Credit: PJ Panebianco/ EVT Sports
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, October 25
Location: Fresno State, Valley Children’s Stadium
Kickoff: 12:30 PM PT
TV: FS1
Aztecs Radio Network: San Diego Sports 760
Sean Lewis will take his team up north to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in the “Battle for the Oil Can” rivalry game. Both teams are coming off bye weeks and looking to continue their successful seasons so far.
“Happy rivalry week, good to see everyone, good to be back, good to be back into a game week flow, excited about the opportunity that both schools have created,” Lewis excitedly stated in his Monday press conference. “The great work that our kids have done has positioned us for a really cool back half of the season. It’s why these guys came here, to restore pride in the program and to come on the back stretch here to kick this thing off with this opponent this week, and a game of this magnitude is really, really cool. Excited for the stage that our kids get to play on with the game, getting moved to the 12:30 local kick. I’m excited for the environment and all that lies ahead. The guys did a great job during the work week last week, refining the plan, getting healthy, continuing to develop our skills, and are eager for the second half of the climb here. We’re just getting started.”
Credit: PJ Panebianco/ EVT Sports
These teams have been playing each other since 1963. The official rivalry we know today as “The Battle For The Oil Can” was born in 2011, a matchup the Aztecs won 35-28. The oil can name came from a contest held between San Diego State and Fresno State Alumni. This will be the 12th battle for the Oil Can, and the Bulldogs are 8-4 in the rivalry game.
The Bulldogs, or otherwise referred to as “The Team Up North” by the Aztecs, such as the evil Lord Voldemort was referenced as he who must not be named in Harry Potter, are sitting at 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain West.
The Team Up North plays a tough style of defense, matched with its ground-and-pound run game on offense. At quarterback, they are led by EJ Warner, the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. The rushing attack is led by Bryson Donelson and Rayshon Luke. Both are physical backs who can get yards after contact, and together will be a handful for the Red and Black.
SDSU will be looking to keep its four-game winning streak alive on the road and remain undefeated in the Mountain West Conference.
Quarterback Jayden Denegal has continued to make strides in his development, and the defense has kept up its end of the bargain this season, as they have two shutouts. Fans have seen a much-improved team this season, and the Aztecs are one win away from becoming bowl eligible after missing the mark last season.
Credit: PJ Panebianco/ EVT Sports
Keys To The Game
Winning is hard in college sports, but to be able to win on the road takes even more discipline and focus. Last year, the Aztecs only won one road game; this year, they have won twice and will have two more after this week.
Add in a rivalry game and a trophy on the line, and the game gets that much more intense and personal. This may be the most hostile environment SDSU will play in this season, and the focus it takes to quiet out that noise and execute the game plan will be key to returning to San Diego with their sixth win of the season and the Oil Can.
“It’s a great college environment,” senior lineman Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli stated of the type of environment they will be stepping into Saturday, “That walk to their field is a tough walk, but we love the environment being on the field with the students right behind us and yelling at us. It’s college football. It’s what you love about college football, and that’s the type of environment we like to play in. We can’t wait to get into that environment and play ball.”
Lewis has yet to play the Bulldogs in his time with the Aztecs and has preached controlling the controllables since his time on The Mesa. In a hostile environment like Fresno State, he will need to have his squad prepared both mentally and physically.
It will be loud, and communication may be hard at times on offense and defense, so keeping composure and making the right calls will be crucial in executing the game plan successfully.
Continue Offensive Success
Credit: PJ Panebianco/ EVT Sports
With the rushing attack by the Bulldogs, combined with Warner’s smart, decisive quarterback play, Fresno State poses the threat of turning this game into a shootout. Not only can they put up points, but they can also control the clock. The Aztecs will need to find the continued success on offense that has allowed them to outscore opponents 184-73.
Denegal has been progressing nicely through the season so far, and this has allowed Lewis to open up the offense more this season.
“It’s a labor of love, and I think the time on task certainly helps,” Lewis explained of his playbook. “Guys in the building like Jordan Napier, Joe Borjon, Christian Jones, and Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli have really helped the new guys to simulate quicker to what the concepts are and how we need to solve problems. The guys have the confidence in themselves with the reps that they’ve accumulated on how they need to solve the problems that the defense is throwing at us.”
The ball has been spread around this season as four players have receiving touchdowns and five have rushing touchdowns so far. This formula has allowed the Aztecs to put up at least 34 points in four out of six contests.
This week, the offense will need to be able to execute the long sustained drives to keep the ball away from the Bulldogs, but will also need to find those explosive plays to stay in the game.
Players To Watch
Bryson Donelson & Rayshon Luke
Credit: PJ Panebianco/ EVT Sports
With a backfield like Fresno State has, Rob Aurich has a lot on his plate. This duo can wear a defense down and allow The Team Up North to control the clock and put up points.
Donelson has rushed 85 times for 405 yards and three touchdowns, while his counterpart, Luke, has rushed 59 times for 384 yards and five touchdowns.
“They have a talented group in the backfield,” Lewis said of the threat their run games can pose. “I think they do as good a job as anyone that we’ve played in terms of their targeting and the way that their whole line is coached up, and, more importantly, the way that their wide receivers do a great job blocking support, and their backs are dynamic. We’d better do a really good job with our physical fundamentals and getting multiple guys to the ball, because they’re a really physical unit. Again, the game’s going to be won in the trenches, and we have to do a really good job there. Just because we’ve done a good job in the past, it really doesn’t matter; we have to do better. It’s going to be a very, very physical game along the line of scrimmage.”
It will take a combined effort from the EDGE position to the interior defensive line to the linebackers to slow down this run. Trey White will have his eyes on the backs as he tries to get after Warner and not allow them to slip by for a screen or outside run.
This game very well could be won in the trenches, and containing this two-headed dragon in the Bulldogs’ backfield will be the top priority for The Red and Black.
When it comes to big plays, no one has made more SDSU this season than Napier. In a rivalry game like this, where the score could change hands many times and every inch will count, including all the inches it takes to break a simple play into a huge touchdown, you’ll want to keep an eye on number two Saturday.
Napier is second in the Mountain West Conference for receiving yards per game, receptions per game, and receiving yards. He was also just named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch on the 15th.
Not only is the team leader in receiving yards with 553, but he has also found the endzone twice. He is also a key contributor on special teams and has many times brought a spark to the team in his return game.
Look for Napier to be a key target during this game. His big-play ability will be a huge tool for the offense, whether they are in the lead and looking to add more points or need that spark to ignite something special.
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.
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