San Diego State Football: Aztecs looking to rebound, contend in 2019
By Zach Bigalke
How will San Diego State fare in 2019?
| WEEK | DATE | SCHOOL | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Aug. 31, 2019 | San Diego State | vs. FCS Weber State |
| 2 | Sept. 7, 2019 | San Diego State | @ UCLA |
| 3 | Sept. 14, 2019 | San Diego State | @ New Mexico State |
| 4 | Sept. 21, 2019 | San Diego State | vs. Utah State |
| 5 | Sept. 28, 2019 | BYE | WEEK |
| 6 | Oct. 5, 2019 | San Diego State | @ Colorado State |
| 7 | Oct. 12, 2019 | San Diego State | vs. Wyoming |
| 8 | Oct. 19, 2019 | San Diego State | @ San Jose State |
| 9 | Oct. 26, 2019 | San Diego State | @ UNLV |
| 10 | Nov. 2, 2019 | BYE | WEEK |
| 11 | Nov. 9, 2019 | San Diego State | vs. Nevada |
| 12 | Nov. 15, 2019 (FRI) | San Diego State | vs. Fresno State |
| 13 | Nov. 23, 2019 | San Diego State | @ Hawaii |
| 14 | Nov. 30, 2019 | San Diego State | vs. BYU |
The non-conference schedule offers a range of opportunities, beginning with the opener against Big Sky dark-horse Weber State. A pair of road trips to UCLA and New Mexico State follow, before Utah State comes to San Diego for the Mountain West opener. After winding up conference play, the Aztecs also square off against BYU in the regular-season finale.
The schedule lines up unbalanced over the next two months, with the Aztecs playing three of their four October games on the road before finishing the year with three of their last four at home in November.
San Diego State avoids Boise State in the regular season, and their toughest road test in conference looks to be their divisional showdown against Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. That Nov. 23 contest, San Diego State’s only road game in the last month of the regular season, could serve as a de facto MWC West divisional championship game.
What’s next for San Diego State?
Rocky Long and his staff need to keep the Aztecs focused on the challenge from Weber State in the opener. If they get caught looking ahead to their trip up the I-5 to face Chip Kelly’s Bruins at the Rose Bowl, the Wildcats could make San Diego State fans sweat right out of the gate. Getting off to a strong non-conference start (that includes a Pac-12 takedown for the fourth straight year) would put the Aztecs in the New Year’s Six discussion before autumn officially rolls around.
Prediction: 9-3, 6-2 Mountain West
San Diego State is going to open the year on a tear, downing their first three non-conference opponents and putting themselves in the national discussion for the Group of Five’s major bowl berth. Utah State will knock the Aztecs back down to earth a peg, but they will still reach November with only one loss.
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The final month of the year is going to turn things around. Look for Hawaii to get the better of the Aztecs secondary on the island in what will serve as a play-in game for the MWC championship game. San Diego State, still reeling from their loss to miss out on a division title, will also drop the regular-season finale against BYU at home. A bowl win could still put Rocky Long’s team to double digits in the win column, but it will still be a close miss for the Aztecs this season.