SDSU Aztecs embark on first year in restructured Pac-12 conference

The San Diego State University football team is set to embark on a new chapter in its storied history as a member of the restructured Pac-12 Conference.

No more Mountain West Conference (2000-25). No more Western Athletic Conference (1978-1999). No more Pacific Coast Athletic Association (1969-77). No more small college era (1936-1968).

A new beginning and one the Aztec Nation hopes to embrace.

SDSU closed out its last season in Mountain West play with a 9-4 overall record, including a 49-47 loss to North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. It was the first postseason bowl game appearance for the Aztecs since 2022.

The Aztecs finished 6-2 in MW games to share the regular season title in a four-way tie with UNLV, New Mexico and Boise State. However, because of tie-breakers, only Boise State and UNLV advanced to the conference championship game.

Boise State won 38-21,

SDSU thus has some unfinished business as it embarks into new territory.

Four other former MW foes join the Aztecs as new members of the Pac-12: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State.

SDSU finished 3-0 against those teams in MW play last season to set up a competitive balance with conference holdovers Oregon State and Washington State. 

And it does look balanced. The Aztecs lost 29-26 to Washington State in non-conference play in 2024 and 36-13 in a non-conference game last season. The Aztecs dropped a 21-0 decision to Oregon State in a non-conference game in 2024 and 26-9 to the Beavers in 2023.

There’s unfinished business there as well.

Key returners among San Diego County players include seniors Lucky Sutton (Cathedral Catholic), Christian Washington (Helix Charter) and Tano Letuli (Cathedral Catholic).

Sutton enters his final season as an Aztec with 1,497 rushing yards (22nd all-time) and has been named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award that goes to the college player of the year. He is one of four players from the Pac-12 and one of 81 overall on the initial watch list.

Washington appeared in all 13 contests for SDSU last season after leading Coastal Carolina to a Myrtle Beach Bowl appearance in 2024. He rushed for a career best 577 rushing yards on 98 carries in his first season as an Aztec with five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving).

Letuli started six games last year with 30 tackles before suffering a season-ending injury. He returned an intercepted pass for a 31-yard touchdown against Fresno State.

Sutton, junior receiver Jordan Napier (Fontana), freshman offensive lineman Joseph Borjon (La Puente), Letuli and senior defensive lineman Gavriel Lightfoot (Moreno Valley) have been named to the Pac-12 preseason impact list.

Impactful might describe Sutton, who rushed for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns last year as a semifinalist for the Doak Walker award as the nation’s top running  back.

Napier caught 48 passes for 629 yards and two TD, returned 22 punt fro 193 yards (including a 75-yard touchdown return) and returned 11 kickoffs for 246 yards (22.4 average).

Borjon started all 13 games for SDSU last season while helping pave the way for a team that rushed for 2,583 yards and 25 TD.

Third-year head football coach Sean Lewis spoke about building on the momentum of a nine-win season in 2025 and taking that into the Pac-12.

“Winning helps and we’ve been talking about a vision and a belief and have faith in the way that we do it,” he said. “Well, now there’s proof of concept to what’s going on. When our coaches went out with the Pac-12 logo on their shirt, that makes it real, and suddenly that guy has perked up. Recruits are like “oh yeah, that’s happening. You’re a part of it.” 

“Absolutely, we’re part of it, but you know we want to set the pace with how it’s going. That national stage, national brand, obviously the resources that we’ve been allotted and supported with allows to go get a certain talent and caliber of kid that has the right character for what we’re going to do. I’m really excited about the guys that we’ve brought in, the guys that we’re able to retain, and then be able to build off that as we go forward.”

Red and Black
SDSU capped its spring season with a scrimmage May 2 on campus. 

Each of the three quarterbacks on the roster — senior Jayden Denegal and redshirt freshmen Stone Saunders and Draiden Trudeau — led the offense to scores, while the defense came up with many negative plays and a stop on the goal line.

Saunders passed for 144 yards with one touchdown and one interception while Denegal passed for 92 yards and Tredeau was three-for-three for 23 yards.

Freshman Derek  Stevenson (40 yards), senior Donovan Brown (36) and sophomore Javion Kinnard (18) each had three catches to lead the offense. 

 On the third possession of the game, Denegal led the No. 1 offense deep into the defense’s territory, thanks mainly to a 40-yard pass to freshman Daishaun Davis on fourth down. Denegal later scampered for a first down and SDSU eventually got deep into the red zone. However, on fourth-and-goal from the 1, the offense was stuffed by a tackle on the line of scrimmage, keeping the game scoreless.

Trudeau entered the game for the first time on the fifth possession and calmly led the No. 3 offense on a 13-play, 67-yard drive, culminating with a 1-yard touchdown run by Christian Washington on fourth-and-goal. 

 In the second possession of the second quarter, it was Saunders’ turn to lead San Diego State into the end zone. Two plays after converting a fourth-and-2 on the defensive 39 with a 7-yard rush, Saunders found a streaking Derek Stevenson for a 31-yard touchdown strike. It capped an 8-play, 60-yard drive. 

The final two Aztec scores — both field goals — came late in the scrimmage in two-minute drills. Denegal led the first drive, which went 46 yards on nine plays. Denegal was 6-for-8 for 46 yards on the drive, setting up a 46-yard field goal by Cooper DiLeva. 

Saunders then led the No. 2 offense to a field goal as SDSU went 49 yards on eight plays before Lane Garner connected on a 44-yard field goal in the final moments of play. 

Defensively, Alijah Lash and Kaimana Tufaga each had six tackles while Mike Lindsay accounted for five stops and two pass breakups. Jelani McLaughlin and Javair Nash each added five tackles . As a unit the defense totaled six tackles for loss, including three sacks. Brady Nassar picked off Saunders on the second drive of the game as the pass tipped off a player’s hands. That was the only turnover in the scrimmage.