Fresno State vs. San Diego State: TV info, odds and one of the mysteries in college football

San Diego State has won a lot of football games over the past seven COVID-less seasons, riding a stellar defense and strong rushing game. Five times since 2015 it has won 10 or more games, with two Mountain West Conference championships and a third trip to the title game just last year.

It has done it with minimal margin for error due to a stagnant offense, which does pique curiosity. Where would the Aztecs be with more credible quarterback play?

It appears to be the same this season as in the past, with operator error and injuries taking a toll on an offense that is tied for eighth in the Mountain West in scoring.

San Diego State is averaging just 19.1 points per game and on Saturday with an inside track to the conference title game on the line is expected to start Jalen Mayden, a quarterback turned safety turned quarterback.

The starting quarterback at the start of the season, Braxton Burmeister, is now playing as a wideout after hitting only 36 of 72 passes and averaging a puny 3.7 yards per attempt with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Mayden was a quarterback when he transferred in from Mississippi State in 2020, played in one game last season and was moved to defense in the spring. He still was listed as a safety on the roster in Week 5, when the Aztecs lost two quarterbacks to injury in a loss at Boise State.

In his 2021 appearance, Mayden came off the bench and completed 5 of 6 passes for 50 yards and one touchdown and rushed four times for 36 yards at the end of a 46-13 loss to Utah State in the conference title game.

In his first game back at quarterback this season, Mayden hit 66.7% of his passes for 322 yards and one touchdown against Hawaii. But he was just 12 of 25 for 156 yards last week against Nevada.

It is worth noting: San Diego State beat Hawaii 16-14 when the Rainbow Warriors were last in the Mountain West in scoring and total defense, allowing 45.4 points and 480.6 yards per game. And, it beat Nevada 23-7 with a defensive score when the Wolf Pack was ninth in scoring and total defense, allowing 29.1 points and 391.7 yards per game.

Fresno State has little room to roll its collective eyes. The Bulldogs have not recruited a prep quarterback who finished his college career at the school, or that position, since Derek Carr in 2009, relying greatly on Power Five transfers Marcus McMaryion and Jake Haener.

But their task on Saturday night is not unfamiliar, and the Bulldogs have had success at least slowing San Diego State even while it was racking up double-digit win seasons.

Fresno State is 4-3 in the past seven meetings, limiting the Aztecs to an average of 15.0 points per game. Only once in that stretch has San Diego State scored more than 20 points against the Bulldogs. It won 21-7 in 2015, beating a 3-9 team that allowed 38.1 points per game. It won 17-7 the following season when the Bulldogs went 1-11 and allowed 30.9. It won 21-7 in 2019, beating a 4-8 team that allowed 30.1.

Those three San Diego State teams won 11, 11 and 10 games.

San Diego State at times struggled to run against a Bulldogs defense geared up against it, and with the exception of 2019 didn’t get much done with its passing game. Ryan Agnew threw for a career-high 323 yards in that game, but the Aztecs in the other six games have completed only 43.8% of their passes for 135.8 yards per game.

WHERE THOSE POINTS ARE COMING FROM

San Diego State has scored 14 touchdowns. Only 10 of those scores have come from its offense and only six of those 10 have come against FBS-level opponents. That’s one per game.

Three of those touchdowns against the FBS also have come on short fields — 32 yards in seven plays against Arizona, 25 yards in nine plays against Utah and 51 yards in four plays against Nevada.

Two have come on big plays — a 43-yard run against Toledo and a 32-yard run against Nevada. It had touchdowns of 47 and 53 yards against FCS Idaho State.

The Aztecs also are tied for second in the nation in averaging 6.9 punts per game.

San Diego State has two special teams touchdowns and two defensive touchdowns, which should get the Bulldogs’ attention this week. The scores:

• Jaylon Armstead blocked a punt and had a return touchdown against Arizona.
• Jordan Byrd had a 66-yard punt return touchdown against Idaho State.
• Tyrell Shavers had 36-yard punt return against Boise State.
• Patrick McMorris had a 30-yard fumble return against Nevada.

THE GAME

FRESNO STATE vs. SAN DIEGO STATE

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Valley Children’s Stadium

TV: FS1 (Jeff Levering, Petros Papadakis)

• Find it fast: Channels 652 and 1652 on AT&T Uverse, 35, 408, 731 and 1208 on Comcast, 219 on DirecTV, 150 on Dish Network

Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill, Cameron Worrell)

• Find it fast: 1400 AM in Visalia/Tulare; 1340 AM in Fresno; 1280 AM in Stockton; 970 AM in Bakersfield; 92.9 FM in Modesto; 96.7 FM in Fresno

The records: Bulldogs (3-4, 2-1 in the MW), San Diego State (4-3, 2-1)

The series: San Diego State leads 30-26-4

Last meeting: Bulldogs won 30-20 in 2021

The line: Bulldogs -7