GAME INFORMATION

Date: Thursday, August 28

Location: San Diego, Snapdragon Stadium

Kickoff: 7:00 PM PT

TV: KUSI & Mountain West Network

Aztecs Radio Network: San Diego Sports 760

Year two of the Sean Lewis era kicks off this Thursday night at Snapdragon Stadium when the SDSU Aztecs host the Stony Brook Seawolves. 

“Really pleased with the way the guys have approached the work and were excited about the opportunity that lay ahead,” Lewis said during his opening press conference ahead of game one. “Obviously Stony Brook is coming in here from Long Island and they’re a tremendous team that’s really well coached, their staff did a heck of a job coming in last year with their coach winning FCS coach of the year by flipping that thing from 0-10 to 8-4.”

After a disappointing 3-9 season, the Red and Black are hoping to bounce back. 

Although the offensive style may be similar to last year, the players operating it have changed at key positions. Most notably, the quarterback and running backs. Jayden Denegal (Michigan transfer) filled the need left by Danny O’Neil’s exit via the transfer portal. Denegal won the starting spot two weeks ago after competing with Bert Emanuel Jr. (Central Michigan transfer). Last season, Marquez Cooper made the offense work, and his hole will be filled by a carousel of running backs composed of Lucky Sutton, Byron Cardwell (California transfer), and Christian Washington (Coastal Carolina transfer).

The defense returned most of its starters and will hopefully play more like it did in the first half of last season, before its performance declined in the second half. Trey White and Tano Letuli lead the charge again. 

Stony Brook was in a similar situation as the Aztecs last season when they hired new head coach Billy Cosh. Similar to Lewis, Cosh is an offensive-minded coach, having served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Western Michigan in 2023. 

Unlike what happened in San Diego in 2024, the Seawolves thrived under their new coach and went from a winless season in 2023 to an 8-4 record in 2024. This was done by an offense that scored the second-most points in conference play. 

The offense will be run-heavy with star running back Roland Dempster and the return of three starting offensive linemen. The offense was also replenished through the transfer portal at the wide receiver position, bringing in three players who can make an immediate impact. 

The defense is very opportunistic and does a good job of pressuring quarterbacks and creating turnovers. They returned two talented linebackers, Anthony Ferrelli and AJ Roberts. The defense will be the weak spot once again for the Seawolves, as, outside of the linebackers, they had to restock their roster through the portal. 

Lewis and his team will be tested in the first game as the running style that Stony Brooks brings is one that the Aztecs faltered with late in the 2024 season. The Aztec Fast offense will have an opportunity to shine early against a defense that surrendered 24.75 points per game. 

At home, the Red and Black will look to start the season off with a win before facing two tough opponents: a trip to Washington State and a return home to face the University of California after a bye.

Keys To The Game 

• Minimize Mental Mistakes

Lewis’s Aztec Fast offense was slowed down early in the season with a mound of mental mistakes and penalties. In the home opener, SDSU committed 16 penalties for 149 yards. This slowed down the pace of play for the “fast” part of Aztec Fast. 

Lewis has made it a point to focus on “controlling the controllables.” Lewis mentioned that mental mistakes are even more frustrating because they are things a team can control themselves, and the team needs to do a better job in that area.

“If we’re putting bad ball plays on tape, then we’re just practicing bad habits,” Lewis said when asked about what they can do to be successful this season. “This group has done a tremendous job learning quicker, allowing us to install more and be further along… and now that needs to go lead to elite production on Thursday night.”

If the Red and Black can keep the yellow flags off the field early this season, it will not only help during game time but will pay dividends down the road with the development of the offense and how far it can go in year two.

That discipline starts in this very first game and can set into motion much success for SDSU going forward.

• Stop The Run

The Aztecs need to stop the run. This is something the team struggled with late last season, which caused opposing teams to work the clock. The defense allowed 207.5 rushing yards per game.

Giving up that many yards can spell disaster against a team like Stony Brook, which excels at running the ball and controlling the game. 

Trey White and Brady Nassar will need to apply pressure to the quarterback when they decide to pass in hopes of throwing off timing to allow the secondary to make a play on the ball. Letuli will need to command the middle of the field and fill gaps when they open to get his defense off the field.

“They made a big jump last year from the previous year,” said Nassar on Monday about Stony Brook. “They’re a very improved team and have some pieces that are very solid.” 

Stony Brook Player To Watch: Roland Dempster (Running Back)

At 6 feet even and 235 pounds, Dempster is built to do damage. He uses his size and speed to elude tacklers on his way to the endzone. He can run the ball between the tackles, but can also bounce it outside for a big run. Stopping him should be the Aztecs’ main objective on Thursday night.

With three of his starting linemen returning in Niko Papic, Charles Allen III, and Kollin Melendez, the run game should be similar to last season. 

In his fourth season with the Seawolves, Dempster played in all 12 games, rushing 268 times for 1332 and 18 touchdowns. He averaged over 100 yards per game (111). 

With an offensive mind like Cosh leading Stony Brook, the emphasis has to be on slowing down the offense and keeping the ball out of their hands. If SDSU fails to win the time of possession battle, it could be a long night for the Red and Black defense.

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.