War Memorial Stadium in Laramie sits at an elevation of 7,220 feet above sea level making it the highest FBS gridiron.

WEEK 6: SDSU Aztecs (2-3, 1-0 MW) vs. Wyoming Cowboys (1-4, 1-0 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, October 12th, 2024— 12:30 PM PST / 3:30 PM EST

WHERE: Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium- Laramie, WY (29,811)

TV: CBSSN

STREAMING: CBS Sports Network Stream

RADIO: San Diego Sports 760

SERIES RECORD: Aztecs are 19-19 all time against the Cowboys

LAST MATCHUP: October 12, 2019 – Aztecs won 26-22 in San Diego

ODDS: Wyoming +2.5

OVER/UNDER: 42.5

Laramie, WY-  On Saturday afternoon, October 12th, Sean Lewis and the new-look SDSU Aztecs (2-3) visit War Memorial Stadium to play Jay Sawvel and the Cowboys (1-4). This is the first match between both teams in five years (to the day).  Both teams won their conference play openers, and both struggled during non-conference play with the Aztecs losing three of four non-conference matches, and the Cowboys losing four of four.

The Aztecs will look to build on last week’s win, embracing a growing team synergy under Lewis’s leadership. Wyoming, like Hawaii, has pledged to stay in the Mountain West, and as they face the Aztecs there will be a hint of animosity, although Wyoming may be one of the teams the Pac-12 would still consider integrating in the future.

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

Keys to a San Diego State Victory

1.  air o’neil

True freshman starting quarterback Danny O’Neil completed just over 70% of his pass attempts in last week’s game, and for the season he has yet to throw an interception. He’s proving to be a capable ball handler. Between passing and making handoffs to Marquez Cooper, one of the nation’s top running backs, O’Neil can use his good instincts to break this game open. If the Aztec offense keeps Wyoming defense guessing, they might just be able to post impressive numbers in the air and on the ground on Saturday. With Wyoming’s struggling defense, the Aztecs might find conditions ideal for O’Neil to execute long-distance pass plays.

2. force cowboy turnovers 

Between the Aztec defense forcing seven turnovers this season, and the Cowboy offense fumbling six times and throwing one interception, SDSU defense will have to recognize opportunities to flip the script on Saturday.  Pic’s and pic-sixes are huge momentum shifters and the Aztecs have an opportunity to capitalize on the work-in-progress Cowboy offense.

3. STIFLE SVOBODA

Junior quarterback Evan Svoboda isn’t just the Cowboys’ starting quarterback; he is also the team’s third most prolific rusher. In light of it, he has not been able to get into a true offensive rhythm. In most games his pass completion ratio falls below 50%, and John Michael Gyllenbord is the only wide receiver to surpass 100 yards with 126 on the season. Running backs Sam Scott and DJ Jones, have rushed 180 yards and 162 yards respectively on the season, and collectively their performance over five games is moderate at best. Svoboda himself has rushed 131 yards on the season. If the Aztecs collapse the pocket quickly, and if Svoboda finds himself under pressure by the Aztec defense, he is more likely to make mistakes and mishandle the ball.  If he is also stopped from rushing it’s going to significantly impair the Cowboys’ overall offensive productivity.