“Hopefully there’s someone down there that can give me a worthy death.”
San Diego State head football coach Sean Lewis dropped this famous line from the movie 300 during Monday’s press conference. The Aztecs football team watched the movie together as a bonding experience during preseason camp and the line has stuck in Lewis’ mind since.
He was referring to the next opponent on his team’s schedule, the UCLA Bruins. The Aztecs will head up the freeway to meet the Bruins in the Rose Bowl this Saturday, September 12, at 4:15pm PST.
Lewis said it as a sign of respect to first year head coach Bob Chesney and his Bruins team who came away with an impressive victory on the road at Cal-Berkeley last Saturday, 45-24.
“The best of the best want to compete against the best.” Lewis added, “So let’s go put the ball down and play. And I know that they’re going to be prepared. Coach Chesney and his staff do a hell of a job. We’ll be prepared as well.”
The Bruins are heavy 11.5 point favorites to win the game—but don’t tell that to Coach Lewis who fully expects to compete with a Big-10 opponent. SDSU will give them their best shot.
“I’m excited to go compete against a worthy competitor.” said Lewis, “Like, if you’re a true competitor, this is what you want. Let’s step into an arena with one that’s real.”
Early last season for an Aztec fan, those words from Coach Lewis’ would’ve been hard to get behind. Then came the Cal-Berkeley game.
The Aztecs stepped on to Bashor Field at Snapdragon Stadium as 14-point underdogs to the undefeated Golden Bears. Redshirt freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was garnering national hype and Heisman potential.
What ensued shocked even Aztec Nation as Coach Lewis’ team thoroughly destroyed Cal 34-0. The drubbing would become the largest margin of victory against a power conference opponent in the program’s history and first shutout of a power conference school since 1975.
A big difference between then and now is that the upset over Cal was played in front of a wild home crowd. Easily the loudest, most influential game a home crowd has had in the early years of Snapdragon Stadium’s brief existence. This Saturday’s match will be on the road in front of an equally excited Bruins fanbase.
San Diego State does have the added confidence of knowing it can win in the Rose Bowl however, having beaten the Bruins there 23-14 in 2019 as 7.5 point underdogs. Rocky Long teams were known for being physically and mentally tough, which allowed them to match the physicality of former Pac 12 teams, racking up several wins in the process.
This trait is something Aztecs teams under Lewis unfortunately have yet to truly show off on the road. During last season’s successful season, though the Aztecs were undefeated at home it was on the road that they dropped game’s that would have truly taken them to CFP contention (Washington State, Hawai’i, and New Mexico).
“We need to be focused on the task at hand and respect the prep and honor the warriors that have come before us.” Coach Lewis fully understands the importance of upholding that standard created by past Aztec warriors. But will his team understand and be able to overcome the pressure.
When San Diego State takes the field against UCLA on Saturday afternoon, will Coach Lewis be able to laugh in the face of the enormous Persian army assembled for battle, like when the Spartan warrior did?
Despite the odds against them and as the national media starts to endear themselves to a resurgence of UCLA football under Coach Chesney—as they did for Cal football a year ago—the Aztecs must have a warrior mentality prepared to slay giants with spirits high and never bowing a knee.
“I’ll take me and mine against them, all their polos, all their khakis, all their resources, all that” Coach Lewis said. “Put the ball down. Let’s go play.”
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