“The more things change, the more they remain the same” is a proverb written by French critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1849. 

The phrase used in today’s culture typically describes an ironic situation when a decision meant to change the results of an event does not end up making the intended impact.  

When Brady Hoke was hired as the head football coach for San Diego State in December 2008, it spawned a new era on The Mesa. From 2009 through 2023, the Aztecs had a true identity under Hoke and Rocky Long—characterized by tough, hard-nosed football, led by a suffocating defense and a complementary ball-possession running game. 

Despite the less-than-flashy style, the fans embraced this identity because for much of those 15 years, the Aztecs won. They played in a bowl game in 12 consecutive full seasons (not including the 2020 COVID-shortened year). They won three conference championships. 

When the bowl-game streak finally ended in 2023, so did that identity. At least, we thought. 

Gone was Hoke. In came Sean Lewis, known for his fast, uptempo spread offense. 

Upon announcing Lewis as the new head football coach, Athletic Director JD Wicker cited conversations with the leaders of the football team and former SDSU players who pleaded for a new identity catered around an entertaining and offensive-minded product to bring fans into Snapdragon Stadium. 

The thought process among many: Sacrifice a little defensive success while upgrading the offense substantially. Winning games 38-35 is more entertaining than winning 6-3. 

After one season under Lewis, the Aztecs lacked a real identity. The defense sputtered mightily into the bottom third in FBS, and the offense was alongside them despite the grandeur of an Aztec Fast offense to light up the scoreboard. The 3-9 record was worse than the 4-8 record that closed out the Hoke/Long era. 

Four games into Lewis’ second year, the Aztecs have already matched the 3-win total of 2024, after a 6-3 victory at Northern Illinois on Saturday. This year’s team has formed an identity, one Aztecs fans know all too well. 

The defense ranks 6th (scoring defense), 10th (total defense), 13th (passing defense), and 23rd (rushing defense) in the four major defensive categories. 

On the flip side, the offense ranks 93rd (scoring offense), 118th (total offense), 110th (passing offense), and 80th (rushing offense) in the four major offensive categories. 

Sound familiar? 

Winning a game 6-3 is probably not what Wicker had in mind when he hired Lewis in November 2023. But after two dismal seasons, getting back to winning football games is all that matters at this point. Leaning on the veteran defensive players who decided to stay Aztecs instead of more lucrative financial overtures is the smart move. 

Senior Chris Johnson added another interception to thwart a promising NIU drive, along with seven tackles. Redshirt junior Trey White added six tackles and made a big 4th down stop in the fourth quarter. 

The Aztecs did not allow a touchdown for a second straight game for the first time since the 2016 season. The same season they last won a conference championship. 

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Costly Penalties Almost Doom Aztecs

The final box score shows the Aztecs only committed five penalties on Saturday. But three of them (plus a declined fourth penalty) cost the Aztecs’ offense points and almost the game. 

On their first drive of the game, the Aztecs reached the Huskies’ nine. However, on 1st and Goal, Seth Adams was called for a holding penalty that pushed the Aztecs back to the 19 on 1st and Goal. With a struggling passing game, this situation was too much to overcome. Despite scoring three points on a Gabriel Plascencia field goal, the penalty cost the offense an opportunity for a touchdown and four more points. 

On the final drive of the first half, the Aztecs began on their own 45 after Danny Vuckovic shanked a punt for only 20 yards. With Plascencia’s strong leg, the Aztecs were primed to get in his range for a chance for three points before halftime. After a Jordan Napier 13-yard reception took it to the NIU 42, Jacob Bostick committed an offensive pass interference on the ensuing play, which pushed the Aztecs back to their own 43 and a 1st and 25 that was too much to overcome again. Three plays later, Hunter Green punted from midfield. 

The final penalty, in conjunction with a second penalty on the same play that would be declined, turned a potential game-winning gift into a nightmare scenario for the Aztecs. With 6:50 remaining in a tied game, the Aztecs’ defense forced the Huskies to punt from their own 33 on a 4th and 9. 

Vuckovic dropped the snap, and by the time he recovered the ball and turned to try to get a punt off, Dalesean Staley was there to take him down at the 17. If the play stood, the Aztecs would have already been in field goal range to take the lead and potentially more with a touchdown. 

However, Staley pulled Vuckovic’s helmet off in the process and was flagged for a personal foul penalty, which gave the Huskies a first down at their 48. The Aztecs were also flagged for an offside on the play, which, even without Staley’s personal foul penalty, would have negated the botched punt. Fortunately, the defense once again stepped up and stopped a 4th-and-2 play from the SDSU 44 for a turnover on downs. 

These examples highlight how the penalties at the wrong time can impact the outcome of games. 

Short Yardage Offensive Miscues 

Despite the two turnovers and the costly penalties, the Aztecs’ offense still had plenty of chances to score points on Saturday. Their biggest deficiencies came from executing short-yardage situations. 

Overall, the Aztecs converted 5 of 15 3rd downs and 1 of 3 4th downs, a 33% rate for both. They were better in the first half (5 of 11) than the second (1 of 7), and the most important ones were failures to pick up one or two yards to move the chains.  

The following is a recap of every short yardage play (two yards or less to go) the offense ran against NIU on Saturday. 

