5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs – San Diego State will face a must-win game against the Spartans if its slim hopes of claiming the 2022 Mountain West championship are to be kept alive.
While football fans have grown accustomed to high-scoring offenses and happy passes that move the ball up and down the field, the San Jose State-San Diego State game turns out to be a defensive struggle.
5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs
The Spartans ranked 10th in the nation in scoring defense (16.4 points per game). SDSU is not far behind, ranking 29th (21.3 points per game). Meanwhile, the Aztecs’ offense averaged only 19.6 points per game. In contrast, the Spartans posted a solid 27.1. (5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs)
Much of the defensive success is due to the teams’ performance in the red zone, with SDSU ranking second in the nation and San Jose State fourth. (5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs)
So this game could hinge on one of the offenses being able to make some big plays.
SDSU (5-4, 3-2 MW) is a 2 1/2-point underdog against San Jose State (6-2, 4-1).
The game starts at 7:30 PM. (Fox Sports 1) at Snapdragon Stadium.
1. What does it mean to win
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A win would give SDSU its sixth win of the year and would qualify the Aztec Bowl for the 13th consecutive season.
In addition, the stated goal of the program is to play for the conference championship, and play is an essential component of this. (5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs)
The Aztecs must win or they are mathematically eliminated from any chance of winning the conference’s Western Division and playing for the MW Championship for the second year in a row.
With a loss, SDSU would go 5–3 at best and San Jose State would go 5–3 at worst. But the Spartans would hold the tie-breaking advantage over the Aztecs.
A win would leave SDSU at 4–2 in the conference, with a chance to finish at 6–2.
In that case, if the Aztecs wanted to win the West, they would have to win their next three games (road games at UNLV and Nevada and home versus Wyoming).
2. Hold the Line
SDSU’s offensive line has had its own challenges this season in providing protection for the quarterback and opening holes for the running game.
Now comes arguably the best defensive line in the conference.
San Jose State, led by defensive ends Wilmi Fehoko (7 sacks, 15 tackles for loss) and Cade Hall (6 1/2 sacks, 10 tackles for loss), ranked third in the country in sacks and sixth in the nation. Tackles for loss per game. (5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs)
The Spartans were at their best the past two weeks, totaling 17 sacks. That’s when SDSU quarterback Jalen Madden came into play after being sacked six times against UNLV.
“I think they do a good job when you watch them attack the line of scrimmage and come out,” said SDSU head coach Brady Hoke. “They are very talented and we just have to do our bit. we have to keep improving (5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs)
“I think guys up top, we only had two punts (on the offensive line). I think that was something we got better at and we have to keep getting better at.”
3. Trio of Signatures
San Jose State’s offense received a major boost through the transfer portal during the off-season, allowing the Spartans to reload with quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and wide receivers Elijah Cook and Justin Lockhart (both from Nevada).
Cordeiro (177 of 294, 2,224 yards, 11 TD/2 INT passing/92 carries, 182 yards, 7 TD) started in Hawaii for three years and gives the Spartans a dual-threat quarterback.
“He’s very dynamic,” said the SDSU cornerback Dallas Branch. “He can run, throw, everything. This week is about being disciplined, understanding our technique and assignments, and going out there and competing.”
In Cooks (43 receptions, 701 yards, 4 TDs) and Lockhart (26 receptions, 428 yards), Cordeiro has a pair of receivers that could rival any pair in the conference.
4. Armstead effect
The presence of SDSU sophomore running back Jaylon Armstead down the stretch against UNLV (six carries for 56 yards) allowed SDSU to hold the ball for the remaining 5 minutes and 41 seconds of the game.
Armstead finished with a team-high 14 carries and 72 receiving yards against the Rebels. He averaged a team-high 8.2 yards per carry (57 rushings, 262 yards) on the season. (5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs)
The Aztecs have a stable full of ball carriers, but the 5-foot-11, 238-pound Armstead is the biggest running back in the backfield.
An ankle injury sidelined him for nearly half the season, but after his effort against UNLV, it was time to see what Armstead could do in a bigger role.
5. Turnovers tell the story
The Aztecs collected four turnovers, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries against UNLV.
Taking the ball away from San Jose State will be a bit more challenging. The Spartans had just five turnovers (three lost fumbles, and two interceptions) in eight games.
San Jose State’s defense has 14 steals (10 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries), helping the Spartans to a plus-1.12 turnover margin that ranks fifth in the nation. (5 Things to See: San Jose State at the Aztecs)
SDSU, in contrast, ranked 49th with a turnover margin of over 0.22, based on 17 sacks (10 interceptions, 7 fumble recoveries) and 14 punts (7 of each).
