San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis isn’t ready to hand the quarterback job back, and his message heading into Saturday’s Senior Night matchup against Utah State was about as clear as it gets: Stone Saunders has earned the opportunity, and he’s not giving it away.
With Senior QB Jaden Denegal continuing to work his way back from injury, Lewis confirmed that Stone will remain the Aztecs’ starting QB1 against the Aggies.
“Stone’s done a great job and is putting us in a position to be successful,” Lewis said.
Lewis pointed to the two factors that we’ve all noticed right off the bat from the redshirt freshman transfer from Kentucky by way of Pennsylvania, winning and making everyone around him better.
“The number one job of a quarterback is to find ways to win and make the people around you better,” Lewis explained. “Stone did a good job with the opportunity that presented itself and took advantage of it.”
Lewis also pushed back on the idea that Bert Emanuel Jr.’s impressive quarterback rating should factor more heavily into the decision, calling the numbers “pretty skewed” because of his limited opportunities.
Still, Lewis stopped short of declaring Stone the unquestioned starter for the remainder of the season.
“It’s always a day-to-day thing,” he said, while emphasizing that Stone continues to improve and has earned the opportunity to lead the offense.
With two conference games remaining and a postseason opportunity still within reach, Lewis is betting on the quarterback who has given the Aztecs their best chance to win. Against a Utah State defense he described as one of the toughest SDSU has faced this season, that decision could have major implications for the Aztecs’ November finish.
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