his best game. He finished completing 13 of his 20 passes for 110 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.
On the season, San Diego State is averaging 23.8 points while their defense is giving up 9.8 points per game. The offense is ranked 95th while the defense is ranked 6th.
San Diego State has two straight wins, and their confidence level is increasing.
KEYS TO A SAN DIEGO STATE VICTORY
1. High Tempo Play
If AztecFast is more than a mere catchphrase, then high tempo play could work to the Aztecs’ advantage against the Rams. Quick formations without huddles and rapid snaps would likely keep Colorado State off balance, while burning out Rams defense. Defense is the Rams’ best chance to remain competitive in this contest. If CSU defense struggles to keep up, Aztecs can hold command of this game, possibly wire-to-wire.
2. Three-And-Out Rout
SDSU defense’s ability to prevent the Rams from converting third downs will contribute to a dominant Aztec performance and clock control. SDSU’s defense has been playing at an elite level, so they have to keep their foot on the gas pedal. If the Rams don’t advance the ball they won’t be able to score and the Aztecs will, in turn, disproportionately maintain possession and overall control of their opponents.
3. Special Teams Surprise
If the Rams appear off balance and fall into a scoring deficit, the Aztecs could find bonus opportunities to run special teams set plays, that in turn contribute to additional scoring while electrifying the fan base. If the Aztecs manage to get offense, defense and special teams scoring it will further demoralize the Rams.
PREDICTION
Coach Norvell has struggled to make Colorado State’s offense effective, and now it is one of the worst in all of FBS. Combine that with SDSU’s 6th ranked defense, and the sum product is difficult scoring for the Rams. If SDSU offense shows up and puts on a strong performance at home in Snapdragon Stadium, then don’t be surprised to see Denegal and Co. dazzle once again as they did against Cal two weeks ago.
This game favors SDSU considerably. The Aztecs enjoy a home field advantage, and Snapdragon might have a solid home crowd. The Aztecs ought to register win number four during their conference play opener. While it’s possible Colorado State could score a few field goals, the Aztecs might once again pull out all the stops to hold the Rams scoreless.
FINAL SCORE
San Diego State 27, Colorado State 0
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