San Diego State's 3 keys to victory against Northern Illinois in Week 5

The Aztecs will look to secure their first road win of the season on Saturday

San Diego State Aztecs quarterback Jayden Denegal. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Coach Sean Lewis and San Diego State are fresh off a surprising 34-0 trouncing of Cal last Saturday, a game the Aztecs went into as double-digit underdogs.

The team gave themselves a day to celebrate and went straight back to business, preparing for the second road trip of the year — this one heading out to DeKalb, IL, to take on Northern Illinois. Kickoff is slated for 12:30 PM PT on Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

The Aztecs are slight -2.5 point favorites against the Huskies according to ESPN, with both teams boasting strong defenses through the first few weeks of the season.

With NIU joining the Mountain West in 2026, in part to replace the departing Aztecs, this game will have a little extra motivation for both sides.

Tuning out the road crowd, establishing the run game, and dominating on third down are three major components to SDSU snagging its first road victory of the season and moving to 3-1 on the year.

Key 1: Establish The Run

Northern Illinois is not a good offensive team, but they have done well on defense this season — particularly against the pass. The Huskies are giving up 146.7 rushing yards per game, 75th among FBS schools, while the Aztecs have had success handing the ball off to Lucky Sutton, who is eighth in the conference with 249 rushing yards and a trio of touchdowns.

Sep 5, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies head coach Thomas Hammock watches his team warm up before a game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

If SDSU can establish the run game and move the chains, it'll limit scoring opportunities for NIU while keeping coach Lewis and his team in position to put points on the board and ultimately leave DeKalb with a W.

Key 2: Dominate on Third Down

Northern Illinois has converted on third down just 28.3% of the time this season, which ranks 129th out of 136 FBS teams. Meanwhile, the Aztecs are elite at third down defense, holding opponents to a meager 26% success rate — a top 20 mark in college football.

If coach Lewis and San Diego State can keep the Huskies from extending drives by shutting them out on third down situations, it will help them win the possession battle. In a game where points might be hard to come by, having the ball as often as possible is crucial to coming home with another victory and keeping that momentum going.

Key 3: Tune out the Noise

San Diego State is 2-0 at home but 0-1 on the road so far this season, heading out to Pullman and getting beaten 36-13 by a struggling Washington State squad. A much longer trip across multiple time zones to DeKalb, IL, is certainly a factor heading into this game for coach Lewis and the Aztecs.

Sep 6, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; San Diego State Aztecs head coach Sean Lewis looks on during a game against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. | James Snook-Imagn Images

SDSU will need to focus on the task at hand and ignore what could be a very passionate fanbase on a Saturday afternoon at NIU. Northern Illinois is joining the Mountain West in 2026 and while these two teams won't be conference foes, there's no doubt the Huskies would love to send a message to the departing schools by knocking off the Aztecs at home this Saturday.