Three thoughts after San Diego State’s 53-20 win over Portland State on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego State Aztecs quarterback Jayden Denegal (4) passes during the first half of a football game against the the Portland State Vikings Sept. 5, 2026 in San Diego, Calif. (Photo by Denis Poroy)
1. Denegal’s season debut
San Diego State quarterback Jayden Denegal went 3 1/2 games — 85 passes — before throwing his first interception last season.
Denegal got his first pick out of the way on his fifth throw this season.
Vikings defensive back Isaac Redford stepped in front of a pass intended for SDSU wide receiver Jordan Napier to end the Aztecs’ second drive.
“He, obviously, started slow,” head coach Sean Lewis said of his senior quarterback. “I thought the free safety made a heck of a play … The true testament is how you respond to adversity. We talk a lot about being the thermostat, not a thermometer, as a quarterback. You’ve got to set the temperature, and I thought he did a really good job of responding.”
Lewis particularly noted a second-quarter drive that included a 16-yard completion to Donovan Brown, a third-down conversion for 29 yards to Nathan Acevedo and then a 40-yard strike in stride to Justius Lowe for a touchdown and a 22-6 lead.
“That really gave him some confidence and he settled in,” Lewis said.
The ball to Lowe was the best throw of the night for Denegal, who excels at the deep sideline passes. The focus over the summer, he said, was improving his mid-range throws. Denegal also showed confidence tucking the ball and running against the Vikings when something wasn’t there through the air. He carried three times for 21 yards.
Denegal completed 12 of 17 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He was not sacked. He threw a 9-yard TD pass to Acevedo to get SDSU on the board in the first quarter. Denegal was 3-for-3 in the second half. He didn’t need to throw with the game well in hand, and backup Stone Saunders took over in the fourth quarter.
A truer test will come Saturday at UCLA. The Bruins won 45-24 at Cal late Saturday night. The UCLA defense had two interceptions and two sacks against Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.
San Diego State players come onto the field before a college football game against the Portland State Vikings Sept. 5, 2026 in San Diego, Calif. (Photo by Denis Poroy)
2. Players getting to play
Travel rosters have been expanded from 74 to 80 players this season in the Pac-12. For home games, teams can suit up an unlimited number of players.
In this day and age of player movement, younger players, particularly freshmen, can get on the field and participate. Combined with the NCAA’s new five-for-five eligibility rule, which does away with redshirting and allows five years of eligibility, there’s every reason to let players play.
It means that maybe, just maybe, they will be satisfied with their surroundings and not be so quick to search out greener pastures.
The Aztecs suited up 94 players against Portland State and 82 of them got into the game. That included 17 redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.
“It’s huge,” Lewis said. “As much as we try to (engage in) practice and craziness and music and different things, to be in this environment, this first-class stadium, the fans showing up and just the energy of it all, getting guys to have the competitive maturity to stay present, to stay focused and to do their job in the midst of all that’s going on, It’s invaluable to to get those guys to to be able to play some game reps and learn to mature from those opportunities.”
True freshmen who contributed included running back Josiah Lucas (four carries, 30 yards) and wide receivers Daishaun Davis (two catches, 18 yards) and Carson Diehl (8-yard catch). True freshman wide receiver Derek Stevenson, offensive lineman Harlem Nellum and tight end Elijah Muliufi also played. On defense, true freshmen safeties Tainoa Lave and Cammeron Purnell and linebacker Alijah Lash got into the game as well.
“As we continue to build this program, build this Aztecs empire, we want to get as many opportunities for guys to get game reps,” Lewis said. “We got over 80 guys into that game, which is great. That’s invaluable. … The young players really get to understand that the job’s not done until the job’s done.”
San Diego State Aztecs head coach Sean Lewis looks on after the Aztecs scored during the second half of a football game Sept. 5, 2026 in San Diego, Calif. (Photo by Denis Poroy)
3. Mic drop
Lewis was mic’d up throughout the game. It’s something called “Pac-12 Field Pass,” where the conference intends to bring fans inside the action by putting a microphone on players and coaches.
“It’s exciting, what they’re doing, allowing that kind of access,” Lewis said.
The content is not broadcast in real time. It’s reviewed to make sure no all the words are appropriate for all the viewers at home.
Particularly notable was at halftime when Lewis was handing out Uncrustables, prepackaged crustless sandwiches, to some of the players.
“That kind of fuels AztecFAST football. Uncrustables,” said Lewis, noting a staple of his that has been shared with the players. “I eat far too many Uncrustables. I wish we had more strawberry jam (flavor). We’ve got too many grape jelly. I’m a strawberry jam guy.”
Did they have to bleep anything in the first quarter, when Portland State took a 6-0 lead?
“I’m sure they’ll be some things, not just in the first quarter,” Lewis said. “Some people work out so they can enjoy ice cream. I’m going to go to church tomorrow to ask for forgiveness for some of the four-letter words that I used. It just comes from being a Southside Irish cat from Chicago.”
Former Colorado 🦬 OC Sean Lewis gets his first Pac12 victory. Congratulations on your first Pac12 Win @TheHC_CoachLew from Buff Nation pic.twitter.com/Z6hs6gBgLf
— COLLEGE SATURDAY (FORMLY TRAXINPOWER5) (@CollegeSaturday) September 6, 2026
One moment captured on the mic came three minutes into the third quarter while Jaylon Hawkins was returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
The coach followed for several yards along the SDSU sideline as the play unfolded.
“Pick your feet up. Pick your feet up. Pick your feet up,” Lewis advised as Hawkins raced the final 25 yards to the end zone.
Then Lewis glanced back across the field while exclaiming: “No flag. No flag. No flag. No flag. No flag. No flag.”
There were no flags.
And Lewis smiled.
In was a rare moment where he was speechless.