Fresh off another bye week, San Diego State football (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West) gears up for a hostile road battle against rival Fresno State (5-1, 2-1 MW) in the battle for the “Old Oil Can” trophy.
The Aztecs are led by their No. 1-ranked defense in the Mountain West Conference. Having allowed 12.2 points per game, along with five interceptions and fifteen sacks through the first six games of the season.
“I feel like we got the best defense in the country,” junior edge rusher Trey White said. “We’ve been together for almost two years now, I feel like we have great chemistry, I trust every single guy out there.”
White has started to heat up for the Aztecs, earning three sacks over his last two games. White feels that he started a lot slower this season than he’d have liked to but knows he’s making an impact on defense.
“I feel like I’m definitely playing the run better than last year, just not as much production in sacks, but that’s not really what I was focused on this year,” White said. “I’m starting to heat up, and it’s been feeling pretty good to get those sacks under my belt.”
Fresno State’s offense is led by senior quarterback E.J. Warner, son of NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Previously playing at Temple and Rice, he has accumulated over 10,000 passing yards in his collegiate career. This season, Warner has been under pressure, being sacked 13 times and throwing nine interceptions through Fresno State’s first seven games.
The Bulldogs boast a diverse and dynamic running back room, featuring four rushers who have each gained over 100 yards this season. Leading rusher Bryson Donelson has run for 405 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. Fellow running back Rayshon Luke has 384 yards, five touchdowns and is averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
“They got a talented group in the backfield,” head coach Sean Lewis said at a press conference on Monday. “I think they do as good a job as anyone we’ll play in terms of their targeting, the way their offensive line is coached up and how their receivers block. We have to do a really good job at our physical fundamentals and getting multiple hats to the ball so we can maximize every opportunity.”
The Aztecs’ offense is coming off back-to-back 40-plus point performances, scoring 45 points against Colorado State and 44 points against Nevada, respectively. Quarterback Jayden Denegal finally seems comfortable in the offense and with the weapons around him.
“The last two weeks we’ve had great practices and preparation throughout the week, and a great week of watching film. It’s been like going out and knowing the answers to the test,” Denegal said.
Fresno State’s defense comes in with the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the Mountain West, allowing 23.7 points per game. Coach Lewis calls the Bulldogs’ defense “active and instinctual.” Fresno State’s third-down defense has only allowed conversions on 35% of third-down plays this season.
“Third down, they bring that six up seven up, they got some good interior guys and they get takeaways and stops,” Denegal said. “We can’t get into third and long situations; we have to be good on first and second down.”
Saturday’s game will be the 63rd matchup between SDSU and Fresno State. The rivalry has been played since 1923, with the Aztecs holding a 31-27-4 record over the Bulldogs. Fresno State presents the Aztecs with its biggest road game of the season, with an expected attendance of over 40,000 people.
The ruckus and hostile environment at Valley Children’s Stadium is one that the Aztecs are embracing with excitement. Quarterback Jayden Denegal says that he doesn’t expect the noise to play a factor. “We’ll be ready for any noise.”
The Aztecs have embraced the tradition of the rivalry and hope to keep the Old Oil Can trophy at home in San Diego after Saturday.
“It means a lot to us. We don’t want that (Oil Can) going anywhere. This rivalry means a lot to me, being here all five years of my college career, it’s always a big game when you play the team up north,” Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli said in a press conference on Monday.
“A big reason why this rivalry is a thing is for that trophy. We definitely plan on keeping it, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep it,” White said.
San Diego State vs. Fresno State kicks off Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.
