Portland State spent one half making preseason expectations look meaningless.

The Vikings shut out No. 6 UC Davis in the first half Aug. 29, controlling the line of scrimmage while building a 21-0 lead. They eventually surrendered 31 second-half points in a 31-24 loss, but not before providing San Diego State with a warning.

The Aztecs (0-0) open their 104th season and first as a member of the Pac-12 against Portland State (0-1) on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on USA Network and San Diego Sports 760.

SDSU returns quarterback Jayden Denegal, 1,000-yard running back Lucky Sutton and several experienced receivers from last season’s 9-4 team. Portland State is coming off a 1-11 season and was picked to finish 12th in the 13-team Big Sky Conference.

The Vikings held UC Davis to 87 rushing yards and allowed just one rushing first down during the first half. That performance presents an immediate test for an SDSU offensive line replacing three starters.

“They have a really good defensive scheme,” SDSU offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle said. “They move well. We can’t turn our shoulders. Especially in the run game, we have to be able to get vertical.”

Creating lanes for Lucky

Left tackle Joe Borjon and left guard Kalan Ellis anchor an SDSU line with three new starters.

Ball State transfer Isaac Lucas takes over at center, while Texas Southern transfer Dennis Jones earned the right tackle job.

Lucas played guard before moving to center at SDSU, putting him in charge of the line’s pre-snap communication.

“He’s a guy that has to be a leader up front and set the front for us,” O’Boyle said. “He has to be able to check everything and make sure we’re in the right gap.”

SDSU’s season-opening depth chart lists Michael Leville Watkins or Charlton Luniewski as the starter at right guard, signaling that the competition remains unsettled. O’Boyle said the two are “kind of even,” with Saturday’s performances helping determine who emerges.

The line must create space for Sutton and Colorado State transfer Javion “Chop” Kinnard. Sutton rushed for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, while Kinnard gives SDSU a receiving and open-field threat out of the backfield.

“We have to give Lucky and Chop and all of our good running backs seams,” O’Boyle said.

Keeping Smith contained

Portland State quarterback Tyrese Smith completed 23 of 36 passes for 268 yards in the opener, adding 33 rushing yards and two 1-yard touchdowns.

SDSU must account for Smith on designed runs and when passing plays break down.

“On the designed quarterback run game, you play your fits based on the coverage and the front,” SDSU linebackers coach Scott White said. “The off-schedule stuff, we have to do a great job plastering and then knowing our second-contain rules.”

“We have to do a great job keeping him inside and in front,” White said, “and at the end of the day, keeping the ball leveraged, whether it’s a designed quarterback run or a quarterback scramble.”

Senior linebackers Tano Letuli and Sione Hala will be responsible for helping contain Smith. Letuli, a three-time captain, returns after an injury limited him to six games last season. Hala, a Weber State transfer, quickly earned the starting role alongside him.

“He’s just a dog,” White said of Hala. “He’s a warrior. He’s a playmaker. He’s instinctive. He made it really obvious to us that he’s one of our best 11.”

White called Letuli a “force multiplier” whose command of the defense allows Hala to concentrate on making plays.

Portland State has played only one game under first-year coach Chris Fisk, leaving SDSU with limited film of its current system. White’s instruction to his linebackers was what he’s preached all offseason.

“Play your rules,” White said. “There isn’t anything that they can present that is really going to break the rules. We only will break the rules. Stay within everything we’ve been talking about since the spring. Play hard, play fast, play physical, and we’ll be just fine.”

“The ideal is execution plus production,” White said. “That’s when you know you have a good group of linebackers.”

White summarized it more simply.

“Execution, execution, execution.”

Roman Aguilar

Roman Aguilar (he/him/his) is a San Diego State graduate from Stockton, California. He joined The Daily Aztec in 2022, covering football, men’s basketball, and water polo before becoming Sports Editor for three years. Aguilar was also the sports director for KCR College Radio for two years, where he covered SDSU athletics, reviewed concerts, and interviewed artists. Outside the newsroom, he’s often at local shows or watching his favorite horror films.