What players, coaches said after San Diego State's scrimmage

San Diego State’s football team donned pads in front of fans for the first time in a scrimmage at Fan Fest, although there was no tackling, largely because two players had suffered season-ending injuries earlier in fall camp.

But that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the players and coaches with just two weeks to go before the season opener.

New starting quarterback Jayden Denegal and backup Bert Emanuel Jr. each went 6 for 13 passing, with Emanuel throwing an 87-yard scoring pass to Myles Kitt-Denton.

It ended with second-year coach Sean Lewis telling junior walk-on wide receiver Mikey Welsh that he had earned a scholarship.

“Fun night,” Lewis said. “It was great to have the fans come out and be able to experience the first taste of this 2025 team, and end it with a really great moment with Mikey [Welsh], which was well-earned from all the work that he has done.

Oct 12, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Wyoming Cowboys head coach Jay Sawvel, left, and San Diego State Aztecs head coach Sean Lewis. | Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

“You know, there were some highs and some lows, and things that we need to clean up. Obviously, we’re two weeks out and need to have a sense of urgency to refine the details of everything, but I’m pleased with the way the guys went about business with the opportunity to get better.”

The Aztecs open the season at home against Stony Brook on Aug. 28.

Here’s what the Aztecs said after the scrimmage on Thursday night.

Lewis on the key takeaway

“There will be tons that we will learn from the tape, which is the process that never ends and the climb that we are on. Two weeks from now it becomes real and I know these guys will be excited to go hit someone else and not each other, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Lewis on the team’s effort

“These guys always come out with a great attitude. They always come out with great effort. I know they're enthusiastic to do this work together for the first time in our home, with all the work that we've already put in. This is their day, so they're going to have fun, right? I've been having to tell them, ‘Whoa’ and not ‘Go’ all camp long.”

Lewis on deciding not to tackle

“I wanted to do right by the team and put them in the best position to be successful and to come out of this healthy and with great lessons to learn and great evidence to build off of, and to grow the confidence within the locker room.”

Senior Wide Receiver Myles Kitt-Denton On his 87-yard touchdown

“When the call came in, I had a feeling that I'd be able to do something with it. Bert [Emanuel Jr.] made a great pass, and the offensive line held up. I just did what I was trained to do, took the ball and tried to hit my head on the goal post.”

Kitt-Denton on what the fans should know about this year’s wide receivers

“They should know it's a great group of wide receivers. We have one of the best groups in the nation in the wide receiver room. I know it's a bold statement, but we can back up that claim. We’re a bonded group, we're just ready to go out and give it our all every play.”

Senior safety Deshawn McCuin on gearing up for the season

“It’s about continuing to sharpen our focus. We are two weeks out, and the urgency is pretty high. We want to stay focused and keep sharpening our iron with good practices. We want to keep that focus and drive, and get ready to win a football game on Aug. 28.”

Lewis on getting a game-day feel

“We got a lot out of it in terms of what happened between the white lines. It was also the first time that our coaches got in their game day position, so we're up in the box, we’ve got the mechanics of the iPads, and in between the media timeouts to be able to work through those game day mechanics. It was the first time the kids got to know when they're going on the bench, because in all the other scrimmages that we've done, you just roll and you go, so there's not a whole lot of the normal flow of the game.”