San Diego State coach Sean Lewis says every contest in a 12-game regular season is valuable.

Because after hundreds of workouts and meetings and endless hours of preparation, it all boils down to just a dozen opportunities to test yourself on the field.

SDSU (3-8, 2-4 Mountain West) has its final test of 2024 and needs a win against Air Force (4-7, 2-4) to end a five-game losing streak and last year’s win total to reach.

A loss would give the Aztecs their worst record since a 2-10 finish in 2008.

“This is a great opportunity to end this season the right way and send off our seniors the right way,” Lewis said, adding: “We have to deal with the adversity we’re in right now. do great work and continue to do so. “Build the character of our team, ourselves, our identity and finish this thing the right way.”

The Aztecs are 3 1/2 point underdogs entering the game at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. for a game that will air on Fox Sports 1.

Here are five things to keep in mind:

1. Aztecs’ opening voyage

SDSU has another chance at an “AztecFAST” start after failing to score on its first possession in all 11 games this season.

Eight drives ended in punts, two ended in downs and one was stopped by an interception. Average drive: five plays, 16 yards.

The Aztecs came very, very close to a score last week at Utah State, advancing to the Aggies’ 1-yard line before losing three yards on a fourth-down screen pass.

It has been at least 25 years since SDSU went an entire season without scoring on its first possession.

2. Tackle the triple option

Air Force ranks among the top in the country every year with a triple-option offense that gives opponents an edge because it offers a stark contrast to most offenses it faces week in and week out.

The Falcons are averaging 213.3 yards per game, ranking 12th nationally. That’s low for them. It’s also a bit misleading. The Luftwaffe had problems early on as new personnel adjusted to the offensive. Most notable was quarterback Quentin Hayes, who didn’t start until midway through the season.

The Falcons ran 67 times for 318 yards (0 of 3 passing) in last week’s win over Nevada. It was the team’s third win in a row. A win over Fresno State included 80 carries for 358 yards and the win over Oregon State included 66 carries for 270 yards.

“It’s obviously something you don’t see every week,” SDSU defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt said after a midweek practice. “It’s really important that we try as much as possible to resemble what will look like on Saturday night.

“That’s the thing, we have to settle in quickly. Every time we’ve played against option teams, that first drive has been a lot quicker than it was during the week, and it takes a little while to see what they need to see each play and the speed of the game.”

Schmidt said the key players are “really disciplined with our eyes, we’re great tacklers and every single play is doing our job.”

One more note: Air Force used the pass as a surprise element against the Beavers, with Hayes going 5-for-5 for 110 yards. This should come as no surprise to SDSU. The Aztecs were burned for 53- and 54-yard touchdown passes in the Falcons’ 49-10 loss last year.

3. Penalties

As you would expect from a service academy program, Air Force is one of the most disciplined teams in the country, committing just 3.3 penalties per game. This average ranks second in the nation with the fewest penalties; Iowa is the best at 3.2 per game.

On the other hand, SDSU is tied with New Mexico for the most penalties in the country, with an average of 9.4 per game. The Aztecs received 13 penalties last week (one of which was off-base, for a total of 12), most of them along the offensive line.

4. Last chance

With 11 games in the books, the Aztecs have another chance at a complete performance.

They really haven’t managed four good quarters in a game this season.

The offense was limited to one touchdown or less in the first half of four games and one touchdown or less in the second half of five games while scoring 21.5 points per game (112).

The defense allows 332.6 yards per game, which ranks 114th nationally. Most of the points were kept manageable – with the exception of the 56 points (including an interception for a touchdown) that Boise State scored.

That was before allowing 41 points in consecutive road losses to UNLV and Utah State, increasing points allowed to 25.5 per game (99th).

What does Lewis want the Aztecs to do with this final opportunity?

“I want us to do the simple things better,” Lewis said. “I want us to communicate as well as we have. I want us to play with the best fundamentals we have. I want us to play with the most passion and fight we have all year long.

“We do these simple things better, and I think the results will be better.”

5. See you then, seniors

The Aztecs will honor 24 seniors before the game, including seven players who have been with the program for their entire college careers – running backs Jaylon Armstead and Nick Gardinera, cornerbacks Arnold Escano and Joshua Goynes, defensive lineman Keion Mitchell, wide receiver Mekhi Shaw and Long snapper Ryan Wintermeyer.

Shaw was a substitute at Scripps Ranch High School who received a scholarship midway through his career. He is among 12 starters in the group, along with defensive tackle Tupu Alualu, running back Marquez Cooper, tight end Mikey Harrison, defensive end Marlem Louis, safety Deshawn McCuin, linebacker Kyle Moretti, cornerback Bryce Phillips, punter Tyler Pastula, wide receiver Yes, “Shaun Poke, offensive lineman Nate Williams and tight end Jude Wolfe.”

Last week, Cooper was one of 23 players to reach more than 5,000 receiving yards in their career. He comes into the game with 5,036 yards rushing and could move into 18th all-time if he matches his season average of 107 yards against the Falcons.

The other seniors being honored are wide receiver Nate Bennett, safety JD Coffey II and William Nimmo, kicker Nick Lopez, linebacker Cody Moon and offensive lineman Myles Murao.

Originally published: November 29, 2024 at 11:35 am PST