3 Thoughts … on the Aztecs’ 42-0 win over Stony Brook

Three thoughts after San Diego State’s season-opening 42-0 victory Thursday night over Stony Brook at Snapdragon Stadium.

1. Whew

The last thing a team wants to see is its starting quarterback stumbling to the sideline four plays into the season.

But that’s what the Aztecs faced when Jayden Denegal left the field after a 3-yard rush against Stony Brook.

There was immediate speculation that Denegal had suffered a shoulder or collarbone injury, but there was virtually no upper body contact on the play in question.

On the second-and-3 play from the SDSU 42-yard line, Denegal took the snap out of the shotgun, hesitated for a moment, then ran up the middle. Tight end Seth Adams was engaged in a block against Stony Brook linebacker AJ Roberts. Denegal placed his left hand briefly against Adams’ back, then moved to his left.

The quarterback was already bringing his left arm up to his chest as Stony Brook safety Bryson Parker tried making an arm tackle across the legs. Denegal was tripped up as he reached the first-down marker, but he landed on his right shoulder as he went to the turf.

He got up with his left hand clenched in a fist and his arm held against his chest.

Backup quarterback Bert Emanuel entered the game, but Denegal returned just two plays later.

“He just came up a little bit funky,” coach Sean Lewis said. “We saw it. It was in our boundary. We’ve got another really talented quarterback as well, so we just threw him in and, obviously, Jayden was able to come back in and finish the drive.”

Denegal seemed no worse for wear. In fact, after an incompletion Denegal ran around the right side and bulled his way for a nine-yard gain.

It’s possible the quarterback simply suffered a stinger, perhaps a pad pressed against a nerve, that was quickly resolved. Whatever, it was greeted with a collective sigh of relief.

2. Depth in receivers room

SDSU’s wide receivers room was largely a group of unknowns beyond returner Jordan Napier, who emerged as a true freshman last season with 44 receptions and four touchdowns.

Junior transfer Jacob Bostick, listed as a backup to senior transfer Myles Kitt-Denton, was the standout against the Seawolves.

He leaped for a contested catch over the middle on a third-and-11 play in the first quarter and held on for a 23-yard gain. Moments later, Denegal hit Bostick in the middle of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Bostick was more of an unknown than most because he was limited in fall camp while recovering from an injury.

He proved he is someone who can be counted on, along with starters Napier, Kitt-Denton and junior transfer Donovan Brown.

Brown and former walk-on Mikey Welsh both had 44-yard receptions in the game.

Returner Jerry McClure and junior transfer Nathan Acevedo each had two catches, as Denegal and Emanuel, who returned in the fourth quarter, spread the ball among seven wide receivers.

“It’s a testament to their work ethic, the time that they put together, the refinement of the craft,” Lewis said. “You believe you know what you have, but the football gods and the environment of game day can sometimes have a funny effect on people.

“So when you get to see what you believe you know to be true come to life on game day, it’s always a good feeling.”

The Aztecs also found a way to get the ball in the hands of walk-on Parker Threatt, a converted quarterback playing wide receiver, for a 5-yard touchdown run.

To top it off, tight end Jackson Ford had a 16-yard catch in the first quarter that set up the Aztecs’ first score.

3. Drawing a crowd

Attendance for the season opener was not good. Not good at all.

SDSU announced a crowd of 20,624. That’s tickets distributed. Actual attendance was 13,516.

That’s the smallest opening-game crowd in Snapdragon’s brief history. It’s also the third-smallest crowd among the 21 football games the Aztecs have played there since 2022.

The optics are bad when there’s nearly 20,000 empty seats in a 32,500-seat stadium.

What to do?

One thing the Aztecs could do is bring back the KGB SkyShow.

The fireworks spectacular has been part of the postgame festivities at the Holiday Bowl the past three years. When a kickoff date for the bowl was announced this week, it was revealed that the SkyShow will not be part of the show.

That presents an opportunity for the Aztecs to get an attendance boost at one of their games this season.

The SkyShow was a big attraction for SDSU from 2004-19 at the old Mission Valley stadium.

It was obvious in the past that some people were attending the game only to see the SkyShow, with stadium attendance swelling in the third and fourth quarters.

Five of the top eight all-time crowds for an Aztecs game were SkyShow games, including 57,286 for the Washington State game in 2011. Only the Aztecs’ 1986 Holiday Bowl appearance against Iowa drew a larger crowd (59,473).

Things have changed since then, namely that most ticket prices have risen dramatically. So something creative would need to be done to bring out people only interested in the SkyShow.

The cost to stage the SkyShow is estimated at $200,000. Could the Aztecs draw 10,000 extra fans at $20 apiece for a SkyShow game, limiting stadium entry to the second half for fireworks fans?

Not they they need to recoup the entire cost from tickets. Parking and concession revenue would be greater with more fans.

And, certainly, the SkyShow would be a welcome addition for those already planning to attend a game.

SDSU needs to do something to get more people in the stands. Winning won’t hurt, but marketing and promotion needs to be proactive.

Do. Something.