1st drive

On a 4th and 1 on the NIU 26, Lucky Sutton gained just enough for a first down on a shotgun handoff from Denegal. 

2nd drive

Christian Washington took a shotgun handoff from Denegal at the SDSU 32 on 3rd and 1 and gained three yards for a first down. Later in the drive, Washington was stopped for no gain on 4th and 1 from the NIU 46 on a shotgun handoff, resulting in a turnover of downs. 

7th drive

On a 3rd and 1 from the NIU 42, Washington lost two yards on a shotgun handoff from Emanuel Jr., and the Aztecs were forced to punt from the NIU half of the field. LB Quinton Urwiler (16 tackles, 2.5 TFLs) met Washington in the backfield after storming up the A gap unblocked and tackled him immediately. 

9th drive

On a 3rd and 1 from the NIU 34, Washington was unable to pick up a first down, stopped by Urwiler again for no gain. The Aztecs went quickly after Washington picked up two yards on 2nd and 3, trying to catch the Huskies’ defense out of position, but the shotgun handoff to Washington had no chance to gain a yard as Urwiler was not the only defender in the backfield. 

The Aztecs caught a break as Urwiler ran off the field after the play and missed the ensuing 4th and 1. However, they did not take advantage. 

For the first time in short yardage, the Aztecs did not hand the ball off to a running back. They lined up with two tight ends on the right side of the offensive line and one receiver on each side. Denegal faked a handoff and looked to find Mikey Welsh coming across the line of scrimmage on a drag route, but Welsh and Washington ran into each other in the backfield, throwing off the timing of the play. 

The Huskies’ defense sniffed it out, and Denegal was forced to step up in the pocket. As three defenders zoned in on him before he could reach the first down line, Denegal flicked a pass in the air towards Adams, who got his right hand on the ball and attempted to bring it in to his body to secure the first down catch. As he began to go to the ground with the ball, Jasper Beeler snatched the ball out of his hands for an interception. 

10th drive 

On their final short yardage play of the game, a 3rd and 2 on the NIU 48, Denegal faked the handoff to Washington after correctly identifying a defender in position to tackle him immediately. Unfortunately, two other defenders were in the backfield to take Denegal down for a one-yard loss. The Aztecs were forced to punt the ball from NIU’s half of the field with 2:43 remaining in the game. 

After converting their first two short-yardage plays of the game, the Aztecs failed on their last five. Despite his 5.2 ypc, Sutton (17 car, 88yds) was only in the game on one of those short yardage plays, the first one where he picked up the first down. 

“There’s going to be run-throughs and we have to anticipate (line)backers playing fast downhill in those situations,” Lewis said on Monday when asked about the issues in short yardage. “We hung a little too long on our level one threat and didn’t come off and maintain our gap integrity on that.”

In response to a question about Sutton earning more carries, Lewis pointed to the different skill sets of the different backs and managing the workload to keep Sutton fresh so that he can still have success on the final drive of the game when the defense is worn down. 

Sutton is t-20th in FBS with 16.75 carries per game this season. Washington is averaging 8 carries per game. 

Special Teams

In a matchup of two good defenses where scoring is expected to be limited, the play of special teams can decide the winner of the game. This was evident in the Aztecs’ win. Plascencia knocked in both of his field goal attempts on the day, extending his streak to 18 and tying Chris O’Brien for the longest streak in program history.  

His game-winning kick was the first time the Aztecs won a regulation game with no time left since September 10, 1994, against Cal when Peter Holt hit a 32-yard attempt for a 22–20 win. Lewis said on Monday he would have been comfortable sending Plascencia out for a game-winning kick as far out as 60 yards. 

Punter Hunter Green averaged 47 yards per punt on six punts, including a long of 63. Five of his six punts landed inside the 20, and none for touchbacks. While Vuckovic also had his moments for the Huskies (42.6 avg), only one of his seven punts landed inside the 2,0 and his 20-yd punt gave the Aztecs great field position.

Quick Notes

• The Aztecs’ five-game streak without a turnover (tied with UConn for longest active streak in FBS) ended on Saturday after two Jayden Denegal interceptions
• Denegal missed two series after sustaining an injury on a sack in the 3rd quarter but returned at the start of the 4th quarter; Bert Emanuel Jr. (1/2, 5yds, 1 car, 1 yd) was ineffective in his limited opportunities
• For the second straight week, the Aztecs allowed a long opening possession to the opposing offense (16 plays against NIU, 19 plays against Cal), but only allowed a total of three points combined on those two drives
• Captain LB Tano Letuli returned to the Aztecs’ defense after missing the Cal game, although the ESPN announcers didn’t realize he had started and played in the entire game until the 3rd quarter
• LB Owen Chambliss led the team with 11 tackles and recorded one of the team’s two sacks
• RG Bayo Kannike exited the game with an injury in the first half, but returned on the following drive and finished the game
• After not receiving a target against Cal, WR Donovan Brown caught five passes for 42 yards on seven targets (tied for team high)

Andre Haghverdian

Avid sports fan and historian of basketball, baseball, football and soccer. UC San Diego and San Diego State alumni living in America’s Finest City. Diverse team following across multiple sports leagues, but Aztecs come first in college athletics.