Know Wyoming’s Foe: SDSU Aztecs

LARAMIE -- The statistics are downright frightening.

Like, all of them.

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San Diego State, Wyoming's next opponent, features the ninth-ranked defense in the nation, allowing only 255 yards per game. That unit is coming off its third shutout of the season, a 23-0 road blanking of rival Fresno State. Stony Brook and Cal never crossed the white stripe, either.

Rob Aurich's bunch also limited Northern Illinois to just a field goal in a 6-3 win in DeKalb back in late September.

It's no surprise that the Aztecs sit at No. 2 in the FBS in scoring defense, giving up an average of 10 points and outing.

This assault has to begin with the edge rushers, right?

Junior Trey White has 16.5 sacks over his last 19 games, including four this season. He tallied two of those in a 27-24 victory in Laramie last fall. Niles King has three more quarterback takedowns. So does Ryan Henderson.

Safe to say that trio is the motor?

Not necessarily, according to Wyoming's second-year head coach.

"I mean, that's the thing, it's everywhere," Jay Sawvel said on Monday. "That's the hard part. If it's just about a couple people, you can figure out a way to avoid that, typically. There's a corner and there's linebackers and their safeties, you know, and they're all physical, they all run well and they all play hard. They've done a very good job there of not trying to reinvent the wheel, schematically.

"... As much as it sounds cool to say that it starts and ends with those guys, it doesn't. It starts with them, maybe, but it ends all over the field. So, it's a difficult defense."

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Here are some other eye-popping stats this SDSU defense has strung together:

* Passing yards allowed: 166.6 - No. 16 in FBS

* Rushing yards allowed: 88.4 - No. 10

* Third-down defense: 29-of-109 - No. 5

* Defensive touchdowns: 4 - Tied for No. 3

* Red-zone defense: 10-of-15 - No. 4

* Team Sacks: 16 - Tied for No. 46

* Team passing-efficiency defense: 115-of-226, 7 INTs - No. 3

Impressed yet?

What makes that unit so special?

"In particular, we got a bunch of really good players that do a lot of different things, and the things that we do do, we don't do much, but we do it really, really well," SDSU head coach Sean Lewis told the media in his weekly press conference. "Like, those guys have embraced the beauty of the brilliantly boring basics, if you will.

"Like this is who we are. This is our identity. This is how we play. This is my role within the 1/11 and they do a great job with it. And they play with passion. They play with pride. They play connected. They play with one another, and they own the plan each and every single week."

Play lights out defense and pound the ball. That's the unofficial motto on Montezuma Mesa.

This Aztec scheme is Craig Bohl's dream.

Led by Lucky Sutton, who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry through seven weeks, SDSU is keeping the ball on the ground at a rate of almost double its passing attempts. The junior running back has already amassed 662 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Byron Cardwell Jr. spells him, picking up 5.8 yards an attempt. The Cal transfer already has 228 yards under his belt.

Jayden Denegal has done just enough in the passing game.

The 6-foot-5 signal caller is completing nearly 65% of his throws and has seven touchdown tosses. Aside from a 30-attempt outing in a lopsided loss to Washington State in Week 2, the Michigan transfer hasn't eclipsed 20 in a game since.

When your defense is throwing up goose eggs, that's a luxury.

Jordan Napier, who hauled in a 53-yard scoring strike in last year's meeting against the Cowboys, is again the Aztecs' leading receiver with 567 yards on 41 catches. He also has two touchdown grabs this fall.

"No. 2 makes a lot of big plays for them," Sawvel said, referring to Napier. "The running backs are good players, and when they do that, you know, now they're playing to a strength. They stay in that phase where they're a heavy run team."

Kickoff Saturday between the Cowboys (4-4, 2-2) and Aztecs (6-1, 3-1) is slated for 5 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

"They're playing winning football," Sawvel added. "There's a reason that they're 6-1."

Meet the Aztecs:

* Head coach: Sean Lewis (2nd year)

* Offensive coordinator: Matt Johnson (1st year); Defensive coordinator: Rob Aurich (1st year)

* Record in 2024: 3-9 overall, 2-5 in Mountain West Conference

* Offense in 2025: Average 29.9 ppg, 363.8 ypg (184.1 rush, 179.7 pass)

* Defense in 2025: Allow 10.4 ppg, 255 ypg (88.4 rush, 166.6 pass)

* Key Returners/ Newcomers - Offense in 2025: Jayden Denegal (QB - 94-145, 1,221 yds, 7 TD, 3 INT; 41 rush, 84 yds, TD), Lucky Sutton (RB - 126 rush, 622 yds, 7 TD), Byron Cardwell Jr. (RB - 39 rush, 228 yds, TD; 3 catch, 59 yd), Christian Washington (RB - 53 rush, 217 yds, 2 TD, 3 catch, 18 yds, TD), Jordan Napier (WR - 41 catch, 567 yds, 2 TD), Donovan Brown (WR - 17 rush, 209 yds, TD), Jacob Bostick (WR - 11 catch, 157 yds, 3 TD)

* Key Returners - Defense in 2025: Owen Chambliss (LB - 57 tackles, 2 sack, 4 PBU), Chris Johnson (CB - 37 tackles, 5 PBU, 3 INT, 2 TD, FF), Dalesean Staley (S - 35 tackles, 6 PBU, INT, FF), Tano Letuli (LB - 29 tackles, PBU, INT, TD), Trey White (DE - 26 tackles, 4 sacks, PBU), Dwayne McDougle (S - 22 tackles, 2 PBU, INT, FR, TD), Bryce Phillips (CB - 22 tackles, 5 PBU), Eric Butler (S - 20 tackles, 2 PBU), Mister Williams (LB - 20 tackles, PBU), Niles King (DE - 14 tackles, 3 sacks)

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players