Game Details

Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. PT
Channel: CBS Sports Network
Radio: San Diego Sports 760
Location: Glass Bowl (Toledo, Ohio)
Records: San Diego State 1-2, Toledo 2-1
Betting line: SDSU +2.5, O/U 52.5 (FanDuel)
Series: SDSU leads 1-0

San Diego State has spent the past two games trying to dig out of holes. Against Toledo, another slow start could be particularly costly.

The Aztecs close nonconference play Saturday morning at the Glass Bowl after a 26-13 loss to James Madison dropped them to 1-2.

SDSU fell behind 19-0 at halftime against the Dukes, one week after its offense was shut out in the first half of a 28-10 loss at UCLA. The Aztecs responded by outgaining James Madison 238-136 after halftime, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

“I think it’s definitely been a problem for us,” linebacker Tano Letuli said of SDSU’s slow starts. “We can’t be giving teams certain leads for us to be chasing while in a hole the rest of the game.”

Toledo knows something about erasing deficits.

The Rockets trailed Temple 42-28 late in the fourth quarter Saturday before scoring twice in 11 seconds, recovering an onside kick between touchdowns, and then winning 49-48 in overtime. The Rockets have also won eight consecutive games at the Glass Bowl by an average margin of 35.4 points.

“They are explosive as hell,” SDSU coach Sean Lewis said. “They got guys that are home run threats all over the yard.”

When SDSU has the ball

Javion Kinnard emerged as SDSU’s biggest offensive bright spot against James Madison.

Making his first start for the Aztecs with Lucky Sutton sidelined by a lower-body injury, Kinnard rushed 33 times for 181 yards and a touchdown. He added four receptions for 70 yards, finishing with 251 yards from scrimmage.

The sophomore enters Saturday as SDSU’s leading rusher with 317 yards on 53 carries.

“I thought he did a really nice job creating some dirty yards,” Lewis said. “He continues to not let one man get him down to the ground. He’s got explosive playmaking abilities.”

Sutton’s availability remains a question after he missed the James Madison game with a lower-body injury.

Whoever is in the backfield, SDSU may have an opportunity to run the ball. Temple rushed for 261 yards against Toledo last week.

The larger question is whether quarterback Jayden Denegal and the passing game can complement it.

Denegal recovered from a difficult first half against James Madison to finish 18 of 33 for 209 yards and a touchdown, but his two interceptions helped the Dukes build their early lead. He has thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions through three games.

When Toledo has the ball

Containing quarterback John Alan Richter presents the biggest challenge for an SDSU defense that allowed James Madison to score on its first three possessions.

Richter is coming off the best performance of his career. The junior completed 36 of 51 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns against Temple, including 151 yards and two scores over Toledo’s final three drives.

Through three games, Richter has thrown for 877 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception.

“He does an unbelievable job of moving, manipulating in the pocket, climbing, keeping his eyes downrange,” Lewis said.

Running back Connor Walendzak has scored six touchdowns — four rushing and two receiving — through three games, while wide receiver Adjatay Dabbs leads Toledo with 16 catches for 223 yards and three touchdowns.

The defense’s challenge begins not with Toledo’s explosiveness, but with eliminating the assignment errors that contributed to another poor start last week.

“There was a missed assignment on almost every single play,” Letuli said of James Madison’s opening drive. “We have to own that, and we have to take ownership, and it’s up to us to fix it.”

Starting and finishing fast

SDSU has been outscored 54-23 over its past two games and has failed to score in the first half of either. Toledo, meanwhile, has outscored its first three opponents 69-36, including 35-3 in the third quarter.

Saturday also provides SDSU one final opportunity to work out its issues before opening Pac-12 play against Texas State on Oct. 3.

The Aztecs won the teams’ only previous meeting, 17-14, at Snapdragon Stadium in 2022.

Lewis is focused less on the 1-2 record than on what produced it.

“I’ll let you guys talk about the results,” Lewis said. “I’m going to obsess about the process and how we can do that better.”

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.