Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the San Diego State Aztecs season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– San Diego State Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 in Mountain West
Head Coach: Rocky Long, 9th year, 71-35
– CFN Preview 2019: All The Team Previews
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO STATE OFFENSE
– Seven starters return to an Aztec offense that finished 111th in the nation and scored just under 21 points per game. The normally amazing running game wasn’t there, the passing game wasn’t efficient, and in all, the team scored 21 points or fewer six times and put up more than 30 once.
– Ryan Agnew might not be a big bomber, but the 6-0, 190-pounder stepped up last year when Christian Chapman was banged up. He only completed 52% of his passes for 1,651 yards and ten scores with six picks, and he wasn’t consistent. It’s his ship to fly now full-time with JUCO transfer Jordon Brookshire fighting with sophomore Mark Salazar to be the main backup. However …
– A few of the main receivers are gone. It’s not like any of the Aztec receivers lit it up, but Fred Trevillion average over 27 yards on his 22 catches, and tight end Kahale Warring led the team with 31 grabs. Making matters worse, third-leading yardage receiver Tim Wilson was forced to retire thanks to a foot injury.
Sophomore Ethan Dedeaux is the leading returning receiver with 22 catches, 6-3, 250-pound senior Parker Houston will be the main tight end target, and sophomore Kobe Smith has to stretch the field on the outside after making just nine grabs.
– There might be a few issues with the passing game, but the running backs are fantastic. 5-7, 190-pound senior Juwan Washington was banged up throughout last season, but he still scooted for 999 yards and ten scores. Chase Jasmin is a strong veteran No. 2 option who ran for 592 yards and five scores, and sophomore Chance Bell got his feet wet with 189 yards.
– There’s just enough to work with on the line to be okay as long as junior Kyle Spalding is ready for a bigger role at one tackle gig. Keish Ismail is a veteran center, Daishawn Dixon is a 6-5, 320-pound senior left guard, JUCO transfer Jacob Capra is a 6-5, 320 tackle option, and 6-5, 355-pound redshirt freshman William Dunkle will push for time at right guard.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO STATE DEFENSE
– Five starters an six of the top eight tacklers are back on a defense that was good, but didn’t dominate over the second half of the season.
The run defense led the Mountain West and finished seventh in the nation, and it didn’t get roasted by anyone, but it only allowed fewer than 20 points four times after doing that six times in 2017, eight times in 2016, and ten times in 2015.
– The defensive line isn’t going to be an issue, but it’s putting out three new starters – sort of. 6-2, 270-pound Myles Cheatum has started on the end and will work on the inside. However, top tackle Noble Hall is gone, the the top ends have to be replaced. Sophomores Connor Mitchell and Keshawn Banks have good size and have to instantly boost up a mediocre pass rush.
– The star of the linebacking corps returns. Kyahva Tezino is back in the middle after leading the team with 127 tackles. Ronley Lakalaka will be missed on the outside, but senior Troy Cassidy is a strong veteran and sophomore Caden McDonald is a rushing force on the outside. It’s a deep group with a good rotation for all three spots.
– Good luck finding a better group of safeties, even without second-leading tackler Parker Baldwin and his 103 stops. Juniors Tariq and Trenton Thompson each came up with 57 tackles, Kyree Woods can play anywhere in the secondary, and big juniors Dwayne Johnson and Taylor Hawkins are about to become top tacklers.
The corner situation is solid no matter if Woods is one or not. Darren Hall is aback after tying for the team lead with two picks to go along with 45 tackles. Several options are there for the other side, starting with senior Luq Barcoo and a slew of underclassmen.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP SAN DIEGO STATE PLAYERS
Best San Diego State Offensive Player
RB Juwan Washington, Sr.
Just imagine what he can do if he can stay healthy.
The 5-7, 190-pounder was and still is expected to be the next great San Diego State running back after Rashaad Penny and Donnel Pumphrey lit up the world. After running for over 1,000 yards behind Penny in 2017, Washington came out and crushed it.
Yeah, he ran for 156 yards against Sacramento State, but he also ripped up Stanford for 158 yards and Arizona State for 138. However, he broke down and missed just over four games before coming back and finding his groove again. He finished with 999 yards and ten scores, averaging over five yards per carry.
2. C Keith Ismael, Jr.
3. RB Chase Jasmin, Jr.
4. TE Parker Houston, Sr.
5. OG Daishawn Dixon, Sr.
Best San Diego State Defensive Player
LB Kyahva Tezino, Sr.
After showing off the potential of what he could do over the first few years, he put it all together as a junior with 127 tackles with 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in an all-star season.
The 6-0, 230-pound guided missile cuts on a dime, can hit the quarterback, and is a proven volume tackler coming up with double-digit stops six times including 15 against both Air Force and UNLV.
