Stepping stone or step back: How will SDSU’s 2024 be remembered?

When Sean Lewis signed a five-year contract to become the head football coach of San Diego State last November, many among Aztec Nation wondered how many of those five years would be fulfilled before Lewis was poached away by a Power 4 team due to the offensive success he would show on The Mesa. 

Fast forward almost 12 months and Saturday night’s loss to UNLV ensuring a second straight year without a bowl game, has some in Aztec Nation now wondering whether Lewis was the right hire and how long he will last as head coach before the school decides to move on.

While questions about Lewis’ job security after only ten games are rushed, if not, absurd, it does however bring up a valid question that permeates across the country. How long should it take for a brand new coaching staff to turn around a college football program? 

Ask this question a mere five years ago, and you would get a near-consensus answer that at least two to three years are required for a new staff to instill their culture, system and bring in and develop the players that fit it. 

In 2024, that answer is not so clear. With the changing landscape of NIL and the transfer portal no longer requiring players to sit a year, rosters around the country can be and are typically overhauled in a few weeks in December and January. Add in the spring window and coaching staffs are able to augment missing pieces seen during spring camp. 

For Lewis and the Aztecs, more than half the scholarship roster (44 of 85) at the start of the season were in their first year at SDSU. Given the timing of Brady Hoke’s retirement announcement (two weeks before the season ended), the Aztecs were in a good position to hire a new coach prior to the start of the December portal window and the high school class early signing day. Lewis was introduced on November 29, 2024 and a portion of his assistant coaches were in place shortly thereafter. 

One reference point is Saturday night’s opponent. From 2014 through 2022, the Rebels averaged only three wins per season and never reached the bowl-eligible amount of six. Just once since 2004 did they win more than five games (seven in 2013). 

In December 2022, the Rebels hired Barry Odom as their new head coach. In his first year, they won nine games and earned a spot in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game, losing to Boise State. Odom did what Lewis was unable to do in his first year at SDSU. This season, the Rebels are 8-2, ranked 23rd currently in the AP Poll and their lone conference loss was to the 12th ranked Broncos. 

Perhaps a better comparison might be last week’s opponent, the New Mexico Lobos, who were hunting for a head coach the same time the Aztecs were last year. Bronco Mendenhall took over the program after it failed to win more than four games in any season since 2016. While the Lobos are only 5-6 on the season, their last two games were victories over the Aztecs on the road and an upset of 19th-ranked Washington State on Saturday night, while boasting the 5th-best offense in FBS this season (Aztecs are 120th). With a win at Hawai’i in two weeks, the Lobos will be bowl-eligible. 

These are only two examples and Lewis hopes another offseason of roster turnover, player development, and system belief will lead to not only success in year two, but sustained throughout the course of his tenure leading the Aztecs. 

Lewis spoke postgame Saturday night that despite how disappointing this season has been, failing to reach a bowl game, under his leadership, that the flashes he has seen gives him hope moving forward. 

“There’s moments of greatness but not consistency,” he said. “We want to be consistent in all the things that we are doing across the board. … We will continue to grow, we will continue to learn and have all three phases play together.”

The Aztecs hope Lewis’ tenure has the same trajectory as the one by the coach he replaced. In 2009, the Aztecs won only four games in Brady Hoke’s first year in charge. In 2010, they won nine games and began a streak of 11 consecutive bowls. 

Hoke’s second tenure had a similar trajectory. SDSU’s consecutive bowl streak was snapped in 2020 followed by the most wins in program history in 2021.

If the Aztecs rebound in 2025 and reach the heights that Lewis and Aztec Fast have set, 2024 will be a distant memory. For now, this season only breeds more questions than answers. 

Marquez Cooper, record-breaker 

While the offense has not found its stride in 2024, one player has continued his individual collegiate success. With his 97 rushing yards on Saturday night, Marquez Cooper (1,062 yards on 246 carries) became the first Aztec with a 1,000 yard rushing season since Greg Bell in 2021. 

Cooper is now tied with ten other running backs for the FBS record with four 1,000 yard rushing seasons (Kent State twice, Ball State, and SDSU) and the first player in FBS history to do it with three different teams.

His 4,918 rushing yards ranks 32nd in NCAA history and puts him only 82 yards shy of 5,000. If Cooper gains his season average of 106.2 yards in each of his last two games of the season, that would place him at 5,130 career rushing yards and 19th on the record list. Former Aztec Donnel Pumphrey continues to top the list with 6,405. 

