Group of Five: Week 7 Access Bowl Power Rankings
By Zach Bigalke
On Friday night the Aztecs went to Fresno State and knocked off the Bulldogs in a defensive showdown. San Diego State’s defense held the hosts to just 217 total yards of offense and ten first downs. The offense dominated time of possession, holding the ball for more than 37 minutes. And as usual, Donnel Pumphrey continued to work his way into the Heisman conversation as he rushed for another 220 yards and two touchdowns. In the process he extended his lead as the best running back in the country and worked his way into the top ten of the all-time NCAA rushing list. It wasn’t one of the most exciting wins you’ll see from a Group of Five team this season, but it was necessary for the Aztecs.
As of right now San Diego State is in an odd position. They remain unbeaten in Mountain West play and have everything well lined up for a second straight appearance in the conference championship game. October concludes with a home game against San Jose State and a road game at Utah State. November yields a visit from Hawaii followed by two road trips to Nevada and Wyoming. Colorado State comes to San Diego for the regular-season finale. The Aztecs should be favored in every one of these contests. Yet Rocky Long’s team suffered its only loss of the year to South Alabama, who currently sits at the bottom of the Sun Belt standings. That defeat could prove an albatross should SDSU win the Mountain West and find itself evaluated against other Group of Five champs.