GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, November 16
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Allegiant Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 PM PT
TV: CBS Sports Network
Aztecs Radio Network: San Diego Sports 760

SDSU head coach Sean Lewis and the Aztecs are coming off a crushing loss to New Mexico. The loss marked the fifth game decided by a touchdown or less this season.

That loss all but destroyed the team’s hopes for a conference championship and left them with slim bowl hopes.

“Missed opportunities Friday night, lots to learn from, lots to grow from,” Lewis said at Monday’s press conference. “Guys did a good job coming into the building yesterday. We got to do a good job in the critical areas that matter most in a single game where we came up a little bit short Friday night.”

This week, SDSU packs its bags and heads to Sin City to face UNLV. The Rebels are 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference. The team’s two losses have been at home, each close. They lost a thriller to Syracuse 44-41 in overtime and a tight contest against Mountain West leader Boise State 29-24.

These two teams have faced off every season since 1999 (except 2023). The Aztecs have won 22 games and only lost 10 in 32 all-time contests.

The Red and Black defeated the Rebels in the past four matchups. The last time they faced off was in 2022 in San Diego. The Aztecs came away with a 14-10 win. Jalen Mayden threw for 216 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Current players Kenan Chrsiton and Mekhi Shaw both saw action in the game.

This year’s UNLV team is well-balanced on both sides of the football and dangerous in special teams. Offensively, they are led by dual-threat quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams. They are a run-first team, as they have rushed the ball (393 times) twice as much as they have passed it (189 times). Defensively, they do a good job tackling and forcing turnovers.

Despite the bad start this season, SDSU will have three more opportunities to build on for the future. That starts this week in Las Vegas, followed by their last road trip to face Utah State and then a matchup at home with Air Force to finish the season.

“Not where we want to be,” Lewis bluntly stated in his evaluation of the team. “You look at it, and you always assess what is successful, and that’s what we’re capable of and what we’ve done, and so I have to do a better job of making sure that we are closing that gap because there have been a few key plays throughout the course of the year that we can point to where if they go our way then we’d be in a much different situation in what the overall record would be.”

Key to the game: Protect the football

Coaches and players at every level preach protecting the football. Lewis and his staff have mentioned it profusely. This week that will be crucial to the team’s success.

UNLV’s defense is great at producing turnovers. They have 14 interceptions and three forced fumbles. Their secondary is excellent in coverage. Six players on the Rebels’ defense have interceptions this season, with three having three or more.

“Very opportunistic,” Lewis said to describe the Rebels defenders. “They do a really good job in their zone coverage where they’re able to keep eyes on the quarterback and then very advantageous when they get the opportunity… they’re active to the football, their linebackers have exceptional range. It’s just amazing the number of interceptions and just tip balls and PBUs that they have been able to make and produce.”

Danny O’Neil had done a good job of preventing turnovers at the beginning of the season but has slipped up recently, throwing four interceptions in the past five weeks. Last week’s game against New Mexico was the first game he hadn’t thrown an interception since the Hawaii game on October 5.

UNLV’s front pins their ears back and gets to the quarterback. They have 28 sacks and 20 quarterback hurries. Those numbers produced by the defensive line lead to forced throws that the secondary takes advantage of.

“They’re a multiple front team,” Lewis said. “They have two dynamic edge players that are able to contain and compress the pocket, and both their linebackers do an exceptional job. They have a good understanding of the system, and they play well in space.”

With a diminished offensive line, the Aztecs will have to stave off the D-line, and O’Neil will have to be careful and take calculated risks. If they fail to protect the football, UNLV will continue to add to its numbers.

Players to watch: QB-WR Duo: Hajj-Malik Williams and Ricky White III

Sounding like a broken record, the Aztecs will be facing another talented dual-threat quarterback. But this broken record is music to the opposing fan’s ears. The Aztecs have had trouble with athletic signal callers.

“He’s really good,” Lewis said of this week’s quarterback his defense has to face. “He’s in that tier one category of quarterbacks. He makes great decisions with all the things that they ask him to do, he’s very efficient in the throw game, and his touchdown to interception ratio is exceptional.”

Williams is the team’s leading rusher with 617 yards and six touchdowns. He doesn’t shy away from contact as a running quarterback, often lowering his shoulder or giving a stiff arm to get extra yards. On top of the threat he possesses as a runner, he can pass the ball with accuracy and does a good job protecting the football. He has thrown 13 touchdowns to only three interceptions.

As if trying to contain and control Williams needed to be more of a test, his top target makes the duo the best the Aztecs will face all season.

His favorite receiver is star wideout Ricky White III. White is an explosive player who uses his speed and size to make big plays from anywhere on the field. His ability to create separation and get yards after the catch was shown last season when he ended the season as the Mountain West receiving leader with 1,483 yards. This season, he has accumulated 799 yards and ten touchdowns.

This duo will cause a lot of stress on SDSU’s secondary and will require a lot of attention to slow down. It will take a complete team effort from the defensive line to pressure Williams and the secondary to stay tight in coverage.

White is a playmaker who will also draw attention to special teams. He has blocked five punts this season, so even if the Rebel offense isn’t on the field, he will still give Lewis a headache.

With his ability to run and extend plays, the defensive front can’t afford to take their eyes off Williams. In situations where Williams takes off, White does a good job working back to his quarterback to get open.

If the defense can somehow control this duo, they will have a chance to prevent UNLV from putting up big numbers.

Fun Facts

• Marquez Cooper is 35 yards away from his fourth 1,000-yard rushing season.
• This is the shortest road trip of the season for SDSU. Allegiant Stadium is just over 300 miles away.
• In this series, the team with the most rushing yards has won 23 of the last 25 games,
• Aztec alumni and NCAA All-time rushing yards leader Donnel Pumphrey is a Las Vegas native and played for Canyon Springs High School.

Johnny Olivieri

Johnny is born and raised in San Diego and a diehard fan of all his hometown teams. He is an avid collector of sports memorabilia that help paint a picture of the history of sports in San Diego. He spends a lot of his time attending sports games across San Diego county and enjoys studying the history and spreading knowledge of San Diego’s diverse sports.