Football
No. 19 SDSU travels to UNLV
SCENE SETTER (as of Sunday, Nov. 14)
* Closing in on a fifth double-digit win campaign in the last seven seasons, San Diego State (9-1; 5-1 Mountain West) looks to take another step toward clinching the West Division title on Friday when the Aztecs face UNLV (2-8; 2-4 MW) in Las Vegas.
* The Aztecs, who were picked to finish third in the West Division of the media preseason poll and did not receive a single top 25 vote, lead the division race by a 1/2-game over Fresno State (5-2) and a full-game over Nevada (4-2). San Diego State controls its own destiny but cannot clinch the division title this week regardless of any combination outcomes.
* San Diego State is one of only 15 schools nationally with one or fewer losses (three undefeated teams and 12 one-loss teams).
* SDSU is four full-games better than last season, going from 4-4 to 9-1. That is tied for the ninth-largest turnaround in the nation.
* At 9-1, San Diego State has matched its best 10-game start in the last 52 seasons. The last time the Aztecs owned a 9-1 record through 10 games was 2016 (9-1) and the last time they had a better mark was an 11-0 start in 1969.
* SDSU is 5-0 this season in games decided by seven points or less. That is tied with Oklahoma for the best record nationally.
* San Diego State is No. 19 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, up from No. 22 a week before and No. 24 on Nov. 2.
* The Aztecs re-entered both the AP Top 25 and coaches poll this week at No. 23. SDSU is nationally-ranked in the AP poll for a school record-tying fifth week this season (also: 1970).
* This is the 29th week SDSU has appeared in the AP poll in school history and the 15th appearance since the start of the ’16 campaign.
* SDSU has made appearances in the AP Top 25 in four of the last six seasons (2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021) after experiencing a 341-poll drought (from Nov. 14, 1995 through Sept. 11, 2016).
* San Diego State and UNLV will meet for the 31st time on Friday with the Aztecs owning a 20-10 series lead. The Aztecs have won six of the last seven meeting between the teams, including the last three played in Las Vegas (2015, 2017 and 2019).
* Last Saturday, San Diego State defeated the preseason Mountain West, West Division favorite Nevada, 23-21. The Aztecs rallied from a fourth quarter deficit to win for the first time since Oct. 12, 2019.
* San Diego State’s formula for success was again on display. The Aztecs had no turnovers (73-15 when committing one turnover or less since 2011), held Nevada to 4-for-13 on third down conversions (SDSU is 54-5 the last 59 times when holding to 33.3 pct. or less), was +6 yards in average field position (SDSU is 21-2 the last 23 occasions) and had only 20 penalty yards (13 straight victories when having 20 yards or less in penalties).
* The Aztecs faced a Wolf Pack team that entered the contest averaging 36.4 points and 446.6 total yards, and limited Nevada to 21 points and 358 yards. SDSU allowed only eight rushing yards, tied for the 11th-fewest yards allowed in the school’s Division I history.
* The SDSU offense produced its both balance attack of the year. The Aztecs gained 186 yards rushing and 176 yards passing while not committing a turnover. San Diego State drove 53 yards in 12 plays to set up the game-winning field goal with 1:21 to play.