NEWS AND NOTES (through games of Sat., Sept. 16)
* San Diego State begins its quest to tie a Mountain West record by winning a third consecutive football conference championship when the two-time defending champions travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., to face Air Force on Saturday.
* The Aztecs made their top 25 debut this week, coming in at No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 25 in the coaches poll. SDSU spent four weeks in the AP poll last season and finished the 2016 campaign ranked No. 25 in both national polls. This is the 19th week in school history San Diego State has been nationally ranked as a Division I program.
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* The Aztecs are one of 37 undefeated FBS teams in the nation and owns a five-game winning streak dating back to last season. The win streak is tied for the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
* SDSU and Clemson are the only teams in the nation this season to defeat a nationally ranked AP team, defeat at least two teams from a Power 5 conference and win a road game at a Power 5 program.
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* Since Oct. 10, 2015, San Diego State is 10-2 in road games. The 10 road wins in that span are tied with Clemson for the most in the nation. Meanwhile, Air Force is 18-1 in its last 19 home games (start of the 2014 season) with two victories over nationally-ranked opponents during that span.
* Senior running back/kickoff returner Rashaad Penny continues to explode nationally. He leads the nation in rushing yards per game (196.0), rushing yards (588), all-purpose yards per game (258.0) and all-purpose yards (774), and is tied for second in touchdowns (6).
* Sophomore cornerback Ron Smith has two interceptions this season (tied for third nationally) and has five career picks, all of which have come in his last nine games. Since Nov. 5, 2016, Smith is tied for the nationally lead in interceptions with five.
* Junior quarterback Christian Chapman, who is 16-3 as a starter, has 26 career touchdowns and eight interceptions. His TD-to-INT ratio of 3.25 is 10th among active FBS players with at least 25 touchdown passes.
* San Diego State owned +3 turnover margin against Stanford on Saturday (the Cardinal had not turned the ball over in its previous six games). The Aztecs are seventh nationally in turnover margin this season (+1.67).
* Since the beginning of the 2015 season, SDSU has forced 70 turnovers (second nationally to Utah’s 74), while only committing 29 (fifth lowest nationally).
* SDSU has won 21 straight games when owning an edge in time of possession and 21 consecutive when committing fewer TOs.
