Ranking San Diego State’s most important football games

Sep 14, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs edge Trey White (47) before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

There’s been another barrage of major developments in college football this offseason, including the House Settlement and almost daily rumors and developments as the reconstituted Pac-12 begins to stir to life.

Summer workouts are under way. Fall camp is coming soon. 

And that means it’s time to start taking an in-depth look at San Diego State’s schedule for a pivotal season. The big storylines will be the Aztecs’ farewell to the Mountain West, their attempt to bounce back from a grim 3-9 finish in coach Sean Lewis’ first year and perhaps finally showing fans what their “AztecFAST” offense is supposed to look like.

Four of their 2025 opponents will be part of the reconstituted Pac-12: current MW foes Boise State, Colorado State and Fresno State, as well as Washington State, which along with Oregon State are the two holdovers from the earth-shaking Pac-12 breakup of two summers ago. 

It will be a farewell to Nevada, Wyoming, Hawaii, San Jose State and New Mexico. The Aztecs miss the three teams that beat them to end last season: UNLV, a popular pick to finish second behind Boise State, Utah State and Air Force.

SDSU hosted both Wazzu and Oregon State last year as part of an agreement between the MW and the Pac-12 survivors. That agreement wasn’t renewed this season. 

Here’s a totally subjective ranking of the Aztecs’ games in order of importance:

1. Boise State

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Nov. 15

Snapdragon Stadium

Boise State has been the class of the MW for so long that playing the Broncos is not only one of the highlights of the schedule, but a true measuring stick. The Broncos are coming off their biggest season yet. They won the MW Championship Game against UNLV and earned the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in their first appearance in the College Football Playoff, where they lost 31-14 to No. 6 seed Penn State. 

The Broncos lost star running back Ashton Jeanty to the Las Vegas Raiders with the sixth pick overall in the NFL Draft. But they have plenty of skill position players returning, led by quarterback Maddux Madsen.

The Broncos beat the Aztecs 56-24 in Boise last season to take a 6-4 lead in the series. The Aztecs’ only win against the Broncos in San Diego was in 2013. SDSU beat BSU in 2021 in what was technically a home win, but the game was played in Carson while Snapdragon Stadium was being built.

2. Fresno State

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

New Fresno State football coach Matt Entz. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Oct. 25

At Fresno

These longtime rivals, who play for the Old Oil Can trophy, missed each other last year. They resume their rivalry and then head off to the new Pac-12 together next season. The Bulldogs went 6-7 and 4-3 last year. 

The Aztecs ran their series lead to 31-27-4 in a home win in the 2023 season finale that was coach Brady Hoke’s last game.

The Bulldogs are led by first-year coach Matt Entz, who led North Dakota State to two FCS national titles in a three-year span. He spent last year on Southern California’s staff.

3. Washington State

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Washington State University football coach Jimmy Rogers. | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sept. 6

At Pullman

The Aztecs get an early-season chance for some revenge and should get pleasant autumn conditions on the Palouse when they visit their future Pac-12 rival. SDSU blew a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter last year at home against the Cougars and lost 29-26, starting a season-ending, six-game losing streak.

The Cougars jumped into the Top 25 after that game before losing three straight, including to Wyoming and New Mexico, both of whom finished in the bottom half of the standings. Coach Jake Dickert jumped to Wake Forest, quarterback John Mateer and several other players entered the portal, and it was a decimated WSU team that returned to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl, where it lost 52-35 to Syracuse.

The Cougars will be playing their first game under new coach Jimmy Rogers, who was hired away from FCS power South Dakota State. 

4. California

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Sept. 20

Snapdragon Stadium

The Golden Bears are coming off a rough introduction to the ACC, going 6-7 overall and 2-6 in conference last year. One of those wins was against the Aztecs at Berkeley, where Cal scored on its first four possessions of the second half to pull away to a 31-10 win and its first 3-0 start in five years.

It was always a big deal when the Aztecs played a member of the old Pac-12, and it should be again when they play one of the teams that bolted from the once-venerable conference in the wild realignment summer of 2023. 

