San Diego State players indulged ahead of Tuesday’s Frisco Bowl in Texas, but it was mostly all business this weekend as they prepare to face UT-San Antonio.
“We’re going to have fun, but we’re also staying focused trying to get that 12th win,” said defensive lineman Jonah Tavai of the goal to set a program record for wins in a season.
To do so, the Aztecs (11-2) will have to get past UTSA (12-1), winner of their first Conference USA title. San Diego State fell to Utah State in their bid to win the Mountain West.
The Roadrunners, like the Aztecs, have a conference Coach of the Year, in Jeff Traylor. They also, quite unlike SDSU, have a high-flying offense, and scored more than 40 points in half of their wins.
They’re led by quarterback Frank Harris and Sincere McCormick, the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, who has run for nearly 1,500 yards on the season.
San Diego State answers with their nationally ranked defense and their own conference players of the year – punter/kicker Matt Araiza and defensive end Cameron Thomas.
UTSA, though, could be facing a complication similar to what stymied the Aztecs against Utah State – missing players.
According to the San Antonio Express-News (paywall), nine players missed practice Sunday, due to “a range of possible causes.” In their Dec. 4 loss in the Mountain West title game, San Diego State played short-handed due to health protocols. In recent days, COVID-19 issues have increased sharply among sports teams at both the pro and college levels.
Practice proceeded without incident for the Aztecs, as they held sessions at Toyota Stadium’s practice fields, followed by a shift to Children’s Health Stadium, a school district facility, due to weather conditions.
Head coach Brady Hoke deemed the first session “a good practice,” while wide receiver Tyrell Shavers said, “We came out with a lot of energy today.”
The Aztecs arrived via charter in Dallas, almost 30 miles from Frisco, on Friday, and enjoyed an evening at the Top Golf complex. Other festivities followed, from a barbecue at Toyota Stadium to a screening of the latest Marvel movie Spider-Man: No Way Home.
San Diego State, which tied a school record with 11 victories this season, was 24th in the final College Football Playoff Rankings. UTSA finished the season ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press football poll.
SDSU last won a bowl game in 2019, when they routed Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl. The Roadrunners, a far younger program, with just 11 seasons under their belts, are 0-2 in bowl games, after losses in 2020 and 2016. The teams have never met before.
