Washington State 2024 Opponent Scouting Report: San Diego State

Jared Miller | Aug 5, 2024

Nov 25, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs linebacker Cooper McDonald (55) congratulates defensive lineman Keion Mitchell (91) after a sack against the Fresno State Bulldogs during the first half at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Aztecs will do battle with the Cougars to wrap up October.

Who/When/Where: Week 9 will send Washington State to Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego for a late-October dance with the Aztecs. San Diego State presents an interesting matchup for the Cougars because they aren't the same team from last year. While a ton of big names are now gone for SDSU, it doesn't mean they won't still be a problem this year.

Offensive Players to Watch: Jaylon Armstead (RB), A.J. Duffy (QB), Mekhi Shaw (WR)

Defensive Players to Watch: Cody Moon (LB), Tupu Alualu (NT), Josh Hunter (S)

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The biggest and most impactful change the Aztecs went through this offseason was at quarterback. Jalen Mayden is now gone after a great three years with the program and now it'll be Florida State transfer A.J. Duffy (#10) who will likely be handed the keys to the offense. Duffy, a sophomore, saw very limited action with the Seminoles, playing in just four games over the last two years. Now, though, it appears as though he'll be the guy for San Diego State.

Duffy has a strong arm which should really open the playbook up for the Aztecs and the deep ball will always be on the table. More than his pure strength, though, Duffy is very accurate on his long passes and if receivers are open or in one-on-one situations, he can hit them in stride more often than not. Washington State will need to plan to stymie receivers early on in plays and DBs cannot allow any blown assignments in this game or Duffy will make it costly.

As Duffy is a new face on the Aztecs, so is one of his targets. Nate Bennett (#11), formerly of Portland State, came over and seems to have worked his way into a role with the first teamers. Bennett caught 14 passes for 169 yards for the Vikings last year. He will be joined on the outside by senior Mekhi Shaw (#83). Shaw, who has spent his entire collegiate career with SDSU, averaged 13.4 yards per catch in 2023. He's a physical pass-catcher that can out-muscle defenders for yards after the catch and has the ability to rip the ball away when making a snag.

When running the ball, San Diego State will look to last year's leading rusher Jaylon Armstead (#2). The senior back is tenacious when he has the ball and is difficult to bring down when he lowers his shoulder, making him an ideal option in short-yardage situations. He'll keep his legs churning through contact and it often takes more than one defender to fully stop him. Armstead will surely see the bulk of the carries.

Much like on offense, the Aztecs said goodbye to a lot of talent on defense including star linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu. With Fiaseu gone, the burden now falls upon senior Cody Moon (#58) and Utah transfer Owen Chambliss (#5). Chambliss comes in as a freshman but is expected to see lots of time while Moon, a senior, finished with 66 tackles last fall.

Moon showed just how valuable he could be the defense last year and proved to be especially skilled in pass protection. He uses his arms well and makes plays on the ball before it reaches its target. That being said, he's a solid tackler as well. He covers the middle field well, flying vertically from sideline to sideline, positioning himself well for stops.

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The one area of the San Diego State D that got gutted this offseason was the secondary. Few familiar faces from last year's unit remain but one that does is sophomore safety Josh Hunter (#24). Hunter made 38 tackles last year along with two PBUs. He will be joined by another tansfer in ex-Tennessee State corner Bryce Phillips (#0). Phillips knocked down eight passes for the Tigers in 2023 and picked off one more.

Up front it will be the Tupu Alualu (#99) show. The big nose tackle was a force for the Aztecs last season, picking up four tackles for loss, three sacks and starting in all 12 games. He uses his upper body well to puncture the line and has the ability to blow the center off the ball. Alualu also uses his arms well to gain leverage on blockers and knows how to twist through gaps when they present themselves. He will likely be the driving force in the trenches when SDSU is on defense.

Final Analysis: It's tough to peg down just how good San Diego State is going to be this year with all the new faces and it's anyone's guess at how they'll be gelling by Week 9 when they see the Cougars. This is a winnable road game for Washington State but only if their pass defense shows up. Allowing Duffy to have time to find his targets could be the undoing here. The Aztecs do not appear as strong as they were a season ago, however, and if they are hampered by injuries by this juncture of the season, depth will be an issue that the Cougars might be able to take advantage of.