The San Diego State Aztecs travel to Sin City this weekend to take on their Mountain West Conference rival, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels at 7:30 p.m.
The Aztecs are coming off yet another thrilling overtime victory, defeating Boise State University 34-31 last Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium. The Aztecs enter the game against the Rebels with records of 7-4 overall and 6-1 MWC, while UNLV has records of 6-5 overall and 4-3 in MWC play.
The game against Boise State put Aztec fans through another slew of swinging emotions. SDSU led in the third quarter, but failed to stop the Broncos later on, trailing behind by seven points entering the fourth.
Boise State’s stellar defensive line play forced the Aztecs to throw the ball rather than attacking with their usual running game. Fortunately for SDSU, junior quarterback Quinn Kaehler was more than ready for the challenge and played one of his best games of the season. The defense also had an excellent game, forcing two interceptions and holding the Broncos to less than 100 yards rushing in the contest.
OFFENSE
While the Aztecs were unable to consistently run the ball for big yards, junior running back Adam Muema was still able to pound the ball into the end zone for an early touchdown. The statistic of 61 total rushing yards for the Aztecs is skewed; SDSU consistently converted on third or fourth-and-short situations with either Muema or senior fullback Chad Young running the ball.
Kaehler was on fire against the Broncos. He finished the game completing 23 of 37 pass attempts for 288 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His first touchdown pass came in the second quarter, but his most important, and perhaps impressive, pass came in overtime. Kaehler rolled out to his right and hit senior wide receiver Colin Lockett in the front right corner of the end zone for a game-winning touchdown. The ball was placed in an extremely tight spot where only Lockett would be able to catch it.
The fact that the Aztecs could rely on Kaehler’s arm to move the offense should be a big relief to SDSU fans. Previously in the season, if running backs Muema and freshman Donnel Pumphrey didn’t have great performances, it was difficult for the Aztecs to score. The junior college transfer quarterback looked as comfortable in the pocket as he has all season, and threw a couple of beautiful deep balls down the sideline with good power and accuracy. Senior wide receiver Dylan Denso led the Aztecs in receiving, catching four passes for 78 yards.
The Rebels’ offense is well-balanced. They average 239.9 passing yards, 186 rushing yards per game and are coming off a 20-point victory against Air Force Academy. Rebels’ senior running back Tim Cornett leads the team with 1,190 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Meanwhile, UNLV senior quarterback Caleb Herring has compiled more than 2,200 yards and has thrown for 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions.
Indeed, these are impressive numbers, but the fact that the Rebels lost against both San Jose State and Fresno State by at least 10 points indicates the Rebels’ offense could easily struggle with the vastly improved Aztec defense.
Advantage: Aztecs
DEFENSE
Junior defensive back J.J. Whitaker played his best game of the season, recording two interceptions including a momentum-shifting pick-six early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 21. This play exemplifies the maturation of the entire Aztec secondary this season. The Aztecs’ defensive unit tackled hard and played excellent in coverage during the game against Boise State, something we wouldn’t have been talking about at the beginning of this season. Also, the defensive line was able to consistently pressure Boise’s quarterback and recorded multiple sacks during the game.
The UNLV Rebels have given up an average of 32.6 points per game, which puts them near the middle of the pack in national defensive rankings.
Advantage: Aztecs
INTANGIBLES
The Aztecs’ special teams also played a decent game, as there were no botched extra-point attempts and senior wide receiver Tim Vizzi returned a punt 41 yards for a game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
PREDICTION: Aztecs 35, Rebels 24
Photo by Wesley Beights, Staff Photographer
