Is San Diego State In Trouble?
Things are not going well in San Diego
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1-2 Record in 2022
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San Diego State was battered by Utah 35-7 on the road on Saturday. This was an eye-opening experience for the Aztecs to lose in such a devastating way.
The game turned out to be much different than last season’s win against Utah. From the start of the game, San Diego State struggled to score any points and the game slipped away from the Aztecs.
The defense held the game together for as long as possible. San Diego State held Utah scoreless in the first quarter but everything unraveled quickly. The offense failed to generate any production and the defense caved in without the offense’s support.
The team’s overall performance highlighted some glaring issues in the first three games. The offense did not show any consistency in the losses to Arizona and Utah. In the Arizona game, the offense underperformed and the team could not overcome an early hole.
Quarterback Braxton Burmeister came to San Diego State to become the program’s starter. At Oregon and Virginia Tech, Burmeister did not have the security as a backup to stay at either program and compete for a starting job.
He chose to return home to San Diego to showcase his talent. In three games at San Diego State, Burmeister has not looked like the highly coveted transfer that he was after the 2021 season. He posted 165 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in three games. Those numbers were underwhelming compared to what he was expected to do at San Diego State.
Part of his struggles have been attributed to being injured but when he was on the field, Burmeister was not performing at a high level. He had six passing yards against Utah. Burmeister’s injuries led to Will Haskell coming in as a backup in two games. Haskell did not look comfortable throwing the ball down the field against Arizona and Utah.
If these problems continue, San Diego State could give third-string quarterback Kyle Crum a chance to prove his worth as a quarterback. Crum played against Utah and threw for 53 yards, one touchdown, and an interception.
The offense has been the main problem for San Diego State. The defense exhausted all efforts in the two losses and could not stand alone without support from the offense.
San Diego State will have to turn this season around immediately to win a Mountain West Championship. The conference is wide open and San Diego State needs to capitalize on the rest of the conference having issues. If this trajectory stays the same, San Diego State could be in for a disappointing season.