With standing in the West Division of the Mountain West Conference on the line in a match up against Nevada in Reno this Saturday, San Diego State will be playing with two key players returning from injuries.
Senior wide receiver Ezell Ruffin and junior linebacker Jake Fely are back. Ruffin — the team’s leading receiver last season — has not played since Week 2 against North Carolina, where he suffered a broken collarbone.
The Aztecs have been without Fely longer. He has been rehabbing a foot injury since early last season. Fely was the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.
SDSU (4-3, 3-1) is in first place in the West Division, leading Nevada (5-3, 2-2) by one game.
“Both teams are sitting in a spot where they could win the western side of the Mountain West,” coach Rocky Long said. “It puts the winner of this game kind of in the driver’s seat a little bit, so I think it’s a huge game for us and it’s a huge game for (Nevada).”
Senior quarterback Quinn Kaehler is also coming into the game in better health. Kaehler benefited from having a bye last week which helped him rest an injury to his throwing shoulder.
“It was nice to have the time off, especially for what I was going through,” Kaehler said.
SDSU is on a two-game winning streak against Nevada after beating the Wolf Packs in overtime the past two seasons.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on CBS Sports Network or heard on The Mighty 1090.