The San Diego State Aztecs look to retain the Old Oil Can and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2022 when they visit longtime rival Fresno State at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno. The game will air on FS1.
The Aztecs (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West) are off to their best start since going 7-0 to open the 2021 season. That team finished with a school-best 12-2 record.
SDSU will be looking to extend its winning streak to five games. It has already won two more games than the Aztecs did last year in Sean Lewis’ first season as head coach.
The Aztecs and Bulldogs (5-2, 2-1) are both coming off bye weeks, so they should be well rested.
The Aztecs are coming off two blowout wins, most recently 44-10 at Nevada in which they scored a touchdown in all three phases by early in the second quarter.
Fresno State is coming off a big loss at Colorado State, which in turn lost big at SDSU the previous week.
“It’s a really big deal,” Lewis said of the rivalry. “It felt like there was a gap or a hole when the schedule came out last year because we didn’t play them. I’m excited about the opportunity to have another chapter in this rivalry. I’m excited about both of us going to the Pac-12 in the future to be able to sustain this rivalry because with all the other changes that are going on, I hope we never lose the traditional rivalry games and what that means, because that’s special to college football.”
The Aztecs are taking the rivalry thing to an extreme. In news conferences and news releases, they refer to Fresno State as “The Team Up North,” or TTUN.
The teams first played each other in 1923. Saturday’s game marks the 63rd meeting between the Aztecs and Bulldogs, with SDSU holding a 31-27- 4 lead.
San Diego State has faced the Bulldogs more than any other opponent, while the 31 victories in the series are its most against any opponent.
They play for the Old Oil Can, a throwback to the days when fans driving over the treacherous Grapevine to get to either Fresno or San Diego required taking along extra oil and water.
The teams did not meet last year.
The rivalry will continue when SDSU and Fresno move to the new-look Pac-12 next season along with fellow MW members Colorado State, Boise State and Utah State. They’ll join holdovers Washington State and Oregon State, along with fellow newcomers Texas State in football and basketball and Gonzaga in basketball.
QB Jayden Denegal is coming off a big game at Nevada, when he was 14-for-17 for 205 yards and two touchdowns. His 239.2 pass efficiency rating in October is the highest in the country (minimum 30 attempts). Overall, he is 83-for-126 for 1,097 yards and seven touchdowns, with two interceptions.
Running back Lucky Sutton has 531 yards and six touchdowns on 105 attempts (5.1-yard average) in his first six career starts.
San Diego State Aztecs running back Lucky Sutton (7). / Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics
Wideout Jordan Napier also had a big night at Nevada, catching five passes for 110 yards and returning a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. He has 37 catches for 553 yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback E.J. Warner, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Curt Warner, would love to forget the Colorado State game, when he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble that was returned for a score in a 49-21 loss. Before that, he helped the Bulldogs win five straight after a season-opening loss at Kansas. He’s thrown for 1,486 yards and 10 touchdowns, but also has nine interceptions.
Sep 6, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback E.J. Warner (13). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Who: San Diego State visits Fresno State
When: 12:30 p.m. Pacific time | Saturday, Oct. 25
Where: Valley Children’s Stadium | Fresno
TV: FS1
Live stream: Watch San Diego State vs. Fresno State live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Our prediction: San Diego State 27, Fresno State 17
Betting line: SDSU -3.5
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