Jacob Bostick was the 14th-ranked overall player in the state of Illinois as a senior at Palatine High School.

One of his first D1 scholarship offers came from Kent State.

The head football coach at Kent State at the time was Sean Lewis. Bostick’s father, Joshua, played WR at Kent State more than two decades ago, which connected his son to his alma mater during the recruitment phase. 

Bostick, though, chose Iowa to begin his collegiate career.

After redshirting in 2022, recovering from a reinjury during fall camp, and a foot injury that kept him out of the following spring camp, Bostik played five games for the Hawkeyes in 2023 before transferring to Texas A&M during the 2024 spring portal window. He played in 12 games for the Aggies, mostly on special teams, and hauled in one reception for 14 yards. 

He entered the transfer portal again in December and this time committed to play for Lewis. He battled through an undisclosed injury through fall camp, donning the red jersey signifying a player is unable to take contact during practice, but rose to a starter in the Week 1 victory against Stony Brook last Thursday night. 

“He has had a unique journey,” Lewis said when asked about Bostick on Monday. “This is his third spot. He’s battled through some injuries and worked tremendously hard. I’ve known him for a really long time. …This football world is really, really small. It’s awesome to have him here.”

Bostick caught three passes for 56 yards, all on the second drive of the game, including a 25-yard touchdown grab. On 3rd and 13, the Stony Brook defensive line jumped offsides before the snap, and the Aztecs’ offense had a free play. QB Jayden Denegal dropped back and found Bostick roaming free into the end zone from the slot on the right side. Bostick leaped for the catch as he fell into the end zone for the score. 

“We practice those instances if the defense jumps offsides,” Bostick responded on Monday when asked if his route changed knowing it was a free play. “That’s our job to be ready regardless if we call a free play, so everybody was ready to go as soon as the ball snapped. We knew where to go.” 

Although Bostick is listed as an outside receiver on the Two-Deep, his two biggest receptions came operating from the slot. That versatility is what Lewis loves from not just Bostick, but the entire receiving room. 

“Having guys that can be multi-faceted and have a diverse skill set allows you to be more creative as a play designer and as a play caller, and really lets us dress some things up and have some fun with it,” Lewis added.

Bostick credits his track and field background and speed as a benefit on the football field and relishes the opportunity to be a vital contributor for the Aztecs. 

“I’m super grateful to be here,” Bostick said. “Ever since I came in, I feel like these guys have welcomed me with open arms, and so I’m super blessed and thankful to be here. Obviously, it’s been an up and down roller coaster with my injuries in my career, but all you can do is control what you can control and definitely have a different perspective and whole lot of gratitude to be on the field in every instance.” 

The Aztecs hope to see him stay healthy and catch more touchdowns during the season.  

Long Drives

In Lewis’s first year at SDSU, the offense only recorded eight scoring drives of 11 or more plays (4 TD, 4 FG). On the four occasions they scored on 16-play drives, three ended in only field goals. Extending drives with key third-down conversions, wearing down the opponent’s defense, and keeping the Aztec defense fresh are paramount to success under Lewis. For one game, the Aztecs succeeded in that facet. 

Three scoring drives of 13 plays or more, resulting in 17 points, fueled the victory, including touchdowns to start the game on 14 and 13-play drives. Converting 9 of 19 on third down and 3 of 4 on fourth down helped keep those long drives alive. 

The dominance led to a 36/24 time of possession advantage, and the defense only played 52 snaps total. Can they keep it up against FBS competition? 

FCS vs FBS

The Aztecs’ 42-0 shutout win against Stony Brook was met with cautious optimism by fans and alumni, given the FCS opponent. The outcomes of several other FCS vs. FBS matchups around the country may paint the win in a better light. 

In Week 0, conference foe UNLV struggled against FCS Idaho State, trailing 31-24 in the fourth quarter at home before prevailing 38-31. The Rebels were 30.5-point favorites entering the game. 

Two of the next three Aztec opponents had their struggles as well in Week 1. Washington State, a 16.5-point favorite, needed a field goal with eight seconds remaining to beat Idaho, 13-10, at home. Northern Illinois, a 13.5-point favorite at home, beat Holy Cross by only two points, 19-17. 

Former SDSU defensive coordinator, Eric Schmidt, took his 27.5-point underdog North Dakota team into 17th-ranked Kansas State and led 35-31 before a late TD sealed the win for the Wildcats, 38-35. 

Army, a 14.5-point favorite at home, lost to Tarleton State, 30-27 (2OT). 

The Aztecs’ 42-point win as a 20-point favorite over the 25th-ranked FCS team looks impressive given the other outcomes. But every week and every game is a new matchup and a new opportunity for the Aztecs to show that last year’s struggles are behind them. 

Funky Schedule

The schedule makers gave Lewis and his staff an unusual start to the season. In addition to opening on a Thursday night and having nine days in between the first and second games, the Aztecs will have their first of two byes in Week 3. That will provide 14 days off before they host California at Snapdragon Stadium on September 20. 

“We have such a unique start to this thing with the ten-day prep and (then) we are going into a bye,” noted Lewis. “We have revamped some things in the schedule as is, and we have been talking about it with the team. We’re not even going to feel what a normal seven-day prep is until Week 4. We’ve been smart. We’ve been measured. We gave the boys off on Friday. It had been a long camp. It was a really good game (on Thursday) and they had earned that. We brought them in on Saturday and gave them off (Sunday) and brought them back (Monday). 

“It’s that dichotomy, right? You got to work. You’ve got to prep, and you have this extra time, and yet I feel like we have a really good team, and they are a mature crew. The biggest thing is come gameday that our guys are feeling good and they are confident in the plan but physically they are hungry and ready to go. I feel like we built out a good plan.”

We’ll see if the extra preparation time before their first three games of the season helps the Aztecs start the season on a high note. 

Ray Guy Award Watch List

On Wednesday, P Hunter Green was named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List. The award recognizes the country’s best punter. Matt Araiza won the award in 2021 in his final season as an Aztec. Green, looking to continue the recent success at the position at SDSU, transferred from Northern Colorado in the offseason. He had a stellar game against Stony Brook, averaging 52.3 yards per punt (long of 67). He could challenge his teammate, PK Gabriel Plascencia, for Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year if he keeps up his performance all season. 

Darrion Dalton

The Aztecs will see a familiar face on Saturday night. Dalton, who spent four years at SDSU, transferred to Washington State in the offseason for his final collegiate year. Dalton only played in 23 games as an Aztec due to various injuries, collecting 25 tackles and 2.5 TFLs—the Cougars list Dalton as a backup at DT on the depth chart. In 25 snaps against Idaho, he recorded one tackle and earned a high 78.7 PFF grade.

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.