Aztecs return home after a tough road loss at UCLA to host James Madison whose 2026 start looks every bit as sharp through two weeks as their historic 2025 season, despite a massive roster and coaching overhaul.
WEEK 3: James Madison Dukes at San Diego State Aztecs
WHEN: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 7:00 PM PST | 10:00 PM EST
WHERE: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, CA (Cap: 35,000)
TV: The CW
SERIES RECORD: First-ever meeting between the two schools.
ODDS: San Diego State -2.5
San Diego, CA — The SDSU Aztecs (1-1, 0-0 PAC) return to Snapdragon Stadium to host the James Madison Dukes (2-0, 0-0 SBC) in a first-ever meeting between the programs. San Diego State is coming off a hard-fought 28-10 loss at UCLA in which the defense actually held its own.
The Aztecs became the first non-conference opponent to hold the Bruins scoreless through a first half since 1989, but the offense never found any kind of rhythm.
James Madison, meanwhile, has rolled through a rebuilt roster under first-year head coach Billy Napier and looks like a team that just played in the College Football Playoff.
This game will be a serious battle. The Aztecs hold a seven-game home winning streak, tied for 14th-longest in the country, and the Dukes will do their very best to change that.
Now, let’s take a closer look at James Madison.
Get to Know the 2026 Dukes
James Madison enters 2026 breaking in a nearly clean-slate operation after an offseason of drastic turnover. The Dukes made history in 2025 as the first Sun Belt Conference program to reach the College Football Playoff, going 12-2 and winning the Sun Belt title before falling 51-34 to fifth-seed Oregon in the first round.
No good deed goes unpunished today in NCAA football, and that success came at a cost: head coach Bob Chesney left for UCLA, taking key running back Wayne Knight and defensive end Sahir West with him, while starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III transferred to UCF. JMU turned to Billy Napier to right the ship, and so far the transition has been seamless.
The Dukes opened the season with a gritty 20-13 win over rival Liberty, a game controlled almost entirely by James Madison’s defense, which returns a unit that ranked among the nation’s best in total defense a year ago.
JMU then followed that up with an 87-3 obliteration of FCS Wagner, scoring on ten of twelve possessions.
Offensive Leaders
James Madison has rotated quarterbacks early in the season. JC Evans led the Week 1 win over Liberty, completing 7 of 9 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown while adding 69 yards on the ground. In Week 2, Camden Coleman got the start and was solid in his own right, going 12 of 18 for 171 yards and a score before backup Arrington Maiden came on in relief and threw two more touchdowns. Running back Nick Herman has been the beast of the ground game, highlighted by a 132-yard, one-touchdown performance against Wagner that included a 77-yard touchdown run. As a team, the Dukes are averaging better than 50 points and well over 200 rushing yards per game through two weeks.
Defensive Standouts
JMU’s calling card remains its defense, which suffocated Liberty’s run game to the tune of just 91 yards on 38 carries in the opener. The Dukes have surrendered barely more than two yards per carry on the season. Special teams has also been a difference-maker. Wide receiver Michael Scott turned in one of the best all-purpose performances in program history against Wagner, with a kickoff return touchdown and two punt return touchdowns in the same game.
Your 2026 Pac-12 Aztecs
San Diego State enters Week 3 at 1-1 after a lopsided win over Portland State was followed by a competitive, but ultimately deflating road loss to UCLA. The Aztecs’ defense was the story of that game, holding the Bruins off the scoreboard for three quarters before a string of offensive three-and-outs wore the unit down late.
Head coach Sean Lewis was clear afterward about needing better offensive execution and play-calling to keep the defense off the field.
Key Offensive Players
QB1 Jayden Denegal had a rough outing at UCLA, completing just 6 of 17 passes for 45 yards with a touchdown and an interception, a sharp step back from his efficient season-opening performance. He’ll need to be far more accurate through the air against a James Madison defense that has been stingy against the run.
Star running back Lucky Sutton has been the steadiest piece of the offense, rushing for 81 yards on 19 carries against UCLA after his three-touchdown outing in the opener.
Transfer running back Javion Kinnard has complemented him well, and the receiving corps should continue to get healthier as Jordan Napier and Jacob Bostick work further back into form after offseason knee surgeries.
Key Defensive Players
The Aztec defense was arguably the best story of the season’s first two weeks, holding a UCLA offense that had just dropped 45 points on Cal to a single touchdown through three quarters.
Linebacker Tano Letuli continues to anchor the unit as a captain and preseason All-Pac-12 honoree, and he was one of four Aztecs to record four tackles against the Bruins, alongside Jelani McLaughlin, Josh Hunter and Sione Hale. Defensive lineman Gavriel Lightfoot remains a disruptive force up front.
Keys to a San Diego State Victory
1. Fix the Passing Game
Denegal and the SDSU offense managed just 189 total yards at UCLA, with the passing attack in particular sputtering on several missed deep shots. Against a James Madison defense that’s been nearly impossible to run on through two games, the Aztecs may need Denegal to be the one who takes over the game through the air.
2. Control Field Position
San Diego State’s defense wore down late at UCLA in part because the offense couldn’t sustain drives or flip the field. James Madison’s explosive special teams, led by Michael Scott, make field position an even bigger factor this week — the Aztecs’ own special teams unit, which delivered a blocked punt and a return touchdown in Week 1, needs to show up again.
3. Protect Home Turf
San Diego State’s seven-game home winning streak is on the line against a program that has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 74 points. A raucous Snapdragon Stadium crowd and a fast start would go a long way toward unsettling a Dukes team playing its first-ever game on the West Coast.
Prediction
This will be the most evenly matched game San Diego State has played so far this season. James Madison’s defense and special teams give it a real path to an upset on the road, but the Aztecs’ own defense has proven it can play with anybody, and the extra motivation of protecting the home winning streak should be enough to push San Diego State’s offense to do just enough.
Final Score
San Diego State 27, James Madison 24
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
