Four seasons ago, San Diego State’s football team had the “Punt God,” Matt Araiza.
This season, they’ve got the “Hefty Lefty,” placekicker Gabe Plascencia.
The nicknames just seem to fit Aztecs special teams stars, and Plascencia is becoming well known around the Mountain West and the nation.
Plascencia was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking three field goals in a 23-0 win at Fresno State to extend his league record to 25 straight.
It is the first career weekly award for Plascencia and the second by an Aztec this season after Dalesean Staley was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 22.
Plascencia helped the Aztecs (6-1, 3-0 MW) win their fifth straight game and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2022.
The left-footed kicker accounted for 11 of SDSU’s 23 points, tying a career high with three field goals and two PATs.
Plascencia made a 42-yard field goal with 12:20 left in the second quarter to put San Diego State up 10-0. It was his 23rd consecutive field goal, giving him sole possession of the MW record. He then added on to the record by nailing a 50-yarder with 1:33 left in the half to make it a 13-0 game, and a 27-yarder early in the fourth to put the Aztecs up 16-0.
Plascencia now has the Mountain West record and SDSU record for most consecutive field goals made with 25.
He also kicked off five times with three touchbacks. Off his five kickoffs, the Bulldogs’ average starting field position was inside the 25-yard line.
Plascencia is a senior from Oakland.
He stands 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, which is how he earned his nickname, the “Hefty Lefty.” Coach Sean Lewis has also called him the “Thicker Kicker.”
No matter what he’s called, he’s come through time and again for the Aztecs.
He’s made all 13 field goal attempts and 21 PATs this year.
“Mr. Consistent, right?” Lewis said about Plascencia after the game. “Like just consistently good, not occasionally great. Again, he approaches his work throughout the course of the week like it’s game day. So when the moment comes, the moment’s never too big. Um, and again, he’s the epitome right now of his preparation, his hard work meets the opportunities that are presented and he’s kind of just living in this moment right now of three more kicks that are all really, really important. So again, we’re lucky to have him, right?”
Lewis used Plascencia as a prime example of how NIL can help keep talent on Montezuma Mesa.
“Again, he was one that we probably don’t talk about enough that was loyal to the soil when a lot of people came around and tried to poach him, steal them away. Community stepped up. We had community step up because now there’s a lot of eyeballs on us.”
Plascencia is 30-for-31 on field goal attempts for his career. The 96.8 percentage is the highest mark in NCAA FBS history (minimum 1.2 field goals per game and 30 made field goals).
It’s Homecoming on Saturday as the Aztecs return to Snapdragon Stadium for the first time in a month, to host the Wyoming Cowboys (4-4, 2-2). Kickoff is at 4 p.m. PT and the game will air on CBS Sports Network.
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