NEWS AND NOTES (through games of Sat., Sept. 23)
* Two of the nation’s 17 most successful football programs this decade meet Saturday in San Diego when San Diego State (4-0 this season and 67-30 this decade (.691, 17th)) and Northern Illinois (2-1 this season and 72-27 this decade (.727, 13th)) play at 7:30 p.m. PT.
* Saturday’s game also features two teams from Autonomy 5 Conferences that have had success against Power 5 Conferences. As a whole, the Group of 5 owns a 15-71 record against the power leagues this season. However, the Aztecs are 2-0 (wins vs. No. 19/19 Stanford and at Arizona State) this year, while the Huskies are 1-1 (with a win at Nebraska).
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* SDSU, which is nationally ranked for the second consecutive week (19 in the AP and 21 in the coaches poll), will play its first home game as a nationally ranked team since Nov. 7, 1995, when the facility was known as Jack Murphy Stadium.
* San Diego State is ranked in the AP Top 25 for a 20th week in the Division I era. Six of those top 25 appearances have occurred since Sept. 18, 2016.
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* At No. 19 in the latest AP Poll, this is the highest the Aztecs have been ranked while playing host to a game since SDSU was No. 13 on Nov. 3, 1975.
* San Diego State improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1981 and just the second time in 42 seasons by handing Air Force a 28-24 defeat last Saturday night. The Falcons entered the game 18-1 over their last 19 home contests.
* The Aztecs have won six straight games (sixth-longest active streak in FBS), and are 12-2 in their last 14 games and 25-3 in their last 28 contests.
* SDSU, the only G5 school to defeat two Power 5 conference teams this season, is one of 24 undefeated FBS teams this year.
* San Diego State is looking for its first 5-0 start to a season since 1975. That is the only time in the last 57 years it has started 5-0.
* Senior RB/KR Rashaad Penny continues to make his case for Heisman and Doak Walker consideration. The five-time 2017 Mountain West Player-of-the-Week honoree tied a career high with three rushing touchdowns in the win over the Falcons. He recorded his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game with 128 yards on 20 carries.
* Penny became the 14th player in school history with 2,000 career rushing yards. He now has 2,124 yards to rank 12th on the school’s career chart.
* Penny’s current national rankings: 2nd in rushing YPG (179.0), all-purpose YPG (230.0), total TDs (9) and 3rd in rushing TDs (7).
