How to watch Portland State vs. San Diego State: TV channel, time, prediction

The Pac-12 Conference era is finally here for the San Diego State Aztecs, who get things going on Saturday night with a non-conference season-opener against Portland State of the Big Sky Conference, which is in the FCS.

The Aztecs are 39.5-point favorites against the Vikings (0-1), who opened the season a week ago by blowing a 21-0 halftime lead and losing 31-24 to UC Davis.

Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium.

What’s at stake

It’s been just more than seven months since the Aztecs’ last game, a wild 49-47 loss to North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl.

That capped a 9-4 season and was their last game as members of the Mountain West Conference. They officially joined the Pac-12 on July 1, along with Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State and Fresno State from the MW, as well as Texas State. Holdovers Washington State and Oregon State round out the league for football.

SDSU will have four non-conference games to prep for league play. After Saturday, the competition will step up a level as they play at UCLA, at home against James Madison and then on the road at Toledo.

The first Pac-12 game in SDSU history will also be its first game ever against Texas State, at Snapdragon Stadium on Oct. 3.

Aztecs players to watch

Senior running back Lucky Sutton is coming off a MW-best 1,297 yards, which put him 13th on the school’s single-season rushing list in his first season as a starter. He was held out of a scrimmage two weeks ago, so he’ll be raring to go. He’s garnered multiple preseason accolades.

Senior quarterback Jayden Denegal is healthy after having surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder in December, which caused him to miss the New Mexico Bowl. He’s motivated to eclipse his 2025 total of 1,807 yards passing and tidy up his ratio of nine touchdowns to eight interceptions.

Senior Bert Emanuel Jr. has moved from backup quarterback to wide receiver, where the Aztecs hope he can display his big-play abilities. The last time Aztecs fans saw him in action, he gained an eye-popping 170 yards on just 11 carries in the first half of the New Mexico Bowl. He scored twice, including on a 72-yard run, but was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury.

Vikings player to watch

Sophomore quarterback Tyrese Smith completed 23 of 36 passes for 268 yards and rushed for 33 more, including a pair of 1-yard TDs that helped the Vikings take a 21-0 halftime lead before they were overhauled in the second half.

HOW TO WATCH SAN DIEGO STATE VS. PORTLAND STATE

Who: Portland State at San Diego State

When: 6:30 p.m. Pacific time | Saturday, Sept. 5

Where: Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego

TV: USA Network

Our prediction: San Diego State 45, Portland State 10

Betting line: SDSU -39.5

Odds are courtesy of FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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