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WEEK 1: San Diego Torreros vs San Diego State Aztecs
WHEN: Saturday, September 5, 5pm
WHERE: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
TV: Campus Insiders
RADIO: 105.7 FM The Max and AM 1700
COACHES: Dale Lindsey, Rocky Long
SERIES RECORD: 1-0 San Diego State
A lot of hype has been poured into the college football opener for both San Diego schools. Chalk it up to a meeting of the universities 50-plus years in the making. It might be a good thing there is some kind of buzz around the city where San Diego State football plays fourth-fiddle to the Chargers, Padres, and Aztec hoops (in that order).
San Diego, the underdog with no scholarships to hand out, is comprised of students who are truly student-athletes. San Diego State on the other hand has plenty of scholarships to hand out and to call them students first is a little of a misnomer.
So what we have here is big brother versus little brother with both schools having multiple players from different high schools spread across San Diego county. Point Loma High graduate and Aztecs DT Christian Heyward won’t be available for Saturdays game due to injury. Meaning Heyward won't be able to line up against Tevin Heyward, Toreros FB-- his little brother.
What to watch
San Diego's RB, Jonah Hodges.
Hodges is a Division-1 caliber runner. The former California Bears transfer sought greener pastures and led the Toreros in rushing in 2014 with 1214 yards and six touchdowns. San Diego will be changing quarterbacks, so like the Aztecs it looks like the Toreros will go heavy with the rushing game.
SDSU finally announces the starting quarterback
Earlier this week, Rocky Long finally announced the obvious as Maxwell Smith the starting quarterback. We've called it, everyone else around the city called it and there were really no surprises. Christian Chapman will likely be the QB once 2016 rolls around.
Fireworks
Literally, fireworks after the show. The fireworks won't be televised, but the San Diego State marketing team pulled all the stops to make this the grand event of the college football season. Skyshow in its 40th edition usually draws the largest crowds to San Diego State games, but sometimes those crowds don't equate to enduring four quarters of college football.
Prediction
Everyone loves an underdog story, but Rocky Long will do everything in his power to beat the private school with the ocean view. It's going to be SDSU, but it won’t be a true clobbering. USD will give them a fight, but San Diego State will fight to victory.
San Diego 17, San Diego State 35