San Diego State vs Colorado State Preview

Wow what a week it’s been for San Diego State. The Aztecs return to the top 25 and immediately lose an upsetter in Laramie on a failed 2-point conversion. Now the Aztecs return home to sea-level against Mountain division opponent Colorado State.

The Aztecs are guaranteed a spot in the championship game and the Rams are bowl-eligible, so everyone wins no matter what the outcome.

With a week of regret the Aztecs look poised to put away the Colorado State Rams at home and get ready for a rematch against the Wyoming Cowboys. Here are the keys for the Aztecs on Saturday night.

Keys to Victory

Control the line of scrimmage

Despite getting the push through conference play, things fell apart against Wyoming. The San Diego State offensive line was getting pushed and Donnel Pumphrey wasn’t getting the holes and yards that was necessary for the win. The Wyoming defense held Pumphrey under 100 yards and no scores. This week on senior night, the Aztecs have to garner the extra strength to push forward and give themselves a victory.

Special teams

This has been an oft-neglected item throughout the season, however Rashaad Penny and Juwan Washington were a big chunk of how the Aztecs stayed in the game. They both returned a kickoff return for a touchdown. Penny has been under the radar this year when it comes to special teams, but make no mistake that the Rams have an eye on him this week. So look for Washington to make some plays and get the yardage the Aztecs need.

Let it be emotional, but don’t lose sight of the goal

Last week it was imperative for SDSU to stay focused at the task at hand. Brian Hill beat the Aztecs and it seemed the Aztecs struggled through game on both sides of the ball. Christian Chapman had to put the team on his back because of the lack of push on offense. It seemed they weren’t focused enough, and possibly looking past the Cowboys. On senior night, San Diego State has to let the emotions flow, but they have to see that it’s all better when you leave senior night in the win column.

Prediction

The Aztecs bounce back on senior night in front of the home crowd. There’s going to be a struggle in the first half and it’ll be interesting in the second half.

San Diego State 27, Colorado State 24.