How to watch Stony Brook vs. San Diego State: TV channel, live stream

The San Diego State Aztecs will open their second season under coach Sean Lewis when they host the Stony Brook Seawolves at 7 p.m. Thursday at Snapdragon Stadium. The game will air locally on KUSI and be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

This will be the first meeting between the teams. Stony Brook, which plays in the FCS, must travel all the way across the country from Long Island, New York.

“I’m really pleased with the way that the guys have approached the work, and I’m excited about the opportunity that lies ahead with Stony Brook coming in here from Long Island, a tremendous team and really well coached,” Lewis said.

“I’m excited for our fan base, excited for our community, but most importantly, excited for our team and for our staff to go cut it loose on Thursday and to put forth a tremendous effort, to show all the hard work that we've done and go play and have some fun on Thursday night.”

What’s at stake

San Diego State is coming off a 3-9 finish in Lewis’ first season, including a 2-5 finish in the Mountain West and a season-ending six-game losing streak.

Not only do the Aztecs want to rebound from last year, but they want to play a strong final season in the Mountain West before they jump up to the new-look Pac-12 next year. After this game, the Aztecs step up in competition when they travel to face future Pac-10 opponent Washington State and then host California.

Stony Brook is ranked No. 24 in the FCS poll after coach Billy Cosh led the largest turnaround in the FCS in his first season, from 0-10 in 2023 to 8-4. He was named the Walter Camp FCS Coach of the Year, AFCA FCS Coach of the Year, AFCA Regional Coach of the Year, and CAA Coach of the Year. He was also the fastest coach in program history to reach eight wins.

Aztecs players to watch

San Diego State’s Jayden Denegal will be making his first collegiate start at quarterback after beating out Bert Emanuel Jr. during fall camp. Lewis said the decision came down to Denegal’s confidence and efficiency. He didn’t play much at Michigan, but he was J.J. McCarthy’s backup when the Wolverines won the national championship in 2023.

San Diego State’s defense is anchored by edge rusher Trey White, who has received several accolades, including being named the Mountain West’s preseason defensive player of the year. He had 12 ½ sacks last year, which tied for fifth in FBS. Linebacker Tano Letuli and cornerback Chris Johnson have received preseason accolades.

Seawolves players to watch

SDSU’s defense will be focusing on Seawolves running back Roland Dempster, who was named an FCS preseason All-American. He led the Seawolves in nearly every offensive category last season, finishing with 1,332 yards rushing on 268 carries, an average of 111 per game, and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 335 yards and one score. Three of five starting offensive linemen return.

The Seawolves list graduate returner Casey Case or grad transfer Chris Zellous at quarterback. Case didn’t play last year after getting hurt in 2023, but he did start nine games that season, throwing for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions.

Zellous is a dual-threat QB who started all 12 games at Hampton last year, throwing for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing 328 yards and six TDs.