2. S Tariq Thompson, Jr.
3. S Trenton Thompson, Jr.
4. CB Darren Hall, Soph.
5. P Brandon Heicklen, Sr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The San Diego State Offense
The passing game has to at least be efficient and effective. The Aztecs – as always – will live on a strong running game and a fantastic defense, but for an attack that doesn’t put up big numbers, keeping the chains moving is a must.
That’s where the passing game comes in.
The receivers might not be there, but the quarterback is. Senior Ryan Agnew has been around long enough to know what he’s doing, and again, he doesn’t have to be amazing. All he has to do is hit 60% of his passes – he completed 51.6% last season – limit the picks, and hit the third down throws.
The Aztecs were ninth in the Mountain West converting on 35% of their third down tries after converting on 45% in 2017. Get back to above 40%, and they’re in the conference title chase.
Biggest Key To The San Diego State Defense
Force a whole lot more mistakes and turnovers. The Aztecs were amazing at taking the ball away for a long time, coming up with 26 turnovers in 2014, 34 in 2015, and 29 in 2016. Doing that allowed the machine to work.
The offense didn’t have to take many chances, and when it did, the defense would usually be there to clean up the mess. Even so, it was alarming when the D generated just 29 takeaways in 2017.
Last year? Just 15 with just one recovered fumble in the first nine games and with just one takeaway or none eight times.
There’s a bit of adjusting to do on the line, and some other parts have to be reworked, but this will be another very, very good group. There’s no reason not to push for well past the 20 takeaway mark.
Key Player To A Successful Season
PK Matt Araiza, RFr.
Coming up with a No. 1 wide receiver is a must – the pressure is on sophomore Ethan Dedeaux to be great – and a few new starting defensive linemen need to be fantastic. Those things should work themselves out without too much of an issue – they always do with this program.
But for a team that’s still not going to be an offensive juggernaut, and considering the problems coming up with touchdowns after getting into the red zone – scoring them just 50% of the time – the kicking game had better be a big bowl of terrific.
John Baron was an all-star who hit 17-of-22 field goals and all of his extra points. He had the leg to bang out five field goals from beyond 50 yards, and he turned out to be the difference in wins over Eastern Michigan, Boise State and San Jose State.
Ariaza can blast away and could end up making some noise at punter before his career is done. A good athlete, he’s not your typical kicker, but San Diego State needs him to be close to as good as the last guy.
Key Game To The San Diego State Season
Fresno State, Nov. 16
The schedule isn’t bad, but that didn’t seem to matter to last year’s team as it tripped over its own shoelaces down the stretch. Assuming the Aztecs are back to form, the season might just come down to the date with the Bulldogs.
The rest of the West division is fine, and there are plenty of dangerous games. However, after getting a week off, SDSU hosts Nevada and Fresno State in back-to-back weeks.
Fresno State won the last two meetings, and it went on to play in the last two Mountain West titles. As it turned out, the last six winners in this game have gone on to play for the conference championship.
– San Diego State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 San Diego State Fun Stats
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 62 – San Diego State 29
– Penalties: San Diego State 92 for 803 yards – Opponents 58 for 543 yards
– Red Zone TDs: Opponents 25-of-38 (66%) – San Diego State 18-of-36 (50%)
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. SAN DIEGO STATE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
2018 showed the one big flaw in how San Diego State conducts its business.
There’s almost no margin for error if the O doesn’t roll.
The offense was far more explosive in 2017, and it blew up for 40 points or more six times in 2016. The 268 points scored last season was the first time the team was below the 400 mark in four years, and now things have to turn around in a hurry.
The line has to be better, QB Ryan Agnew has to be more consistent and accurate, and it all has to be done with a revamped receiving corps that’s missing most of the key parts.
Fortunately, the running back situation is among the best of any Group of Five program, and Agnew should be fine with a little time. Even better, the defense is still going to be a killer.
Offense, your job is to score more than 30 points. Do that – it only happened once last season – and win.
There will be some grinds along the way for a team that managed to struggle against San Jose State and Sacramento State, and totally whiff in the Frisco Bowl loss to Ohio and at home against UNLV – but there’s a big positive in that. Three of the losses were by four points or fewer.
Reverse that margin of error, and everything goes back to normal under head coach Rocky Long.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 9
Out of the six road games, only one – Hawaii – is against a team that went bowling last season. One of them is at UCLA, and that’s the only date against a Power Five program.
There’s no Boise State to deal with from the Mountain, and the West division showdowns against Nevada and Fresno State are at home.
Even so, the UCLA game is hardly a sure thing, and even with a more than manageable slate, there will be at least three losses in all. If the Aztecs can hold on and own their home games, though, a double-digit win regular season is a realistic goal.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
