How to watch San Diego State vs. North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl

San Diego State football coach Sean Lewis, the architect of the Aztecs’ six-win improvement this season, likes what he sees in the New Mexico Bowl matchup against No. 23 North Texas.

The Aztecs (9-3) were in the running to host the Mountain West championship game until a gut-wrenching, double-overtime loss at New Mexico on the season’s final afternoon.

The Mean Green (11-2) came within one victory of qualifying for the College Football Playoff.

The defensive-minded Aztecs are back in Albuquerque for the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, where they’ll face a Mean Green team that features the nation’s highest-scoring offense. Kickoff is set for 2:45 p.m. PT at University Stadium and the game will air on ESPN.

Lewis thinks it’s one of the best matchups of bowl season.

“Yeah, I mean outside of the CFP games, right? The combination of 20 total wins is the most wins out of all of bowl season. Again, it's a great opportunity to go play. Really excited about the way that our guys have approached it. Anytime that you can earn more time, right, by the work that you've done in the regular season is really truly special.

“So yeah, great matchup, unique opportunity. That's the beauty of bowl season, right? You get the opportunity to go have these matchups, you know, hey, Mountain West against the American and two great teams that were, you know, at the top of their leagues to go have good quality coaching, good quality players, to go have a great competition.”

What’s at stake

This season has already seen the Aztecs post a huge turnaround from last year, winning six more games than in Lewis’ first season, when they went 3-9 overall and 2-5 in the MW.

Now they have the chance to win at least 10 games for the first time since notching a school-record 12 wins in 2021 (12-2). Overall, the Aztecs have won at least 10 games in a season 12 times.

This will be the final time the Aztecs represent the Mountain West. They are moving into the reformed Pac-12, along with Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State. They and fellow newcomer Texas State will join holdovers Washington State and Oregon State. Gonzaga will join in football only.

Oct 10, 2025; Denton, Texas, USA; North Texas Mean Green quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17). | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

North Texas will try to win a bowl game for the first time since 2013. It is the 16th bowl appearance all-time for UNT and the eighth in the last 10 years.

North Texas is coming off a 34-21 loss to Tulane in the American Conference title game that sent the Green Wave into the CFP, where it lost 41-10 to Ole Miss.

Aztecs players to watch

Running back Lucky Sutton, a San Diego native, had a breakout season by piling up 1,237 yards and 10 touchdowns on 239 carries (5.2-yard average) in his first time as a starter. He has logged six 100-yard games, with 11 of the 12 going for at least 75 yards. Sutton became the 20th SDSU player with a 1,000-yard season (it’s been done 28 times overall) and is ranked 16th in San Diego State single-season history with the bowl game still left to play.

Quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. will make his first start for the Aztecs in place of Jayden Denegal, who had surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder on Dec. 17. Emanuel appeared in 10 games and completed 5 of 9 passes for 37 yards.

Cornerback Chris Johnson was named to six All-America teams, including three first-team honors; was the MW’s co-defensive player of the year; and is a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist. The senior from Eastvale completed one of the best regular seasons ever by an Aztecs defensive player. He had 49 tackles (36 solo), four interceptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns, nine pass breakups, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries.

Mean Green player to watch

North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker led the American Conference with a 70.2% completion rate, 31 touchdowns, and 14.1 yards per completion, while throwing for 4,129 yards.