Idaho State vs. San Diego State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
After record high temperatures in last week’s season opener, the Aztecs and Bengals may encounter Hurricane Kay this Saturday.
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The FCS Bengals will face the Aztecs’ wrath following a disappointing season-opener.
WEEK 2: Idaho State Bengals (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky) vs. San Diego State Aztecs (0-1, 0-0 MW)
WHEN: Saturday, September 10th — 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST
WHERE: Bashor Field at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA (35,000)
WEATHER: Rain with temperatures ranging from 74-82 degrees
STREAMING: Mountain West Network
RADIO: 101.5 KGB / XTRA 1360 / iHeart Radio App / SiriusXM ch. 383
SERIES RECORD: This will be the 2nd matchup between these two schools. SDSU leads Idaho State, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: SDSU defeated the Bengals at Qualcomm Stadium, 38-21, on September 4, 2004.
WEBSITES: ISUbengals.com official website of Idaho State Bengals | GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website
ODDS: San Diego State -37
OVER/UNDER: N/A
San Diego, CA- After last week’s season-opening 38-20 loss at their new stadium, the Aztecs are going to try something completely different. This week they’re going to attempt to play defense.
“We played bad, like we had 35 missed tackles on defense. That is not Aztec football in any way,” said linebacker Caden McDonald. It was not the nation’s leading elite defense fans recently became accustomed to witnessing. Was it searing heat? Too many siblings on the field? Whatever the case: elite Aztecs defense was missing despite nine defensive starters returning in 2022.
Last week’s season opener also featured many extraordinary circumstances. The game was in the brand new Snapdragon Stadium; kickoff was scheduled for 12:30 p.m., despite the Aztecs playing mostly at night, and it was aired on CBS. Every time the Aztecs play on CBS something seems to go wrong.
Also, uncharacteristically, fans were roasted alive during a brutal heat wave that drove temperatures well above 100 degrees. To make things even worse, there was very little relief at the stadium from the scorching sun. On Saturday the Aztecs may be in for rain as Hurricane Kay makes landfall.
The Bengals, hailing from the Big Sky Conference, were hammered 52-21 by UNLV on August 27th, and by all measures they are ready for another tough match. New head coach Charlie Ragle has taken over the vacant slot left by terminated former coach Rob Phenicie after going 1-10 last season. So, Idaho State is rebuilding in every direction. At the very least, the FCS Bengals are becoming battle hardened, through formidable Mountain West football beatings.
Aside from San Diego State’s offensive and defensive failures, quarterback Braxton Burmeister was mildly injured last week when Arizona’s defense put the hurt on his right shoulder. Braxton Burmeister is slated start against Idaho State, after Aztecs head coach Brady Hoke confirmed Burmeister looked pretty good in practice. If the Aztecs blow it open early, true freshman play caller Will Haskell could take over in the second half.
WHY THE BENGALS WILL WIN
The Bengals completed last season with a 1-10 record. The last time the Aztecs played a team with just one 2021 win (Arizona) they got throttled.
Quarterbacks Hunter Hays (7-13, 61 yds, 1 TD) and Tyler Vander Waal (7-13, 130 yds, 1 TD) will be looking to connect with wide receivers Xavier Guillory (4 rec. for 73 yards and 1 TD), Jalen Johnson (3 rec. for 69 yards and 1 TD), and tight end Cyrus Wallace (4 rec. for 24 yards). If the Aztecs are caught flat-footed, as they were last week, Idaho State could connect and move the chains down the field and score, and win.
WHY THE AZTECS WILL WIN
The Aztecs will use this FCS match to prime their run game. Watch for tailbacks Chance Bell and Jordan Byrd attempting to post some major rush yardage during this game. If the run game comes together, the Aztecs will control the clock, and likely win.
The Aztecs will also have a second chance against a less formidable opponent to show the balanced combination of running and passing that many fans expected to see last week. Watch for Burmeister and Haskell to connect with Jesse Matthews and Tyrell Shavers. If the Aztecs play a balanced game, watch for Burmeister and Co., to dispatch 200 yards on the ground and 200 yards in the air.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN
The honeymoon at Snapdragon Stadium is over. The Aztecs have work to do after last week’s disappointing loss. They will enter this game with resolve and aggressiveness. Facing a rebuilding opponent from the FCS will be an auspicious and timely palate cleanser, after Arizona stole SDSU’s thunder during their special day. This will likely be a high scoring game, and the Aztecs should win with relative ease.
Final Score: San Diego State 45, Idaho State 14