San Diego State Aztecs
Report Card
Offense: C- | Defense: C- | Special Teams: B- | Meeting/Exceeding Expectations: C-
Will the real San Diego State please stand up? The Aztecs haven’t bottomed out so glaringly like others in the Mountain West, but through six games it isn’t clear that they’re good at… well, anything. And while they’ve faced one of the most difficult schedules of any team in the conference to date (Sagarin ranks their strength-of-schedule 18th in the country), that can’t fully explain how they’ve disappointed nearly across the board.
For instance, Jalen Mayden has been more average than anything after a promising debut with current offensive coordinator Ryan Lindley in his corner. Through six games, he’s been Ryan Agnew-esque as a passer and, though he’s averaged 7.4 yards per carry as a runner, that’s undermined to some extent by three fumbles. Jaylen Armstead and Kenan Christon have been okay. Brionne Penny has been a non-factor in four of six games. Baylin Brooks has recently emerged as an intriguing weapon, topping 100 receiving yards against Boise State, but it remains to be seen whether he has any staying power. There’s still a chance that the Aztecs can recapture their form from the second half of last year, but are fans on the Mesa expecting it? Even ace specialist Jack Browning has underwhelmed to some extent, posting a net of 41.5 yards per punt but connecting on only 8-of-12 field goals.
The bigger red flag is that ten takeaways can only paper over so much on a defense that has struggled a lot more than anticipated. To wit, the Aztecs rank in the triple digits nationally by points per drive allowed (2.98, 114th in FBS), available yards percentage allowed per drive (58.8%, 123rd), and yards per play allowed (7.13, 126th). The unit’s overall havoc rate has dipped to 15.8% from 19% in 2022, which was perhaps to be expected after losing so much star power in the front six. Linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu has had a strong first half with six tackles for loss and two sacks, but perhaps it’s meaningful that, per Pro Football Focus, he also leads the defense with eight missed tackles.
More than anything, it’s a seeming inability to stop the run that might doom this team’s chances of rallying to earn a bowl bid. San Diego State has allowed more than five yards per carry in each of its last four games, a statistic that may not seem like much until you realize opponents managed 5.0 YPC against this Aztecs defense four times between 2018 and 2022, though they may get a reprieve in that regard down the stretch with the likes of Hawaii, Nevada, and Colorado State on the second-half schedule.
Head of the Class: Noah Tumblin, CB
So far in 2023, Tumblin has made the jump from good to potentially great. He only needed six games to set career highs with eight passes defended and two interceptions, and he’s also missed just 4.2% of his tackle attempts, all of which are big reasons why his 85.7 overall PFF grade currently ranks third among all Mountain West defenders.
One Player Deserving of More Attention: Mark Redman, TE
By and large, Mountain West tight ends haven’t made a huge impact across the board, but it’s hard to imagine where the Aztecs might be without Redman. He’s already more or less matched his 2022 production in six games (19 catches, 221 yards, two touchdowns) and might finish his senior campaign as the program’s most productive player at the position since Kahale Warring.
Midseason Grades By Team
Air Force | Boise State | Colorado State | Fresno State | Hawaii | Nevada | New Mexico | San Diego State | San Jose State | UNLV | Utah State | Wyoming
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