SDSU football stands at 5-1 on the season—a far cry from the expectations most had of this team to finish 8th or 9th in conference. The Aztecs are receiving AP Top-25 votes, but Washington State losing to #18 Virginia didn’t help SDSU’s cause. At least Cal handled business and knocked off a struggling North Carolina Tar Heels team.
Now that the bye week is over, if the Aztecs want to continue this turnaround and climb higher in the polls, they will need to win decisively against Fresno State (5-2) this Saturday on the road in California’s Central Valley.
Easier said than done against their bitter rivals, who also had a bye week to think about their embarrassing loss to a lackluster Colorado State Rams team. The Bulldogs losing the Old Oil Can two seasons ago will add extra motivation to Saturday’s game as well.
Here are three things to keep an eye on when the Bulldogs host the Aztecs.
1. Offensive Leadership & Changes
Fresno State is under a new head coach, Matt Entz, in his first season with the program. At quarterback they have E.J. Warner, son of NFL Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner. E.J. brings some experience and gives Fresno State a more seasoned passer.
Their offense still shows some volatility though: while Warner has thrown big yardage, he also has thrown three interceptions in a recent loss. Overall he’s been middle of the pack in the Mountain West this year and his 10 TDs to 9 INTs isn’t a good ratio.
Expect Fresno State to try and get their run game established a little bit more. If the Bulldogs can somehow move the ball through the air against this SDSU defensive secondary—controlling the line of scrimmage for the run could be easier. It will be crucial for SDSU to win this battle, as disrupting Warner’s rhythm could pay big dividends.
2. Defensive strength, but with vulnerabilities
Fresno State’s defense is one of their more consistent units: in 2024 they ranked 4th in the Mountain West in scoring defense (~24.8 points allowed) and 3rd in total yards (~355.6 yards per game) under that standard. But in their recent 49-21 loss to the Colorado State Rams they gave up a large rushing touchdown of 73 yards. They had poor start execution, which put them behind and forced changes in game plan. They could never recover.
While Fresno State’s defense is solid, if SDSU can establish the run early or force them into unfavorable down-and-distance situations, it may open up the passing game. The Bulldogs are vulnerable when forced out of their base approach it appears.
3. Game Timing, Venue and Black Outs
The game is at Fresno State’s home, Valley Children’s Stadium, which gives them the home-field edge. The kickoff time is unusually early for them however at 12:30 p.m. PT. and due to TV scheduling.
Playing at this marquee time slot the Bulldogs will put on their best knowing they need a win badly if they are to stay in contention for Mountain West Championship. This will officially be their homecoming game and so they’ve labeled this one as a ‘blackout’ choosing to wear all black uniforms and helmets in hopes that this will generate a buzz among their fans to show up in unison.
Those dirty dogs will be wearing SDSU’s all black colors but the earlier start time should help eliminate any actual ‘blackouts’ in the stands. Fresno State is notorious for having extremely rowdy fans. Lowering the chances of having those fans with a full day’s belly of alcohol definitely helps this game’s attractiveness. I mean just look at how their fans treated each other during a rivalry game against Boise State two seasons ago.
If only the weather patterns could turn into a heater and the Valley sun cook the Bulldogs and their fans like raisins—but don’t expect it. Weather patterns expect it to be an absolutely perfect climate for a football game in early fall.
SDSU has all the momentum and comes in 5-1 (2-0 in conference) and punching above expectations. Fresno State is 5-2 (2-1 conference), but coming off that heavy loss and likely wanting to rebound. The fans are anxious about their offensive production and while they will be excited, they could be disinterested if things don’t go their way early.
Implication for SDSU:
Getting off to a fast start is critical for the Aztecs: the early kickoff could disrupt usual routines, so preparation and warm-up rhythm matter. Coach Lewis and staff need to use the recent Fresno loss and momentum swing to their advantage. Force them to play from behind, make them uncomfortable.
This one has all the makings for another classic battle between these two teams for a rivalry trophy both covet greatly. More to come on this matchup this week here at Sons of Montezuma, so stay tuned.
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