AZTEC FOOTBALL RANKED 24TH BY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

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SDSU nationally ranked by another publication

Source: goaztecs.com press release

Photo: sophomore quarterback Christian Chapman courtesy goaztecs.com

August 10, 2016 (San Diego) - San Diego State is ranked 24th by Sports Illustrated in the publication’s college football preseason top-25 poll, released today.

The Aztecs are ahead of fellow Mountain West team Boise State (No. 25). TCU checks in at No. 20 in the poll, while Oregon (No. 21), North Carolina (No. 22) and UCLA (No. 23) are also just ahead of SDSU.

On San Diego State’s offense, an opposing coach said, “Think Stanford on offense. What they want to do is bludgeon people; you are going to see a lot of two-tight-end, two-back sets. It’s unusual, and teams have a hard time defending it. They’ll try to control the clock and wear you down, so you have to be ready for a bar fight. The problem is running backs Donnel Pumphrey [a senior] and Rashaad Penny [a junior] are so good that they can take it to the house at any time.

The same coach on the Aztecs’ defense stated, ”The difference (on Rocky Long’s 3-3-5 defense) is, they are so physical and they play so fast, I don’t know if there is a team in America that pursues the ball better. Scheme counts for something, but what makes them great is the effort, the heart and the passion that they play with. There isn’t anyone on their defense that’s intimidating, but when the ball’s snapped, they fly around like you wouldn’t believe.  I think San Diego State could be the Houston of this year.

Sports Illustrated also called Mikah Holder the team’s X-factor.

The Aztecs swept the preseason awards and captured all 29 first-place votes en route to being picked to win the West Division of the Mountain West in the 2016 preseason poll released last month SDSU became just the second unanimous preseason pick in MW history (TCU in 2010) and is the only FBS team to receive all of the possible first-place votes in a divisional or league poll.

The Aztecs kick off the 2016 season at Qualcomm Stadium against New Hampshire on Sept. 3 at 5:30 p.m. PT.


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