What San Diego State coach Sean Lewis said heading into road game at Hawaii

San Diego State’s football team will make a business trip to Honolulu this weekend, meaning the Aztecs need to keep focused on football, not the tropical paradise that will surround them.

There’s a lot at stake for the Mountain West-leading Aztecs (7-1, 4-0), who look to run their winning streak to seven games and hold onto the conference lead they earned with a home win against Wyoming, coupled with Boise State’s home loss to Fresno State.

“We’re in a good spot with lots to clean up this week as we make a unique trip out to Hawaii, where they haven't been home in a very long time,” coach Sean Lewis said Monday. “They're playing at a really elite level themselves, and [we] know that they'll have a good crowd in a unique environment there that we're excited to go compete with.

“Timmy [Chang] does a great job. You can tell that the team has really taken on his personality. They've gotten a good job of developing their run game and coming downhill to complement an elite passing game, and then defensively.”

Hawaii plays its home games at 15,164-seat Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.

The Rainbow Warriors (6-3, 3-2) are coming off a 45-38 shootout loss at San Jose State.

Here are the highlights of Lewis’ news conference:

Lewis on the team receiving more votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll

“I feel strongly about our team. I'll continue to advocate for our team, and just like we've been talking about all season long, on this climb, taking it one step at a time. I'm adamant about who we are, the work that we've done, and all that recognition. It's good that we're being talked about in that conversation. It's good that we continue to receive more and more votes. At the end of the day, it's all external noise. We need to put our heads down. We need to block out the noise and just be relentless in our process to grow and get better as we continue this climb.”

Lewis on the competition and parity in the Mountain West

“It happens every single week. Every single week, there's parity. The talent distribution throughout all of college football has flattened. There's great talent everywhere. There's great coaching everywhere. Every single team is talented enough in this league to beat anyone else. That's the beauty of what we get to do. It's awesome to point to those moments to refocus our team. You better have humility in the process. You better work that process better than you ever have. You’ve got to earn the right to win again.”

Lewis on recruiting and retaining players from San Diego

“It's the lifeline of our program. You become a much better coach when you have really talented players, and San Diego County has a ton of talented players, not just currently and presently and in the future, but in the past. There are more Heisman Trophy winners that have come out of this place than anywhere else. We had over 115 different high school prospects that were on the sidelines, which is why it's so important that our community shows up and shows up for us as well. It's more eyeballs on the city, it's more eyeballs on the university, it's more eyeballs for the opportunity for us to continue to grow this thing on an elite level.”

Lewis on the keys to the game at Hawaii

“We've got to do a great job limiting their throwing game. They're going to generate explosive plays. That's who they are and the job that they do. We've got to do a really good job in the red zone. The past couple of weeks, we've had way too many opportunities that were empty possessions in the red zone, where we've left points on the board.”

Lewis on facing Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado

“He's got a unique skill set. He can extend off script. He does an elite job of keeping his eyes downfield. Pressure doesn't faze him. This defensive front that we're about to go against is top 10 in the country. [He’s a] talented kid, has a good handle on the system and knows where the answers are when you throw different problems at him.”