Sept. 22, 2014
SDSU, UNLV Open Conference Play with MW West Division Showdown
• For the fourth consecutive game in the 2014 season, San Diego State faces a team that advanced to postseason play last year when the Aztecs (1-2) face UNLV (1-3) in the Mountain West opener for both teams. Kick off is set for 5 p.m. PT.
• Both the Aztecs and Rebels are members of the Mountain West's West Division, which also features Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada and San José State. Although no team in the division has played a conference game to date, the Spartans entertain the Wolf Pack on Saturday night.
• San Diego State is playing just its second home game of the season. Through Sept. 20, the Aztecs are tied with 24 other teams nationally for the fewest home games to date this year.
• Saturday will mark SDSU's first home game since the season-opening contest against Northern Arizona on Aug. 30. San Diego State will have gone 26 days without a home game. Following Saturday, SDSU will go another 20 days before having its third home game of the season (Oct. 18 vs. Hawai'i).
• San Diego State has won three consecutive home games and has won its last four home contests against teams that were unranked at game time.
• Since Sept. 28, 2013, San Diego State owns a 9-4 record, tied for the 26th-best record in the nation during that span. That record is tied for tops in the Mountain West, along with Boise State and Colorado State.
• Rocky Long, the all-time Mountain West leader in coaching victories, enters his fourth season as head coach of the Aztecs and his sixth season in the program. The two-time conference coach of the year posted 25 wins in his first three seasons on the Mesa, matching Claude Gilbert for the most coaching wins through the first three years at SDSU.
• Sophomore running back and Las Vegas native Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 100 or more yards in each of the first two games this season (111 yards vs. Northern Arizona, 100 yards at North Carolina), and has 300 yards total on the year, averaging 100.0 yards per game. The sophomore has five career 100-yard rushing games. Last Saturday, Pumphrey passed 1,000 career rushing yards on just his 168th carry in 16th career game, but just his fourth career start. Among the national leaders, Pumphrey ranks 10th in rushing touchdowns (5), 31st in rushing yards per game (100.0) and 47th in yards per carry (5.66).
• Through three games, San Diego State has had 13 players make their first career start and 26 players see their first Division I game action. SDSU currently has two projected starters that are out due to injury - junior linebacker Jake Fely and senior wide receiver Ezell Ruffin (captain).
• 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.
• SDSU is one of 29 schools to play in a bowl game each of the last four seasons, which is the longest streak in the Mountain West. San Diego State and Boise State are the only two current Mountain West schools to reach a bowl game in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
• Between 2000-09, SDSU was 38-80 (.322) and owned the nation's 106th-best winning percentage. Since 2010, San Diego State is 35-20 (.636) and owns the nation's 31st-best winning percentage.