The Aztecs head east for their final non-conference game of the season, looking to stop a two-game losing streak. Toledo has a new coach plus a quarterback who is playing some of the best football in the G6.
WEEK 4: San Diego State Aztecs at Toledo Rockets
WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 9:00 AM PST | 12:00 PM EST
WHERE: Glass Bowl; Toledo, OH (26,038)
TV: CBS Sports Network
RADIO: San Diego Sports 760
SERIES RECORD: San Diego State leads the all-time series 1-0.
LAST MATCH: SDSU won 17-14 in San Diego on Sept. 24, 2022.
ODDS: Toledo -3 (O/U 52.5)
Toledo, OH – The SDSU Aztecs (1-2, 0-0 PAC) travel to Toledo (2-1, x-x, MAC) for a noon Eastern time (9 a.m. PST) kickoff in their final non-conference game of the season. San Diego State is coming off a stinging 26-13 home loss to James Madison that ended its seven-game winning streak at Snapdragon Stadium, and leaving fans wondering as much about this season as they did about bright red uniforms and black panther helmets. The Toledo Rockets, meanwhile, are riding high after one of the most remarkable finishes of this early season.
The two programs meet for the second time ever. The series was supposed to begin in 2020 but was pushed back by the pandemic, and the Aztecs won the first meeting 17-14 in their third game ever played at Snapdragon Stadium. SDSU’s record away from home is less kind: SDSU is 3-13 in its Division I era when playing in the Eastern Time Zone.
Now, let’s take a closer look at Toledo.
Get to Know the 2026 Rockets
Toledo, like James Madison last week, is breaking in a new coaching staff after a successful season. The Rockets went 8-5 and 6-2 in the MAC last year, then hired Maumee native Mike Jacobs as the program’s 28th head coach after Jason Candle, Toledo’s all-time wins leader, left for UConn.
Jacobs arrived from Mercer, where he took the Bears to the FCS playoffs in both 2024 and 2025. He brought plenty of help with him. Toledo’s portal class included 11 players with all-conference honors at their previous schools. Among them are defensive end Andrew Zock, the 2025 FCS Defensive Player of the Year and one of 14 former Mercer players who followed Jacobs to Toledo.
The Rockets have been competitive in all three games. They lost the opener 30-20 at Michigan State after rallying to take a fourth-quarter lead, only to give up the game’s final 11 points. Toledo then scored 56 straight points in a 63-10 rout of Central Connecticut.
Last Saturday was the headline. Down 42-28 with under three and a half minutes left against Temple, the Rockets scored, recovered an onside kick- and scored again within 11 seconds to tie the game, then won 49-48 in overtime. With 1:11 left, ESPN gave Toledo a 99.4 percent chance of losing. That is who the Aztecs will be facing in the Glass Bowl this Saturday at mid day.
Offensive Leaders
Quarterback John Alan Richter is a machine. The junior completed 38 of 51 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns against Temple- all career highs. Toledo is averaging 312.7 passing yards and 44 points per game, 22nd and tied for 18th nationally.
Running back Connor Walendzak is another major threat. His career-long 71-yard touchdown run gave Toledo its fourth-quarter lead at Michigan State. He followed that up with 62 rushing yards and three total touchdowns against Temple.
Wide receiver Adjatay Dabbs is Toledo’s big-play option. He caught two touchdowns, including a 60-yarder, for 101 yards in the opener, and his 25-yard catch on 4th-and-8 from Toledo’s own 19 kept the Temple comeback alive.
Defensive Standouts
Isaac Zay led the defense at Michigan State with a career-high 12 tackles, a sack and a pass breakup, while Julian Fox and Mo Conteh also reached double-digit tackles. Andrew Zock anchors the edge. The run defense, however, is a real question mark. Temple ran for 261 yards and three touchdowns against the Rockets last week. The unit is also young. Toledo was one of only six FBS teams to return zero defensive starters this season.
Your 2026 Pac-12 Aztecs
San Diego State enters Week 4 at 1-2 after back-to-back losses to UCLA and James Madison. The JMU game came down to a disastrous first half. The Aztecs were without three offensive starters, left guard Kalan Ellis, wide receiver Donovan Brown and star running back Lucky Sutton.
Even worse, Jayden Denegal threw two first-half interceptions and the Dukes scored on each of their first three possessions. SDSU trailed 19-0 at halftime but outgained JMU 238-136 after the break. That second half is something to build on.
Key Offensive Players
The breakout story of the season so far is sophomore running back Javion Kinnard. Making his first start at SDSU with Sutton injured, Kinnard ran 33 times for 181 yards and a touchdown and added four catches for a team-high 70 yards. His 251 all-purpose yards were the most by an Aztec at Snapdragon Stadium and the most by any SDSU player since Rashaad Penny’s 283 in the 2017 Armed Forces Bowl.
As of Wednesday, September 23, Sutton is questionable to return Saturday. He sits 13 yards from passing Art Preston for 20th on SDSU’s career rushing list. A Sutton-Kinnard pairing would be the best 1-2 punch the Aztecs have had all season, so Lucky’s return is hopeful.
QB1 Jayden Denegal was better after a slow start against JMU. He finished 18-for-33 for 209 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, and his 10-5 career record as a starter is the sixth-best in SDSU’s Division I history.
Key Defensive Players
Linebackers Tano Letuli and Sione Hala each made 10 tackles against JMU, and Djibril Rahman recorded two sacks. Hala leads the team with 29 tackles under first-year defensive coordinator Demetrius Sumler, and Letuli, the first three-time Aztec captain since Kevin O’Connell, is right behind him with 25.
Safety Josh Hunter has 20 tackles and is the most experienced player on the roster.
Keys to a San Diego State Victory
1. High Pressure On John Alan Richter
Richter absolutely carved up Temple for 429 yards, and Toledo’s offense depends big time on his arm. Rahman showed JMU during several downs that SDSU can actually push serious opponents backwards. If the Aztecs can collapse the pocket on Richter, they can break his rhythm and keep Dabbs and other Toledo receivers from producing the big time plays that fueled the Rockets’ Temple comeback.
2. Lean Heavy On The Run Game
Temple’s 261 rushing yards should be top of mind for the Aztecs. Kinnard just carried the ball 33 times, and a healthy Sutton would give Sean Lewis two backs who can wear down an inexperienced defensive front. Long, physical drives by the Aztecs will also keep Richter on the sideline- where he belongs.
If Lucky isn’t able to go, it will be key for Lewis’ offense to mix in other potential runners like Christian Washington or even Bert Emanuel Jr. to keep Kinnard fresh. After such a heavy task last week he was visibly cramping up towards the end of the game.
3. Start Fast And Clean
A 9 a.m. Pacific kickoff three time zones from home is a tough ask, and SDSU’s record in the Eastern Time Zone reflects that. The Aztecs have dug early holes in each of their last two games. A clean first quarter with no giveaways would give them a great chance to trend back toward a winning season.
Prediction
This matchup should be very competitive. Sean Lewis in his five years as head coach at Kent State was 0-5 vs Toledo in MAC play, but that was already more than five seasons ago. This year Toledo can clearly score, but its defense is young and gave up big yardage on the ground just last week. That matchup favors a San Diego State team whose identity this season has been running the football.
The early kickoff and a road crowd riding high after a miracle win make this a tough spot, but a healthy Aztec backfield and a hungry defense should be enough to get San Diego State back to .500 heading into Pac-12 conference play.
Final Score
San Diego State 28, Toledo 24
Stay tuned for our San Diego State vs Toledo preview live podcast, where we will get into some game film and give further opinions on the big matchup. Click below and be sure to like & subscribe!
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