SDSU football schedule released

The 100th season of SDSU football is beginning to take shape.

The progress on the Snapdragon stadium is apparent to anyone driving past it. While the Aztecs’ new home continues to inch closer to completion, the details of the schedule are also becoming. Today, the Mountain West released the weekends SDSU will play its 2022 opponents. Below is a quick look at the schedule with a little help on any road trip plans fans might be making.

October 1 at Boise State

All-Time Series: SDSU leads 4-3             Last Meeting: 2021 SDSU won 27-16

Round trip price of a flight from San Diego to Boise:  $198

San Diego State and Boise State are the two marquee programs in the conference. Publicly, the schools have made it known they would like to see this game on the schedule every season. It remains to be seen how the Mountain West could accommodate this request, but for this season, it is a moot point. The Aztecs and Broncos meet for the eighth time in 2022. The “Jordon Brookshire Game” is the best description of the 2021 affair. Boise State opened up a 16-3 lead when Brookshire came off the bench and played the most inspired play of his career.

October 8 Hawaii

All-Time Series: SDSU leads 22-11-2     Last Meeting: 2021 SDSU won 17-10

Round trip price of a flight from Honolulu to San Diego: $408

The dysfunction in Hawaii over the past couple of seasons makes SDSU, a program that has had its fair share of issues, look like a model institution. In 2020, Aloha Stadium, the football team’s home since 1975, was condemned by the State, leaving the program homeless. If losing $400,000 a year by downgrading to a smaller stadium was not bad enough, expansion of an on-campus facility will cost 8.3 million dollars. Construction drama aside, the Rainbow Warriors also have a new coach in Tommy Chang, who took over amid allegations of mistreatment under former coach Todd Graham. 

October 15 Bye Week

All-Time Series: Undefeated                 

The bye comes at the halfway point in the year for the Aztecs. It also comes before the only time where SDSU will play on the road in back-to-back weeks. Injuries and the momentum of the year will dictate it more, but the time off appears to be at an adventitious time for the Aztecs.

October 22 at Nevada

All-Time Sereis: SDSU leads 8-6             Last Meeting 2021 SDSU won 23-21

Round trip flight from San Diego to Reno: $292

The Wolfpack and Aztecs renew their rivalry for the eleventh straight season. Nevada joined the MW in 2012 and was treated to an overtime thriller that season with Adam Roberts catching an Adam Dingwell pass on a two-point conversation to give SDSU the upset victory in a win Dingwell “couldn’t have done it without myself.” Nevada looks to be in a rebuild for 2022 with their head coach, Jay Norvell, hired away by conference rival Colorado State, and 15 players or recruits transferring to join him in Fort Collins.

October 29 at Fresno State

All-Times Series: SDSU leads 30-26-4   Last Meeting: 2021 Fresno State won 30-20

Round trip flight from San Diego to Fresno: $198

The Old Oil Can made its way back to Fresno this past year after the Bulldogs came to Carson and defeated the Aztecs. The trophy was named after the extra can of oil commuters had to carry with them when they made roads trips to watch previous iterations of the contest. SDSU and FSU’s rivalry started on November 29, 1923, with head coach C.E. Peterson leading the Aztecs to a 12-2 victory. The 2022 version will give SDSU another crack at solving the Jack Haener riddle. The on and off again transfer returns to lead the Bulldogs. He put up 306 yards and 1 TD to lead FSU over the Aztecs in 2021.   

November 5 UNLV

All-Time Series: SDSU leads 21-10        Last Meeting: 2021 SDSU won 28-20

Round trip flight from Las Vegas to San Diego: $92

The Rebels come to town to open the month of November. They are currently in the third year under Marcus Arroyo, who has leveraged his time as Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Oregon into the job in Las Vegas. Since arriving on campus, UNLV’s recruiting prowess has greatly improved, with many players excited to play under Arroyo and in the new Allegiant Stadium. UNLV’s off-season victories have yet to pay off on the field. The Aztecs have played the Rebels every season since 1999 and own a 17-6 record during that time, which accounts for the margin in the all-time series.

November 12 San Jose State

All-Time Series: SDSU leads 23-20-2     Last Meeting: 2021 SDSU won 19-13

Round trip price of a flight from San Jose to San Diego: $238

The trajectory of the SJSU program faltered last season following a Mountain West title in 2020. Falling to 5-7 overall in 2021, the Spartans will look to show their championship was not a Covid induced fluke. The program is now filled with players Head coach Bret Brennan, who arrived on campus in 2016. The Aztecs are 8-1 in their last nine games against the Spartans, with an average margin of victory of 20 points.

November 19 at New Mexico

All-Time Series: SDSU leads 28-15        Last Meeting: 2021 SDSU won 31-7

Round trip flight from San Diego to Albuquerque: $414

A year after Brady Hoke hosted his former colleagues in Carson, Danny Gonzales and Rocky Long get to return the favor. SDSU travels to the Land of Enchantment to face a Lobos club that is entering into the third year of its rebuild under Gonzalez. After winning their first two contests a season ago, New Mexico won only one more game, a 14-3 victory on the road against Wyoming. Toughness and physicality, two hallmarks of Long’s coaching philosophy, have yet to take hold for the Lobos, but with the skill of the men leading the program, their turnaround is likely only a matter of time.  

November 26 Air Force

All-Time Series: Air Force leads 19-18  Last Meeting: 2021 SDSU won 20-14

Round trip flight from Colorado Springs to San Diego: $469

One statistic that shows the improvement of the Aztecs as a football program over the past decade-plus is the record against the Falcons. Heading into the 2010 meeting, Air Force had built a 19-9 advantage. This season SDSU can even the slate because they have defeated the Falcons nine consecutive times. The current streak started when Ronnie Hillman led the Aztecs with 191 rushing yards in a 27-25 upset over the 23rd ranked Falcons. If SDSU can pull even in the series in 2022, it will be another remarkable sign of the turnaround by the program.

Paul Garrison

My earliest sport’s memory involve tailgating at the Murph, running down the circular exit ramps, and seeing the Padres, Chargers and Aztecs play. As a second generation Aztec, I am passionate about all things SDSU. Other interests include raising my four children, being a great husband and teaching high school.