The wait is officially over — San Diego State football is back, and the Scarlet and Black are anxious to erase the woes of their previous 3-9 season.
Head coach Sean Lewis enters his second year as the leader of this program and looks to turn things around this time. Although he isn’t on the field making tackles or catching passes, he takes it upon himself to make this season different.
“I ask our guys to improve and compete each and every single day,” Lewis said. “And if I’m not different and if I’m not better and I’m not improving, then I’m a fraud.”
The confidence he has in himself speaks volumes, but the confidence his players have in him speaks even louder.
“This year, I feel like we have that great connection with coach Lewis, and a lot of players are on board and willing to put in whatever they can for coach Lewis, and coach Lewis is willing to do the same for us,” senior center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli said.
Junior edge rusher Trey White and senior cornerback Chris Johnson were both named to the Senior Bowl Watch List, representing some of the highest standards in college football. Although they both had opportunities to enter the transfer portal and play elsewhere, they decided to remain where it all started.
“It speaks to who they are, how they’ve been raised, what their priorities are and what this team and place means to them,” Lewis said. “I look forward to them finishing it with their team and taking that first step in this climb.”
All 11 starters are returning from the defensive side of the ball, bringing confidence to the unit in their ability to work cohesively.
“I think it helps a lot with the connection,” junior edge rusher Brady Nassar said. “I think everyone knows where everyone is at all times. We trust each other, we rely on each other and we know we have each other’s backs.”
On the other side of the ball, however, it’s a different story.
Junior quarterback Jayden Denegal awaits his first career start in collegiate football, having previously been a backup quarterback at Michigan behind J.J. McCarthy in their 2023 national championship season. Denegal will make his debut against Stony Brook, which has completely turned their program around in the last two years.
After a disastrous 0-10 season in 2023, head coach Billy Cosh led the Seawolves to an 8-4 season in 2024, his first season with the team, earning him the Football Championship Subdivision Coach of the Year title.
“I’m excited about the opportunity that lies ahead with Stony Brook coming in here from Long Island, a tremendous team and really well coached,” Lewis said.
SDSU and Stony Brook will be facing off for the first time, with the two schools being nearly 3,000 miles apart from each other. The Aztecs are 14-1 in their last 15 meetings against FCS schools, but they will need all the support they can get from the fans at Snapdragon to get this season started on the right track.
“We are San Diego’s football team,” Lewis said. “I expect our community to show up and to show out and to create an advantage for us that will only get better and better as the year goes along.”
With the season opener just around the corner, this first matchup marks the beginning of a quest that the Aztecs missed out on last season by just nine points: qualifying for a bowl game.
“There’s something special that’s brewing in this building that I’m really excited to unleash on Thursday night,” Lewis said. “We’ve been working relentlessly to get the talent in the building to make sure that the talent and the mindset are right for us to be able to go do what we’re capable of doing. So, hell yeah, we can make a bowl game.”
The Aztecs will take on Stony Brook in their home opener on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium.
