The matchups that could decide San Diego State vs. Portland State
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On paper, the San Diego State Aztecs’ season opener against Portland State is a total mismatch, as would be expected.
San Diego State is coming off a 9-4 season, including its first bowl berth in three seasons, and is now in the Pac-12 Conference.
The Vikings were 1-11 last year, last in the FCS Big Sky Conference, and hired coach Chris Fisk away from Central Washington, where he reached the Division II playoffs five straight years.
The Aztecs are 40 ½-point betting favorites and even have a whopping edge in NIL money, $13.1 million to $1.4 million.
The Vikings played UC Davis tough in their season opener but blew a 21-0 halftime lead and lost 31-24. That was enough for UC Davis to drop one spot in the FCS poll to No. 7.
On the field, here are three matchups to watch when SDSU hosts PSU at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
Bert Emanuel Jr. vs. Portland State’s secondary
This matchup could be must-see viewing for coaches and fans alike.
Emanuel backed up quarterback Jayden Denegal last year, but this year he’ll be lining up at wide receiver and providing Denegal with a nice target.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Emanuel made the switch to better take advantage of his big-play capability. Fans saw what he could do running the ball when he went off for 170 yards on just 11 carries while starting at QB in the New Mexico Bowl. He had touchdown runs of 72 and 8 yards, and added another long run of 69 yards before injuring his non-throwing left shoulder diving for a pylon in the second quarter.
So imagine what could happen when he gets open and catches passes from Denegal. And remember, Emanuel’s father played wide receiver in the NFL after playing QB in college.
PSU’s secondary includes a freshman, a sophomore transfer and two juniors, including a JC transfer.
Lucky Sutton vs. Portland State’s front seven
Sutton popped for 100 yards and two touchdowns against FBS Stony Brook in last year’s opener in his first game as a starter. He went on to win the Mountain West rushing title with 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He was a Doak Walker Award semifinalist last year and has garnered numerous preseason accolades, including being named to watch lists for the Doak Walker Award and the two big player of the year awards, the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards.
He wasn’t too stoked about being held out of a scrimmage two weeks ago, so he should be eager to go.
PSU’s front seven includes two transfers and two Juco players, along with three returning players.
San Diego State’s pass rush vs. Tyrese Smith
The Aztecs lost players who accounted for 31 of 32 sacks last season, including EDGE rushers Trey White and Ryan Henderson, who transferred to Power 4 schools for better NIL deals.
That means the rush is on for a new Aztecs sackmaster, and the leading contenders are EDGE rushers Brady Nassar, a returning player, and Kai Wallin, a transfer from Oregon State.
Backup defensive tackle Amari Comier is the only returning player who had a sack last year, and he had one.
The Vikings believe they have a big-play offense, and Smith did his part last Saturday by completing 23 of 36 passes for 268 yards and adding 33 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
This will be a good test as well for the secondary, where there are five new starters.
Up next
The PSU-SDSU game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium. It will air on USA Network and San Diego Sports 760 radio.
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Bernie Wilson recently retired from The Associated Press after nearly 41 years, including stops in Spokane, Los Angeles and, for the final 33 years, San Diego. He grew up in Coeur d'Alene and graduated from the University of Idaho.