Aztecs offense must find way against undefeated cal's opportunistic defense

San Diego State is looking to bounce back from a harsh loss to Oregon State last week and win for the first time against a power conference opponent since 2021. The Aztecs (1-1) lost all

four games against power conference teams the past two seasons. They get another chance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, but it’s a tough assignment – on the road against a Cal squad seeking its first

3-0 start since 2019. Cal, SDSU Head coach Sean Lewis acknowledged, is “coming off a big win,” against Auburn, and “playing confidently.” The Aztecs, on the other hand, fell 21-0 last week

and find themselves 18 1/2-point underdogs against Cal. SDSU quarterback Danny O’Neil faces a huge challenge in Cal’s pass defense. The freshman had a strong debut against Texas

A&M-Commerce before struggling against a tougher Oregon State team. O’Neil was 11 for 24 for 107 yards last week and now faces a defense that ranks 11th nationally in pass efficiency

defense. He’ll also have to watch out for Cal cornerback Nohl Williams, who had two interceptions last week. Williams has three of Cal’s nation-leading seven on the season. “They have speed,

they have length, they’re a connected unit in the back and they’re aggressive to the ball,” Lewis said of Cal’s defense. The Aztecs also were outgained 420-179 last week. Marquez Cooper,

who ran for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the Aztecs’ opener, could turn it around for San Diego State Saturday, after being held to just 53 yards on 13 carries last week. Still, the

Aztecs, gained only 72 yards on the ground against Oregon State, and most of that can be credited to Marquez. One extra challenge for SDSU: The home team has won all eight games in this

series, but Cal has really outpaced the Aztecs, by 20.3 points per game, in four matchups at home. The last time the two teams met, Sept. 10, 2016, at Qualcomm Stadium, the Aztecs, with

Donnel Pumphrey running for a career-high 281 yards, prevailed in a 45-40 shootout. The game airs on ESPN. _The Associated Press contributed to this report._