Halloween at Snapdragon Stadium: 72 degrees, overcast, a 4 p.m. kickoff, and two teams limping into a bye week. San Diego State needs three wins in its last four to go bowling. Washington State is still hunting its first win over an FBS team. On paper these teams are twins. Against FBS opponents, SDSU's average margin is about −15.7 and Washington State's is about −15.9, so this line is basically home field. My edge comes from what's changed lately. Stone Saunders is an upgrade. In Jayden Denegal's starts, SDSU never passed for more than 251 yards against an FBS team. Saunders went 23-of-33 for 369 and 2 TDs at Colorado State, and the offense converted 8-of-13 on third down. Jaylon Hawkins caught 6 for 164. Lucky Sutton is back too, and SDSU has run for 205 and 204 in the two games since. Washington State just allowed 258 rushing yards to Boise State and 211 to Oregon State. The Cougars have 7 sacks in 7 FBS games, and safety Jeremiah Bernard (stinger) is unconfirmed. The Cougars' offense scores 14.7 points a game against FBS teams and converts about 27% on third down. Owen Eshelman was sacked 4 times by Boise, and Kirby Moore is talking about offensive line changes. Against a common opponent, SDSU beat Fresno State 26-23, while Washington State lost to the Bulldogs 26-6. The number helps. At −2.5, any SDSU win by a field goal or more cashes, and Cooper DiLeva is 10-of-11 on field goals. Hawkins has also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. The worries are real. SDSU's defense gave up 56 at Colorado State with zero sacks, and Demetrius Sumler is calling it for the first time after Rob Aurich left for Nebraska. Eshelman ran for 136 at Oregon State, where Washington State scored 30 and SDSU managed 14. Saunders' big day came against a soft defense and included 2 interceptions. At −114, this is a modest play, not a hammer. Aztecs at home, more urgency, more explosive offense. I'll lay it.
Halloween at Snapdragon Stadium: 72 degrees, overcast, a 4 p.m. kickoff, and two teams limping into a bye week. San Diego State needs three wins in its last four to go bowling. Washington State is still hunting its first win over an FBS team.
On paper these teams are twins. Against FBS opponents, SDSU's average margin is about −15.7 and Washington State's is about −15.9, so this line is basically home field. My edge comes from what's changed lately.
Stone Saunders is an upgrade. In Jayden Denegal's starts, SDSU never passed for more than 251 yards against an FBS team. Saunders went 23-of-33 for 369 and 2 TDs at Colorado State, and the offense converted 8-of-13 on third down. Jaylon Hawkins caught 6 for 164. Lucky Sutton is back too, and SDSU has run for 205 and 204 in the two games since. Washington State just allowed 258 rushing yards to Boise State and 211 to Oregon State. The Cougars have 7 sacks in 7 FBS games, and safety Jeremiah Bernard (stinger) is unconfirmed.
The Cougars' offense scores 14.7 points a game against FBS teams and converts about 27% on third down. Owen Eshelman was sacked 4 times by Boise, and Kirby Moore is talking about offensive line changes. Against a common opponent, SDSU beat Fresno State 26-23, while Washington State lost to the Bulldogs 26-6.
The number helps. At −2.5, any SDSU win by a field goal or more cashes, and Cooper DiLeva is 10-of-11 on field goals. Hawkins has also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns.
The worries are real. SDSU's defense gave up 56 at Colorado State with zero sacks, and Demetrius Sumler is calling it for the first time after Rob Aurich left for Nebraska. Eshelman ran for 136 at Oregon State, where Washington State scored 30 and SDSU managed 14. Saunders' big day came against a soft defense and included 2 interceptions. At −114, this is a modest play, not a hammer.
Aztecs at home, more urgency, more explosive offense. I'll lay it.
San Diego State -2.5