5 Things to Watch: Aztecs looking to make mark on the road at Northern Illinois

Watching San Diego State’s game Saturday afternoon at Northern Illinois won’t necessarily be as simple as plopping down on the couch and pointing the remote at the TV.

The game is on ESPN+ and will require some extra effort, especially for the stream-challenged crowd.

ESPN+ can be accessed through the ESPN app or by going to ESPN.com and logging in using your cable provider. It is included with Disney+, Hulu and the ESPN bundle.

If all that proves daunting, there’s always listening to the San Diego Sports 760 radio broadcast.

The Aztecs (2-1) are 2 1/2-point favorites coming into the game against Northern Illinois (1-2) at Huskie Stadium. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m. PT. SDSU leads the all-time series 6-0.

Here are five things to watch:

1. On the road again

SDSU’s first road trip of the season produced a 36-13 loss at Washington State in which the Aztecs were completely outplayed.

SDSU coach Sean Lewis and his staff have worked to see that effort isn’t repeated against an NIU team that opened the season with a narrow victory over Holy Cross (19-17) before a pair of Power Four losses to Maryland (20-9) and Mississippi State (38-10).

Lewis is well-acquainted with “the toughness of their program” after coaching in the Mid-American Conference at Kent State.

“It’s an established culture that has beaten Notre Dame (last season), that has stayed close with Mississippi State and Maryland,” he said. “We’ve really emphasized the competitive maturity that we need to have and continuing to grow as a team.”

SDSU is coming off a 34-0 win over Cal. Lewis said it is essential for the Aztecs to find their footing on the road if they are to be successful this season.

“It’s easy to focus on how important the response needs to be after a tremendous low that we had at Wazzu,” Lewis said, “but it is equally important to have a tremendous response in how we come back out and how we handle success.”

2. NIU’s offense

SDSU will try to stop a Huskies running game led by senior Chavon Wright (51 carries, 214 yards, TD) and sophomore Telly Johnson Jr. (37 carries, 199 yards, TD).

The Huskies are rushing for 161 yards a game while averaging only 114 passing yards.

“It starts with their run game and rightfully so,” Lewis said. “They are committed to that.”

That doesn’t mean the Aztecs don’t have to be concerned with NIU sophomore quarterback Josh Holst (40 of 63, 327 yards, TD/2 INTs), who was MVP in last year’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl victory over Fresno State.

“The quarterback is a willing runner as well,” Lewis said. “You can’t let the quarterback’s stats deceive you. He’s got the ability with his hand talent, his anticipation and his touch on throws to make all the throws.

“If you’re not proper in your rush lanes and maintaining him in the pocket, he has more than enough ability to extend plays and create with his legs also. … the more I watch him, the more nerved up I get about him.”

3. Takeaways/giveaways

SDSU’s defensive effort against Cal was highlighted by fumble and interception returns for touchdowns by Dwayne McDougle and Chris Johnson, respectively. Teammate Dalesean Staley also had an interception.

It was SDSU’s first three takeaways of the season. Sometimes that snowballs for a defense. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, SDSU has not committed a turnover this season. In fact, the Aztecs and UConn share the active national lead at five straight games without a turnover. It is the longest streak in SDSU’s Division I history.

NIU has two takeaways and two giveaways in three games.

4. Here comes Mr. Jordan

SDSU wide receiver Jordan Napier (19 catches, 241 yards, TD) had nine receptions against Cal, including one for an 80-yard touchdown.

It bears watching how NIU defends Napier and whether it will force SDSU quarterback Jayden Denegal (43-for-73, 529 yards, 3 TDs) to look for other wide receivers, like starters Jordan Bostick (10 catches, 126 yards, 2 TDs) and Donovan Brown (5 catches, 43 yards).

Maybe SDSU gets the tight ends or running backs more involved. Those position groups have averaged only one catch apiece over three games.

5. What a win means

Lewis has said that qualifying for a bowl game is the minimum expectation for the program.

Bowl eligibility requires winning at least six games. ESPN’s Football Power Index places the Aztecs’ chances of winning six games at 71.4%. A victory against NIU would put SDSU halfway there with eight Mountain West conference games to follow. SDSU begins MW play Friday night against Colorado State at Snapdragon Stadium.

SDSU hasn’t started a season 3-1 since the 2021 team opened with seven straight victories on the way to a 12-2 finish.

The FPI currently rates the Aztecs 90th, ahead of four Mountain West opponents on the schedule — San Jose State (106), Wyoming (107), Hawaii (108) and Nevada (127) — and slightly behind two others — New Mexico (82) and Colorado State (86).

San Diego State (2-1) at Northern Illinois (1-2)

When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Huskie Stadium, Dekalb, Ill.

On the air: ESPN+; 760-AM

Line: Aztecs by 3