Aztecs welcome back QB Danny O'Neil, hope to reduce penalties, stop Central Michigan running game – San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego State overwhelmed Central Michigan the first time the two teams met on a football field, defeating the Chippewas 48-11 in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl.

It's been five years on the calendar, but in college football years it's been a lifetime, what with the transfer portal and everything.

The second meeting presents a much closer competition.

Also fascinating.

Central Michigan opened the season with 66 points against Central Connecticut State and scored 37 points against Ball State last week. Those were the team's two wins this season. In between were losses to Florida International and Illinois, where the Chippewas only scored 25 points total.

Which team will face SDSU is the question.

The same applies to the Aztecs team. Will it be the one that opened the season with 45 points and a win over Texas A&M-Commerce? Or the one who scored a combined 10 points in losses to Oregon State and Cal?

SDSU is a 1 1/2-point underdog in this game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium at Central Michigan. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m. PT (CBS Sports Network).

Here are five things to keep in mind:

1. O'Neil returns

Danny O'Neil will return as San Diego State's starting quarterback, according to a source.

O'Neil appears to have recovered sufficiently from a knee injury suffered against Oregon State three weeks ago to reclaim the starting position he earned in training camp.

O'Neil, a 6-foot freshman from Indiana, completed 23 of 57 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns in the Aztecs' first two games of the season.

SDSU redshirt freshman Javance Tupou'ata-Johnson started at Cal and completed 13 of 29 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.

SDSU was off last week, giving O'Neil more time to heal. He continued to wear a thigh-to-calf brace on his knee at practice this week while trading reps with Tupou'ata-Johnson.

The injury to O'Neil's left leg has some advantage since his right leg is his supporting leg for throws.

The real test, however, will come when O'Neil is flushed out of the pocket. Because of the brace, his mobility remains limited to some degree, although SDSU coaches must be confident that O'Neil can safely handle his duties within those limitations.

SDSU quarterbacks coach Matt Johnson noted two weeks ago that mobility isn't the biggest issue for O'Neil.

“His health must be a top priority,” Johnson said. “We will not send anyone out who cannot move and protect themselves.

“Still, there were quarterbacks in this system who won out of their own pockets. The mobility is a bonus. It’s not an absolute must.”

2. Central Michigan running game

SDSU defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt said this week that the Aztecs' top priority will be stopping the onslaught.

“They do a great job running the ball,” Schmidt said. “You have an identity. Any crime that has an identity and knows who they want to be is a dangerous crime.

“They have a number of defenders who all had their moments.”

Central Michigan beat Ball State last week with 335 yards rushing, and it was the defender who had the biggest moments BJ Harris.

Harris rushed for a game-high 151 yards on just eight carries and had explosive runs of 71, 41, 25 and 19 yards.

Harris (24 carries, 232 yards, TD), Myles Bailey (24-171, 2 touchdowns), Nahree Biggins (19-136) and Marion Lukes (30-136) helped the Chippewas average 5.9 yards per carry.

They operate behind a big, physical offensive line reinforced by two solid blocking tight ends.

“They will try to control the time (the race),” Schmidt said. “That will be the challenge for us. We have to flex, play well at the line of scrimmage and be able to stop the run.”

3. Central Michigan quarterbacks

Central Michigan quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. rushed for two touchdowns against Ball State.

Emanuel Jr. was the Chippewas' starting QB last season, competing with the transfer to Iowa Joe Labas in training camp before an injury made it moot.

Labas (64-for-108, 803 yards, 6 TDs/6 INTs) started all four games, but Emanuel Jr. was healthy last week and Central Michigan used him effectively in some snaps.

“Super athletic kid,” Schmidt said, noting that Emanuel Jr.’s only throw in relief of Labas was a touchdown. “You have to understand how their offense changes when he’s in the game. He's still a guy who can throw the ball.

“They do some Wildcat stuff too. That's not him. He's a quarterback and does a good job using both his feet and his arm to beat you. We definitely have to keep an eye on him when he comes into the game.”

4. Takeaways/Gifts

If turnovers tell the story, then give SDSU the advantage. The Aztecs have a turnover margin of plus-1 (56th in the country), while Central Michigan has a minus-7 (129th).

The Aztecs have four takeaways (two interceptions and two fumble recoveries) and three giveaways (two interceptions, one lost fumble).

Central Michigan has just one takeaway (one interception) while turning the ball over eight times (six interceptions, two lost fumbles). And in one game more than the Aztecs.

If SDSU can do something with turnovers, all the better.

A Cal interception by SDSU linebacker Tano Latuli was returned 65 yards for a touchdown, only to be called back to midfield because of a block in the back penalty. In the end, SDSU put the ball away.

The Aztecs turned two turnovers into touchdowns in their season opener against Texas A&M-Commerce.

5. Penalties

Social media posts leading up to the game included this: “Do we have an over/under on how many plays the game will take before we get a penalty?”

A joker predicted a penalty at kick-off.

Penalties are something to watch out for until SDSU can prove otherwise. The Aztecs lead the nation with an average of 13 penalties per game.

Most of the violations, 20 of 39, were issued against offensive linemen who were whistled for false starts and poor holds.

SDSU's offensive linemen stayed after practice for extra work the past two weeks. A focus was on quarterback cadence and not jumping before the snap.

Originally published: September 27, 2024 at 4:46 p.m