San Diego St. at Col. St.
Time: 9 PM CST, Saturday
Spread: SDS -8
Total: 52
Odds c/o 5dimes
The San Diego State Aztecs are 3-1 following its 17-23 loss to Utah State last outing. The Aztecs take to the road this week where it is 2-0 on the season as it visits Colorado State as 8-point favorites according to college football oddsmakers at 5dimes. The game will kick off at 9 PM CST Saturday on ESPN 2, and it has a betting total set at 52 points according to bookmaker 5dimes.
SAN DIEGO ST
The Aztecs have not been particularly good offensively this season, but its defense has held to the task of holding its opponents to just 11.8 points per game, so it has a plus-7.5 point differential despite falling shy of 20 points per game itself (19.3, No. 117). The Aztecs rank outside the top-100 in pass offense under 200 yards per game, while its rush attack is good for just No. 83 at 145.5 yards per game. While it gave up 23 points to Utah State in the loss, it had given up just 24 points combined in the three weeks prior, all wins.
Aztec starting QB Ryan Agnew has completed 61.3 percent of his looks, but he averages just 6.4 yards-per-completion and has thrown two interceptions (to his four touchdowns) while having incurred seven sacks for 82 lost yards. Agnew also has managed just 18 total yards on his 28 carries, while the Aztecs manage just 3.2 yards-per-attempt as a team. Its lead rushers Jordan Byrd and Chance Bell are respectable at 4.4 and 4.8 yards-per-carry, respectively, and the duo has three of the team’s four rushing TDs. Byrd has also caught seven passes for 39 yards. Kobe Smith leads the team in catches (18), total yards (267), and touchdowns (two).
The Aztecs have four receiving touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns on the year, and kicker Matt Araiza has been very good. He is 7 of 8 on field goals, with the miss coming beyond 40 yards, and he is 8 of 8 on PATs. The stars of the defense have been Dwayne Johnson Jr and Kyahva Tezino, who have 16 and 18 solo tackles and 31 and 30 total tackles respectively. The Aztecs have 10 sacks on the season for a total lost yardage from opposing QBs of 58 yards, and the team has three interceptions through four games.
COL ST
The Colorado State Rams fell to 1-4 after suffering its third straight loss with a 24-34 loss to Utah State. It fell to Toledo prior, and Arkansas, with its lone win being a 38-13 victory over Western Illinois in Week 2. It lost its opener 31-52 to Colorado.
The Rams have been good offensively thus far, but the defense has not got the job done. It is giving up 39 points per game, which negates a rather effective offense that generates 32.4 and ranks No. 56. The Rams are No. 15 in pass offense at 318.8 yards per game and rank No. 54 in rush offense with 181.6 yards per game. That should spell more wins, but it has given up 34, 41, and 55 points over its last three contests.
Rams starting quarterback Patrick O’Brien struggled last week. He completed just 14 of 30 for 217 yards with no touchdowns. The backfield was not good either. Colorado State managed just 2.3 yards-per-rush, with lead running back Marvin Kinsey Jr going for 70 yards and a touchdown on his 22 attempts. Nate Craig-Myers led all receivers on just three catches for 97 yards. Dante Wright caught six for 60 yards. The Rams did average 15.5 yards-per-completion, but it failed to reach the end zone via the pass. Its other TD outside of Kinsey’s came on a rush by Jaylen Thomas who had four attempts for two yards but did manage a touchdown.
Colorado State has got good production from Kinsey on the season. He has averaged seven yards-per-carry on 90 attempts with a team-high four touchdowns. Its second-most rushing yards, though, come from wide receiver Dante Wright who has just nine attempts but averages 12.7 per and is No. 2 in TDs as well with two. Wright also leads the team in receiving yardage with 407 yards on 26 catches and a tying-team-best three touchdowns. Warren Jackson has caught a team-best 31 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns. Colorado State has 10 receiving touchdowns on the season with six players having caught at least one.