When asked postgame what will be important to him in his two final collegiate games, Cooper focused on pride and wanting to be a leader and captain for his team, especially young backs Cam Davis and Lucky Sutton.  

“Show them the ropes and when their time comes, they are going to be more than ready,” Cooper remarked. 

As he has done on numerous occasions following games this season, Cooper was introspective in attempting to answer the question why the offense has failed to reach its expectations. He took responsibility as the captain of the offense, but also pointed out that he feels he has done a lot of what his coaches and teammates have asked of him.

“If you check the film… I feel like I’ve given my all to this team (and) to this roster,” Cooper said. “I’m not saying that none of the blame is on me but I am saying that I gave my all to this team every single day, and I hope that the fans and my coaches and my teammates understand that.” 

Player of the Game: Eric Butler

Among many individual bright spots for the defense in 2024 has been safety Eric Butler. On Saturday night, Butler tied for a team-high eight tackles and added 1.5 TFLs, a pass breakup and a forced fumble at the goal line which thwarted another UNLV score. 

“He is an exceptional talent,” Lewis said about Butler postgame. “He’s played at a good level throughout the course of the year. We expect our good players to play really well and he’s one of them and he showed up tonight and did a good job.”   

On a night where the defense looked overmatched at times and could not keep the Rebels from hitting big play after big play on the way to 515 total yards, Butler showed the most effort and fire from the defensive unit. 

Butler’s 43 tackles on the season puts him at sixth among the Aztec defenders, but his 31 solo tackles have him only behind CB Chris Johnson (42) on the team. 

Unsung Hero: Ja’Shaun Poke

Out of all the wide receivers the Aztecs brought in over the course of the offseason, none had more hype than Ja’Shaun Poke heading into the season. His production under Lewis for multiple seasons at Kent State had all the makings for a repeat in his final year of eligibility. It hasn’t quite turned out that way for Poke. 

While he led the Aztecs with 39 receptions heading into the game against UNLV, he only accumulated 304 yards for a meager 7.8 ypr and zero touchdowns. That changed when he caught three passes for 79 yards (26.3 ypr) including a 46-yard touchdown reception from Danny O’Neil in the third quarter. 

It was Poke’s first touchdown in almost two years and showed off his elite speed that was talked about all offseason. 

“We got them in a 2-high look and were able to get (Poke) over the top and it was good to see that explosive play pay off,” Lewis explained postgame about the scoring play.

Two-Minute Drill

• One week after controlling the time of possession and recording 88 plays against New Mexico, the script flipped against UNLV, only recording 58 plays in under 24 minutes of possession.
• Aztecs have been outscored 83-35 in the first quarter this season and failed to score on all ten opening drives; they have only been outscored by 19 points total in the final three quarters.
• Danny O’Neil’s score on a QB sneak at the goal line was his first career rushing touchdown; the Aztecs could have used a similar sneak from O’Neil on a pivotal 3rd and 1 play last week against the Lobos that lost yardage on a handoff to Cam Davis and led to a punt.
• Brady Nassar recorded his first career sack on Saturday night and 3 of his 4 career TFLs; for his efforts, Nassar was the defensive player made available to the media in the postgame press conference.
• For the third time this season, the Aztecs ran a two-point conversion attempt out of a funky-spread formation; after converting the first one for a score, they have now whiffed on the last two, including Saturday night’s version with punter Tyler Pastula throwing the ball incomplete into end zone after being pressured immediately.
• Pastula continues to impress in his first year as the SDSU punter, booming six punts for an average of 48.2; his season average of 45.98 is currently 7th best in the country.
• One of the most disappointing statistics of the season for the Aztecs continues to be penalties, adding another nine on Saturday night for 91 yards; season average of 9.1 penalties per game is tied for second-worst with UTSA (behind New Mexico’s 9.36) and 83.2 penalty yards per game is second-worst (behind UTSA’s 86.9). 
• The actual game time was 3:45, the longest one for the Aztecs all season; the previous highs were 3:36 against Wyoming and Washington State.
• The Aztecs turned the ball over only three times in the first five games, but six in the last five; O’Neil’s fumble at the goal line against Oregon State in week 2 is still the only lost fumble for the Aztecs all season, tied for best in the country with five other schools.
• After dropping a sure touchdown at the end of the game, Jordan Napier sulked in the end zone. Attempting to pick his young receiver up, Lewis called Napier over repeatedly. An assistant even nudged Napier to make sure he knew Lewis’ direction. Napier did not listen. He headed away from his head coach to process his mistake alone. 

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.