3 keys for San Diego State to open the 2026 season with a win

It’s closing in on game day for the San Diego State Aztecs, who will open the much-awaited new season by hosting the Portland State Vikings on Saturday night.

The Aztecs are overwhelming 39.5-point betting favorites over the Vikings, who lost their opener 31-24 to UC Davis last weekend. The Vikings finished last in the FCS Big Sky Conference last year while the Aztecs finished 9-4 overall and 6-2 in their final season in the Mountain West.

SDSU officially joined the reconstituted Pac-12 Conference on July 1, and the PSU game is the first of four non-conference tilts before the league lid-lifter against Texas State at home on Oct. 3.

Here are three keys for the Aztecs to open the season with a win.

Let Lucky Sutton set the tone

This is probably the most obvious key of all. If you have a league-leading running back, use him to set the tone.

That’s indeed what the Aztecs have in senior Lucky Sutton, who led the Mountain West with 1,297 yards — good enough for No. 13 on the school’s all-time single-season list — before SDSU and four other teams jumped to the rebuilt Pac-12.

Sutton had six 100-yard games during his breakout junior season, including 100 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-0 season-opening win against Stony Brook of the FCS.

Sutton is coming into the game fresh after not playing in a scrimmage two weeks ago.

The Aztecs know what Sutton can do. They just wanted to keep him healthy for Saturday night.

Get the passing game going

The cast is pretty much the same, with some shuffling in the offseason that could make the Aztecs more of a passing threat.

First, quarterback Jayden Denegal is healthy after having surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder in December. He played through an injury to that shoulder, suffered on the season’s fourth play, and fatigue in his right arm.

The wide receivers room is loaded with talent, although versatile Jordan Napier and Jacob Bostick will be eased in following offseason surgery.

The Aztecs added to that talent by moving Bert Emanuel Jr. from backup quarterback to wide receiver. Emanuel already proved his big play prowess by running wild in the first half of the New Mexico Bowl, and now he’ll try to show it by catching passes from Denegal.

Find the defense's new playmakers

A tough defense set the tone last season for the Aztecs, but a lot of starpower is gone. Cornerback Chris Johnson went to the Miami Dolphins with the 27th pick overall in the NFL draft and EDGE rushers Trey White and Ryan Henderson cashed in with big deals from Power 4 schools.

The Aztecs will face a good test in PSU sophomore quarterback Tyrese Smith, who sparked the upset-minded Vikings in the first half of their season opener last week, helping them to a 21-0 lead against UC Davis before falling 31-24.

Aug 30, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; Portland State Vikings quarterback Tyrese Smith (14). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Smith gave PSU the big-play capability it lacked last year. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 268 yards and added 33 yards rushing, including two 1-yard TD runs in helping the Vikings take a 21-0 halftime lead.

Up next

The Aztecs will face PSU for the second time in series history at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium. Fans can watch on USA Network or listen on San Diego Sports 760.

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