AZTECS PREPARE FOR SEASON OPENER AGAINST PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS

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Offensive line shored up for success this season.

Key players to watch for as well as projected starters.

San Diego State hosts Portland State this Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 PST at Snapdragon Stadium. The Aztecs find themselves heavy favorites. The current spread is 40.5 points. With a total point line of 62.5, the projected score is in favor of the Aztecs, 51-12. They have a 98.4% prediction to win. Can the Aztecs put up that kind of offensive production? That will be what Coach Lewis and staff will be working towards. It’s never about running up the score, but rather executing on both offense and defense. Let’s take a quick look at Portland State. 

They are led by quarterback Tyrese Smith, a 6’2, 225 lb. sophomore from Henderson Nevada. He was 23/36 passing with  268 yards with one interception last week in a 31-24 loss against UC Davis. He also added 33 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The backfield features Delon Thompson who carried 15 times for 48 yards. Their top playmaker was wide out Devon Anderson who snagged six catches for 99 yards. The Vikings are expected to be somewhere near the bottom third of the Big Sky Conference rankings. In a conference that features Cal Poly, Montana, Montana State and UC Davis, Portland State will struggle. 

 The Aztecs will be wise to avoid overconfidence and just focus on their game plan and they will be fine. We’ve taken a look at the various position groupings during the off season. On offense, they look to be loaded with skill positions. Today we will briefly look at the offensive  line and how they are set entering the season opener. The Aztecs return two starters from last years squad. All five starters from last year started all the games. Left tackle Joe Borjon, a 6-8” 340 lb. senior and left guard Kalan Ellis, a 6’5”, 340 lb senior anchor the left side. This will be the dominant side for the Aztecs. Ball State transfer Isaac Lucas is projected at center. He is 6’3”, 290 pounds. The right side is still up, but projections feature 6’2” 300 lb. Sophomore Michael Levelle Watkins is penciled in at right guard while Senior Texas Southern transfer Dennis Jones has impressed at right tackle. He brings size as well, being 6’6”, 350 lbs. No doubt, the Aztecs are huge across the offensive front and will likely dominate the Portland State defensive line. The Aztecs have depth along the line. While Ellis was nursing an injury during spring, Sophomore Evan Lawrence was working with the first team. Others in the mix are Cam May, Charlton Luniewski and redshirt freshman Delon Craft Jr. Offensive Line Coach Bill O’Boyle, who took over when Mike Schmidt left to go to Kansas State, had this to say. 

“We’re going to let them compete the next week-and-a-half and then we’ll sit down and get our starting five. Hopefully, we’ll have the five best on the field in a couple of weeks.”

Well that time is here. The Coaches are confident and optimistic and the players are looking to begin hitting the opposition. The following week will be more of a test for the Aztecs as they travel to UCLA to take on the Bruins. Following that will be a home game against Group of 6 Powerhouse James Madison. How the Aztecs play against the Vikings will be an indicator of their progress in later weeks. 

Who to Watch

Key players to watch are quarterback Jayden Denegal, running back Lucky Sutton and wide out Bert Emanuel, Jr. On defense, look for Edge Brady Nasser, Middle backer Tano Letuli and free safety Josh Hunter.

Projected Aztec Starters

Offense: 

Left Tackle: Joe Borjon

Left Guard: Kalan Ellis

Center: Isaac Lucas

Right Guard: Michael Leville Watkins

Right Tackle: Dennis Jones

Tight End: Jackson Ford

Quarterback: Jayden Denegal

Running Back: Lucky Sutton

Slot Receiver: Nathan Acevedo

 Z Receiver: Bert Emanuel, Jr.

X Receiver: Donovan Brown

Defense (4-2-5 formation)

Field Edge: Brady Nassar

Nose Tackle: Malachi Finau

Defensive Tackle: Gavriel Lightfoot

Rush Edge: Kai Wallin

Will Linebacker: Sione Hala

Mike Linebacker: Tano Latuli

Nickel Safety: Josiah Cox

Left Corner: Jelani Whitmore

Bullet Safety: Jelani McLaughlin

Free Safety: Josh Hunter

Right Corner: Mike Lindsay

Special Teams:

Punter: Tashi Dorje

Placekicker: Cooper DiLeva

Kickoffs: Cooper DiLeva

Holder: Tashi Dorje

Longsnapper: Connor Paulson

Kickoff Returns: Jaylan Hawkins

Punt Returns: Nathan Acevedo

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