Fresno State vs. San Diego State: Three Keys To An Aztecs Win

The Old Oil Can is on the line. More importantly: these teams have been battling for 96 years. This game will be an exciting one.

Fresno State vs. San Diego State: Three Keys To An Aztecs Win

The Bulldogs and Aztecs battle for the Old Oil Can yet again.  Here’s how San Diego State can manage the win.

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The Aztecs and Bulldogs have been facing off for 96 years, and this rivalry is fierce.  Both teams will find an extra gear tonight.

WEEK 12: Fresno State (4-5, 2-3 MW) vs SDSU (7-2, 4-2 MW)

WHEN: Friday, November 15 — 6:30 PM PST / 9:30 PM EST

WHERE: SDCCU Stadium; San Diego, California (54,000)

TV: ESPN2

STREAMING: You can get a free seven-day trial of FuboTV by clicking here. You can also find the audio broadcast on TuneIn.

RADIO: The Fresno State broadcast can be found on 940 AM, while the SDSU broadcast can be found on 101.5 FM (KGB) and XTRA 1360 AM.

SERIES RECORD: San Diego State leads the series 29-25-4. In the last meeting on November 17, 2018, the Bulldogs defeated the Aztecs, 23-14, in Fresno.

LAST WEEK: Fresno State lost to Utah State at home, 37-35, while San Diego State lost at home to Nevada, 17-13.

WEBSITES: GoBulldogs.com, the official Fresno State athletics website | GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Fresno State | San Diego State

ODDS : SDSU -2.5

SP+ PROJECTION: San Diego State by 2.9 (57% win probability)

FEI PROJECTION: San Diego State by 1.3

The Fresno State Bulldogs have spent 2019 losing more games than they’ve won both in conference and in total. Their chance to defend the Mountain West Championship is slim.  Now they face the already bowl-eligible Aztecs.

The Old Oil Can isn’t the only thing on the line Friday. Bowl eligibility may be on the line as well, and this is a reversal of fortune for the 2018 champion Bulldogs. Rocky Long’s Aztecs have thrived on strong defense and special teams, holding opponents to the fewest points per drive since 2015 while Jeff Tedford’s offense, on that same basis, is scoring more points than any Bulldogs team since 2013.

Here’s how the Aztecs can score a win and take back the Old Oil Can.

Three Keys to an Aztecs Victory

1. Agnitude

Ryan Agnew isn’t always on; but, when he’s on he’s on.  Fresno State believes that if they put the game in Agnew’s hands he’ll not succeed. This a pretty risky sentiment, and really, more often than not- Agnew pulls through.  More important, he and the Aztecs are total ball hogs.

2. Stop the run

Fresno State will want to run the ball, and against the elite Aztecs defense this will be very hard.  If defense keeps the pressure on, this will be another remarkably low rush production performance for the Bulldogs.

3. Control the Clock

Just as San Diego State defense is devastating against the run, the offense controls the clock by slowing things down to a dreadful pace, and the formula keeps on working.

SDSU will have the ball for 35 minutes, Fresno State won’t generate the kind of pressure to disrupt this, and it’ll be yet another slow motion win for a team that doesn’t make major errors and is not afraid to play within its abilities.

Prediction

Fresno State depends on the run to win. Against the Aztecs this will be an exercise in futility. Still, they’ll be another team to make 17 points.

At the end of the night as unappetizing as it sounds: the Aztecs will be drinking buttermilk from the old oil can.

San Diego State 24,  San Diego State 17