A couple of Wisconsin guys will face off Friday in a game that will help determine which teams meet in the Mountain West Championship on Dec. 5.
San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis and New Mexico head coach Jason Eck both played at Wisconsin. There wasn’t much overlap between them. Lewis was a tight end for the Badgers from 2004 to 2007. Eck was an offensive lineman at Wisconsin from 1995 to 1998, and a graduate assistant coach from 1999-2001.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t still impacted from their time spent with the Badgers. Eck said he sees a lot of what former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez used to run in the Aztecs’ physical, ball-control approach to offense. Alvarez coached the Badgers from 1990 to 2005, compiling a Wisconsin-record 119 wins.
“They play pretty slow, they’re protecting their defense, and they’re good on special teams,” Eck said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “They run the ball, and they’re in a lot of big personnel. They’re big on defense. Maybe the biggest in the league.”
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San Diego State will take a bruising rushing attack and a suffocating defense on the road to face New Mexico on Friday. The Aztecs will host the conference championship game if they win. The Lobos will host if they win and both Boise State and UNLV lose this weekend.
San Diego State hasn’t played in the Mountain West Championship since 2021, and the Aztecs haven’t won it since claiming back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. New Mexico has never played in the title game.
San Diego State has won eight of its past nine games, including a 34-0 shutout of Cal, a 23-0 victory over Fresno State, and a 17-7 win over Boise State. Running backs Lucky Sutton and Christian Washington combined for 149 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-3 win over San Jose State last week. Sutton leads the Mountain West with 1,127 rushing yards, and he’s tied for No. 2 in the conference with nine rushing touchdowns.
New Mexico has won five-straight games, including a 40-35 victory at UNLV. The Lobos held Air Force to 110 rushing yards in a 20-3 win on the road last week. They’re giving up 106.2 rushing yards a game, which ranks No. 21 in the country. San Diego State is giving up 103.2, which ranks No. 16 in the nation.
San Diego State vs. New Mexico Betting Odds
San Diego State is a 1.5-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 41.5 points. The moneyline is at -120 for San Diego State and +100 for New Mexico.
San Diego State leads the all-time series 29-16. New Mexico won 21-16 in San Diego last season, snapping a string of nine-straight wins by the Aztecs in the series.
New Mexico is 5-0 at home this season. The Lobos are 5-15 overall and 9-10-1 against the spread in their past 20 regular season games as an underdog at home. San Diego State is 17-3 overall and 12-7-1 ATS in its past 20 regular season games as the favorite on the road.
San Diego State vs. New Mexico On TV
The Mountain West game featuring New Mexico and San Diego State at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will be televised on CBS Sports Network. It’s the final regular season game for both teams.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
San Diego State vs. New Mexico Prediction
I predict New Mexico wins 20-14, and I predict the game goes Under 41.5 points.
It’s really hard to pick against the Aztecs when their running game and defense are playing so well. They’ve shut out three teams and surrendered seven points or less in seven games this season. They’re stout against the run, they rush the passer, and I believe Chris Johnson is an NFL-bound cornerback.
Here’s the thing: New Mexico checks all those boxes, too (minus the likely 2026 NFL Draft pick). The Lobos lead the league with 29 sacks, seven of which have come from defensive end Keyshawn James-Newby. Middle linebacker Jaxton Eck is No. 2 in the conference with 115 tackles.
I think two great defenses and two stout rushing attacks are going to cancel each other out. The question becomes which quarterback is going to make a play or two to carry his team to the championship game? I think it will be New Mexico’s Jack Layne.