The Aztecs beat the Golden Bears in San Diego in 2016. The home team has never lost in the series, which Cal leads 5-4.

5. Wyoming

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Wyoming Cowboys head football coach Jay Sawvel. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Nov. 1

Snapdragon Stadium

The Aztecs won 27-24 in Laramie to pull to 3-3 overall and improve to 2-0 in the conference for the first time since 2021. But it was all downhill after that as the Aztecs lost their final six games. 

The Cowboys and Aztecs ended up with identical 3-9 and 2-5 records. SDSU finished 10th and Wyoming 11th in the MW. Wyoming did win two of their final four games in coach Jay Sawvel’s first season, and lost to BSU by just four points.

6. Colorado State

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Colorado State football coach Jay Norvell. | Kevin Lytle/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oct. 3

Snapdragon Stadium

The Aztecs missed the Rams last year. CSU went 8-5 overall and was third in the MW at 6-1, staying in the race for a berth in the championship game until late in the season. The Rams were routed by Miami in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. 

7. Northern Illinois

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Northern Illinois Huskies head coach Thomas Hammock. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Sept. 27

At DeKalb, Ill.

This is the first game in a home-and-home series that will see the Huskies make a trip to San Diego in 2031. The Aztecs are 6-0 in a series that dates to 1967 and have outscored the Huskies 228-96, including a 34-28 win in San Diego in their most recent meeting in 2017. 

The Huskies went 8-5 last year and were sixth in the MAC at 4-4. They beat Fresno State 28-20 in two overtimes in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.

8. San Jose State

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

San Jose State Spartans head coach Ken Niumatalolo. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Nov. 22

Snapdragon Stadium

The Aztecs missed San Jose State in 2024, when the Spartans finished 7-6 overall and 3-4 in the MW in coach Ken Niumatalolo’s first season. The Spartans return nine starters and get a big boost by missing Boise State and UNLV.

The Spartans played a five-overtime thriller against USF in the Hawaii Bowl before losing 41-39.

9. Nevada

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Nevada head football coach Jeff Choate. | JASON BEAN/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oct. 11

At Reno

These teams missed each other last year, when the Wolf Pack finished 3-10 overall and last in the MW at 0-7. 

The Wolf Pack did beat Oregon State, but then lost its last six games. Most prognosticators are picking Nevada to finish near the bottom of the MW standings. 

10. Hawaii

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors head coach Timmy Chang. | Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

Nov. 8

At Honolulu

The Aztecs beat the Rainbow Warriors 27-24 in San Diego for their second win. Hawaii finished 5-7 overall and was one of five teams going 3-4 in conference.

11. New Mexico

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

New Mexico head football coach Jason Eck. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Nov. 28

At Albuquerque

The Aztecs had won nine straight in this series, which dates to the 1970s and the Western Athletic Conference _ once known as the “Wacky WAC” _ before a dismal 21-16 home defeat during the six-game losing streak. The Lobos finished 5-7 and 3-4, but are looking like a consensus last-place pick. Jason Eck is their third coach in as many years, taking over after turning around FCS Idaho.

12. Stony Brook

1. Boise State, 2. Fresno State, 3. Washington State, 4. California, 5. Wyoming , 6. Colorado State, 7. Northern Illinois, 8. San Jose State, 9. Nevada, 10. Hawaii , 11. New Mexico, 12. Stony Brook

Stony Brook head football coach Billy Cosh. | Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics

Aug. 28

Snapdragon Stadium

Everyone loves a perceived easy opener, or “cupcake,” and the Stony Brook Seawolves will make the cross-country trip from Long Island to serve that role in the season opener. The Seawolves finished 8-4 last year and 5-3 in the Coastal Athletic Conference, formerly the Colonial Athletic Conference. The Seawolves lost their last two games and missed the FCS playoffs.

SDSU opened the last two seasons with wins against Texas A&M-Commerce and Ohio.

MORE MOUNTAIN WEST NEWS & ANALYSIS

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/san-diego-state as Ranking San Diego State’s most important football games.

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