Previewing Arizona Football’s week one opponent, San Diego State
The 2022 Arizona Football season is nearly here, and we take an early week one look at the Wildcats’ opponent, San Diego State Aztecs.
The 2022 Arizona Football season is quickly approaching as we are just under 25 days until the Wildcats officially kick off week one against San Diego State.
Already, it has been a busy couple of months for the Wildcats as Arizona prepares for year two under head coach Jedd Fisch.
Coming in, the Wildcats will have a tough match-up against the Aztecs to open the season, and together, they will look to answer a lot of lingering questions about this team and roster before they officially take the field.
Luckily for us, the Aztecs may not quite be as good as they were last year as they replace several key positional players. However, there is still a bit of time for both squads ahead of their week one match-up, and with that said, here is our early preview of the Wildcats’ game against San Diego State.
Getting to Know the details of Arizona Football’s opponent, the San Diego State Aztecs.
Team: San Diego State Aztecs
Conference: Mountain West
Head Coach: Brady Hoke enters his 5th season with the Aztecs having compiled a 29–18 record at SDSU, which also includes his first stint with the Aztecs from 2009-10. Overall, he is 94–78 as a head coach with seven bowl appearances in 15 years.
2021 Record: Finishing 12-2 (7-1), San Diego State ended their season with a 38–24 win over UTSA in the Frisco Bowl. Before that, SDSU lost to Utah State in the Mountain West Conference Championship game.
Key Returners / Starters:
Offense
Largely fueled by a well-balanced offense that likes to run the ball and control the clock, this is an offense that isn’t high-powered by any means; however, what they do, they do well.
Under center in 2022 will be a familiar face as former Wildcat commit / former Oregon Ducks and Virginia Tech quarterback Braxton Burmeister will assume the quarterbacking duties.
A senior transfer, Braxton is very much a dual-threat quarterback that likes to tuck the ball and run whenever possible, while possessing decent passing abilities. He is not the most accurate passer; however, he does have some arm strength and can beat you over the top if need be.
Coming in, he will look to wide receiver Jesse Matthews, the Aztecs’ presumptive No. 1 target at receiver. Last season, Matthews caught nine touchdown passes for the Aztecs.
Beyond that, San Diego State brings in Alabama transfer Tyrell Shavers as well as Washington transfer Mark Redman who should be solid options at receiver.
Defense
Defensively, SDSU was a solid group last season, holding opponents to just 324.4 yards per game and just under 20 points per game as they finished 12th in the country overall. For 2022, they return a large contingency of their talent which includes Caden McDonald, Jonah Tavai, Patrick McMorris, and Keshawn Banks among others.
While the Aztecs lose its main man pass rusher in Cameron Thomas, this is still a group that should be more than fine this season.
This is a team that excels in controlling the line of scrimmage and generating pressure, holding opponents to just 80.3 yards per game last season, while picking up 41 sacks.
Key Departures from 2021:
- QB – Lucas Johnson
- RB – Greg Bell
- TE – Daniel Bellinger
- WR – Elijah Kothe
- CB – Tayler Hawkins
- S – Trenton Thompson
- LB – Andrew Aleki
Game information and details for Arizona Football:
When: Saturday, September 3rd, 2022
Time: 12:30 PM MST
Watch: CBS
Spread: N/A (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your overall betting experience)
Where: Snapdragon Stadium – San Diego, CA (35,000)
Overall Series Record: 10-6 Arizona. The Wildcats have had the advantage here having won six of the last nine matchups.
Last Meeting vs. Arizona: The last time these two teams met was in Tucson last season. The Aztecs came away with the dominant win, thumping the Wildcats 38-14.
light. Related Story. Opinion: Run Defense key to defensive success for Arizona Football
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