During their last match against the Rainbow Warriors in Hawaii the Aztecs snapped a four-game losing streak.

WEEK 5: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (2-2, 0-0 MW) vs. SDSU Aztecs (1-3, 0-0 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, October 5th, 2024— 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST

WHERE: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California (35,000)

TV: CBSSN

STREAMING: CBS Sports Network Stream

RADIO: San Diego Sports 760

SERIES RECORD: Aztecs are 25-11-2 against the ‘Bows

LAST MATCHUP: October 14, 2023 – Aztecs won 41-34 in Honolulu

WEBSITES: GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website; Hawaiiathletics.com, the official Hawai’i athletics website.

ODDS: Hawai’i +2.5

OVER/UNDER: 48.5

San Diego, CA-  On Saturday evening, October 5th, Timmy Chang and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (2-2) visit Snapdragon Stadium to seek victory against coach Sean Lewis’s embattled new-look Aztecs (1-3). This game is worth a watch, and it will be interesting to see Lewis in conference play against a challenging but beatable opponent.

The Aztecs will be eager to show fans 1.) they are coming together as a team  and 2.) they can execute AztecFast. The Rainbow Warriors will, in kind, do their best to hammer the Pac-12 defectors, reminding them they aren’t better than the Mountain West. There will be a grudge-match theme to many conference games this season as Pac-12 defectors find a cold reception against loyalists.  Conference games will be more chippy than usual, until the Mountain West and Pac-12 go their separate ways.

The Aztecs are projected to finish eighth in the Mountain West in 2024, and at best they’re playing to that level if not below it.  During their last match against the Rainbow Warriors, the Aztecs snapped a four-game losing streak. This game will be a prime opportunity to build needed momentum if SDSU is able to capitalize.

Let’s take a closer look at what it will take for the Aztecs to win.

Keys to a San Diego State Victory

1. strong aztec offensive

The ‘Bows have their defensive act together thanks to defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. They will look to stall the Aztec offense as they did last week against Northern Iowa, although a rebuilding Aztecs team is a major departure from a plucky FCS foe, and at some point most fans expect Sean Lewis to deliver his AztecFast offense as promised. It is worth noting, however, that to date the pace is comparable to last year’s in that the Aztecs averaged just over 64 plays per game then and just under 64 now. For AztecFast 80 plays per game is the goal. With or without AztecFast, true freshman starting quarterback  Danny O’Neill can turn it on- and if he finds his rhythm, he can deploy a skilled air assault. That, along with handoffs to Marquez Cooper, one of the nation’s top running backs, can potentially break this game open. O’Neill has good instincts and gets better with each game. A fair question for the Aztecs is: can they play a consistent 60-minute game? So far they’ve shown an ability to play a 30-minute game, and fans will be watching to see if this improves.

2. STYMIE THE ‘Bow’s sputtering offense

Last week the Rainbow Warriors thumped Northern Iowa 36-7. The 36 points generated by the offense was the Bows’ best result in several years, and Hawaii truly needed the boost after offensive shortfalls against UCLA, Sam Houston, and Delaware State. Nevertheless, the ‘Bows continue to struggle with their ground game despite Christian Vaughn and David Cordero both averaging over 5 yards per carry. If the Aztec defense demoralizes the ‘Bows, and generates a few picks from starting quarterback Brayden Schager as the Panthers did twice last week, Hawaii will find victory increasingly elusive at Snapdragon Stadium.