Fresno State vs. San Diego State preview: How to watch, and will the Aztecs stop themselves?
Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford was in the middle of a post-game press conference, dissecting the Bulldogs’ last-second loss to Utah State, when he made a curious comment.
“We still control our own destiny,” Tedford said.
At the time, the Bulldogs didn’t. With the loss, they needed help to make it back to the Mountain West Conference championship game for a third year in a row. But whether Tedford is prescient or was just perplexed after losing to the Aggies 37-35 on a field goal as time expired, they got it.
Nevada, a 14-point underdog, beat San Diego State 17-13 later Saturday night, giving the Bulldogs control once again of their fate in the West Division.
And on Friday, Fresno State and San Diego State play at SDCCU Stadium with the winner taking control of the division race – Hawaii and Nevada also have three conference losses, but the Bulldogs already beat the Rainbow Warriors and play the Wolf Pack next week.
Even with Fresno State allowing and 483.0 yards and 37.2 points per game in Mountain West play, that is not out of the realm of possibility.
San Diego State never looked more vulnerable than it did in losing to the Wolf Pack – the Aztecs were 50-1 under coach Rocky Long when allowing 17 points or less with 35 wins in a row.
Can they can even take advantage of a struggling Fresno State defense? When Nevada headed to San Diego State it was ranked lower than the Bulldogs in several pertinent statistical categories.
The rankings in the MW going into last week …
Scoring defense
- Bulldogs 31.9 ppg, tie 6th
- Nevada 34.6, 10th
Rushing defense
- Bulldogs 165.2, 7th
- Nevada 145.1, 5th
Passing defense
- Bulldogs 244.4, 8th
- Nevada 268.2, 10th
Total defense
- Bulldogs 409.6 ypg, 6th
- Nevada 413.3 ypg, 7th
Nevada was having its issues on defense as well and the Aztecs generated only 309 yards and 13 points with quarterback Ryan Agnew hitting only 18 of 35 passes for 196 yards with one interception and Chance Bell leading the run game with all of 40 yards on 11 plays.
They averaged an anemic 4.2 yards per play, which is not even a season low. San Diego State is averaging 4.5 yards per play this season, leaving them 125th in the nation and ahead of only 0-9 Rice, 1-9 Massachusetts, 0-9 Akron, 1-9 Old Dominion and 1-8 Northwestern.
“We’ve won the last couple games because special teams have helped us out,” coach Rocky Long said, after the Aztecs’ loss to Nevada. “Now, obviously, it’s hard to win football games if you don’t score, and our offense is having unbelievable struggles scoring. I don’t have the answer, or I’d fix it.”
San Diego State lost to Nevada at home, and the Aztecs have been worse offensively at SDCCU Stadium that they have been on the road.
They are scoring just 15.5 points per game on the home field and averaging just 2.8 yards per rush and 5.9 yards per pass attempt with an efficiency rating of 112.60.
The details: how to watch, more
When: Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Where: SDCCU Stadium, (70,561)
TV: ESPN2 (Dave Flemming, Tom Ramsey, Paul Carcaterra) Comcast (33, 725), AT&T Uverse (606, 1606), DirecTV (209), Dish (144)
Radio: 940AM/ESPN (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill and Cameron Worrell)
Records: Bulldogs 4-5, 2-3 in the MW, Aztecs 7-2, 4-2
Series: San Diego State leads 29-25-4
Most recent meetings:
- 2018 – Bulldogs 23-14
- 2017 – Bulldogs 27-3
- 2016 – San Diego State 17-3
- 2015 – San Diego State 21-7
- 2014 – Bulldogs 24-13
Vegas line: San Diego State -1.5
Weather: high 70s with a low of 55 degrees
Tickets to future Bulldogs home games: gobulldogs.com/559-278-DOGS (3647) or any ticket-resale site. Single-game tickets start at $27. Go to the Fresno State website for details about promotions and pre-game and in-game activities.
Nevada kick time set
The Bulldogs’ Senior Night game against Nevada on Nov. 23 will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. and be televised by ESPN2.
O-line update
Fresno State played its final series in that loss to Utah State without starting right guard Quireo Woodley, who became the only Bulldogs’ lineman to start all nine games this season only to leave in the fourth quarter with an injury.
His status for Friday: day-to-day, Tedford said.
The Bulldogs already have played seven with seven starting offensive line combinations in nine games and if Woodley can’t go it will be eight in 10.
Nick Abbs filled in when Woodley went down.
This is how they have lined up this season …
at USC – Dontae Bull, Netane Muti, Matt Smith, Quireo Woodley, Syrus Tuitele
Minnesota – Bull, Muti, Smith, Woodley, Tuitele
Sacramento State – Nick Aibuedefe, Muti, Smith, Woodley, Tuitele
at New Mexico State – Bull, Aibuedefe, Smith, Woodley, Tuitele
at Air Force – Bull, Bula Schmidt, Smith. Woodley, Tuitele
UNLV – Bull, Schmidt, Smith, Woodley, Tuitele
Colorado State – Bull, Jace Fuamatu, Smith, Woodley, Tuitele
at Hawaii – Alex Akingbulu, Fuamatu, Smith, Woodley, Tuitele
Utah State – Akingbulu, Fuamatu, Tyrone Sampson, Woodley, Bull
Rivers running
Fresno State running back Ronnie Rivers has a streak of three consecutive 100-yard games working headed to San Diego State, which has one of the best run defenses in the FBS.
The Aztecs are allowing just 65.3 yards per game on the ground, second in the nation to Utah (56.0). They also are allowing just 2.4 yards per play, second to Penn State (2.1).
Rivers, with 146 yards against Colorado State, 103 at Hawaii and 102 against Utah State, is the first Fresno State running back to have three consecutive 100-yard games since Marteze Waller had four in a row in 2014.
How legit is the San Diego State rush defense?
It has been good for years – the Aztecs have been in the top three in the Mountain West the past four years and led the conference in 2016 and ‘18. But the Aztecs this season also have played three teams ranked 120th or lower in the FBS in rushing in New Mexico State (120th), Nevada (122nd) and San Jose State (125th). Also Utah State and Colorado State, which are ranked 82nd and 76th, and a FCS team, albeit a very good one, in Weber State.