San Diego State Aztecs @ Wyoming Cowboys Football Preview

For the San Diego State Aztecs, Saturday’s game against the Wyoming Cowboys is both an opportunity and a trap.

The Aztecs enter War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming, with a 5-2 record and a chance to finally clinch a non-losing season for the first time since 2003 (when the Aztecs were merely 6-6). Coach Brady Hoke has certainly changed the culture to a significant extent in San Diego; the man who whipped Ball State into shape is quickly becoming one of the best fixer-uppers in college football, but he still has work to do with his team as it plays the cellar-dweller in the Mountain West Conference. Before SDSU gets too cocky about staring down Wyoming, the Aztecs need to realize what they just endured on an uncomfortable evening in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Last weekend, San Diego State was licking its chops as it prepared to play the New Mexico team that has joined Wyoming at the bottom of the Mountain West. The Lobos were 0-6 heading into that contest, so it’s not as though they figured to pose a particularly considerable threat to the visiting Aztecs. Yet, something very interesting did happen last week against San Diego State: New Mexico played SDSU fairly close; not in a nail-biter, but certainly with more competitiveness than a lot of people were anticipating.

What made the evening more bizarre is that New Mexico committed 10 penalties for 88 yards. The Lobos converted just one third down in 12 attempts. They turned the ball over twice and held the ball for fewer than 26 minutes. Yet, they only lost by 10 points (30-20) to a San Diego State club that upset Air Force earlier this season. If New Mexico can play San Diego State competitively despite making all sorts of mistakes and displaying the futility that has defined the Lobos in recent years, just imagine what could have happened if New Mexico had committed very few errors. San Diego State lost a lot of confidence as a team when running back Ronnie Hillman got knocked out of the game with an injury. If Hillman’s not ready to go this week against Wyoming, the Aztecs might become overly one-dimensional on offense and could be vulnerable to an ambush against a Wyoming team that, while generally impotent on offense, has competed well on defense this season, especially in a 20-14 loss against a good Air Force club.

San Diego State’s prospects remain bright this season, but a loss to Wyoming would take a lot of luster away from the Aztecs’ accomplishments. Surviving this road trip after a shaky performance against New Mexico is important if the SDSU program is serious about becoming a big boy in the same conference that possesses TCU and Utah. On the day before Halloween, San Diego State must choose between the trick of a trap game or the treat of learning how to win without a fully healthy Ronnie Hillman.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer