Defensive collapse and offensive ineptitude were surprising themes last week in the Aztecs’ (7-2, 4-1 Mountain West) crushing 38-6 loss to Hawaii (7-3, 4-2 MW). 

The Rainbow Warriors put a halt to SDSU’s six-game win streak in dominant fashion, but the challenges aren’t over for the Aztecs. They’ll have to put the loss in the rear view this Saturday in their match-up with another team at the top of the Mountain West: Boise State (6-3, 4-1 MW).  

Boise State’s football program is no stranger to big games. The team has been a perennial Mountain West winner, notably making the 12-team College Football Playoff last season.

In a press conference on Monday, head coach Sean Lewis made it clear that the team was up for the challenge.

“The challenges don’t get any easier, and that’s the beauty of this conference,” Lewis said. 

The gravity of the matchup cannot be understated, and Lewis is aware of it.

“It’s the two best teams in the league going head to head, it’s really, really meaningful,” he said, discussing the importance of the game.

Statistically, Boise is a team with no glaring flaws. They rank middle of the pack to above average in every meaningful statistic, but their biggest strong suit lies in the pass defense. The Broncos’ pass defense is stingy, ranking in the top 30 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in every opponent’s passing statistic. 

A stingy pass defense poses a major challenge for an Aztec team that has struggled through the air in recent weeks. 

“It’s a culmination of a lot of different factors; Jayden’s been limited in practice, which obviously limits time on task, the injury that occurred with [Jacob] Bostick and losing his ability, and now rotating other guys in there,” said Lewis when asked about the passing game’s woes. 

In the last three contests, Jayden Denegal has thrown just one touchdown, to four interceptions; he has not exceeded 200 yards passing in any of those performances. 

Playmaking wide receiver Jordan Naiper’s stat-sheet disappearance has also been a major factor in the lack of passing volume. In his last three games, Naiper had just 78 receiving yards.. He had 153 against Cal alone on Sept. 20.

Lewis again cited injuries as a factor in Napier’s lack of production.

“Not having the full complement of pieces [hurts], Bostick did a good job of drawing attention away, [Donovan Brown]’s continued development needs to draw people away,” Lewis said.

However, he also took accountability for the lack of production. 

“When your name gets on the Belitnekoff award watch list and you become a known entity, you’re gonna get extra attention,” Lewis said. “We gotta do a better job of creating opportunities for him to touch it and impact the game in a positive way for the Aztecs.” 

Despite the bruising defeat, the Aztecs remain tied atop the Mountain West standings, a fact Lewis emphasized. 

“Again, [we’re] still 7-2. We’re in a great spot, we’re still first in the conference, can’t lose sight of that,” he said.

The emphasis in practice this week has been on rediscovering offensive timing and trust, particularly through the air. Junior wide receiver Nathan Acevedo said it starts with preparation and accountability.

“We just got to come out and practice to our standard,” Acevedo said. “Because when we practice to our standard, no group can guard us. I think there’s just a lot of self-inflicted wounds.”

Boise State’s secondary has been physical and opportunistic all season, a fact Acevedo acknowledged while maintaining confidence in the Aztecs’ fundamentals.

“They fly to the ball, and they’re pretty aggressive,” he said. “We just stick to our fundamentals and basics, because once we do that at a high level, no one can stop us.”

That confidence will need to translate Saturday night against a Boise defense that rarely gives up big passing plays but has been vulnerable on the ground, allowing 163 rushing yards per game (83rd nationally).

On the other side of the ball, linebacker Owen Chambliss’ career night in Hawaii — a season high 13 tackles and two sacks — provided a silver lining. But the junior said the defense is motivated to respond collectively.

“It’s disappointing,” Chambliss said. “We have a certain standard we want to play to. We want to be the best defense in this country, and we know that the game’s on us.”

Chambliss said the focus has been on restoring physicality up front against an efficient Boise rushing attack.

“Just playing gap-sound,” Chambliss said. “They get downhill really well, so just playing with violent fundamentals and stepping to our gaps and just making sure we’re sound and communicating.

The stakes are clear: the winner will take control of the Mountain West title race and likely host the conference championship game. But Acevedo said the team isn’t letting that pressure dictate preparation.

“We don’t think about that,” he said. “We just go each game at a time, like it’s another game, and let the end of the game show what we work on.”

The Aztecs have already proven their resilience once this season, following an early loss at Washington State with six straight victories. Saturday will test that again, and perhaps define where this season ultimately lands.

Kickoff against Boise State is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium.