Oct. 6, 2014 SAN DIEGO -
Rocky Long Returns to Alma Mater as Aztecs Play on Second Straight Friday
• Two teams looking for their third win of the season meet on Friday when San Diego State (2-3; 1-1 MW) travels to Albuquerque, N.M., to face New Mexico (2-3; 0-1 MW). Announced kickoff time is set for 7:30 p.m. MT (6:30 p.m. PT) and will be on the TV on ESPNU, and on radio on The Mighty 1090 and The Max 105.7 FM.
• The Aztecs are coming off a 24-13 loss at Fresno State last Friday. SDSU has won four of its last five games (4-1) immediately following a loss and is 9-5 under Rocky Long in a game following a defeat (includes same season losses only).
• San Diego State has responded from its last seven Mountain West defeats with a victory in its next league game. That includes every MW loss during the Rocky Long era.
• Despite last Saturday's loss, the Aztecs are 14-3 (.824) over their last 17 Mountain West games, dating back to Oct. 6, 2012. That is the 13th-highest winning percentage nationally in league games during that time frame.
• SDSU has won nine consecutive games played in the Mountain time zone. That is tied with TCU for the longest active FBS win streak in the time zone (Arizona State and Utah State are tied for third at seven).
• Amazingly, San Diego State head coach Rocky Long has been on the winning sidelines of the last 12 games played between the Aztecs and Lobos. He led UNM to seven straight wins in the series (2001-2008), was the defensive coordinator for SDSU wins in 2009 and 2010, and guided San Diego State to victories as the head coach in 2011 and 2013. A 1974 graduate of New Mexico, Long owns a 9-2 record as the head coach against the Aztecs and is 2-0 as a head coach against the Lobos.
• Saturday will mark the first time this season that SDSU plays an opponent that did not advance to postseason play in 2013. San Diego State's first five games were against teams that advanced to postseason play in 2013 (four bowl games and one FCS playoffs). The Aztecs are one of just four teams in the country to play their first five games against 2013 postseason teams (Iowa State, South Carolina and USC).
• Rocky Long, the all-time Mountain West leader in coaching victories, owns 92 career wins. Now in his fourth season at SDSU, Long owns a 27-17 record, including an 18-7 league mark, with San Diego State.
• Sophomore running back Donnel Pumphrey ranks among the nation's leaders in several categories, including third in rushing touchdowns (9) and 20th in rushing yards per game (112.2). The Doak Walker candidate has 1,313 career rushing yards to rank 19th on the school's career rushing chart.
• Aztec opponents have failed to accumulate 400 yards of total offense in four of five games this season. For the year, the SDSU D is allowing 369.6 yards per outing to rank 50th nationally. The unit is 29th nationally in sacks per game (2.80) and 31st in tackles for loss (6.8).
• Through five games, San Diego State has had 17 players make their first career start and 29 players see their first action with the Aztecs (two are DI transfers). SDSU currently has four projected starters that are out due to injury - senior linebacker Derek Largent, junior linebacker Jake Fely, senior quarterback Quinn Kaehler and senior wide receiver Ezell Ruffin.
• San Diego State has advanced to four consecutive bowl games. The Aztecs join Stanford as the only football teams in California - FBS or NFL - to advance to the postseason in each of the past four seasons.