ARAIZA IS FINALIST FOR RAY GUY AWARD
Aztec is one of three in the running for nation’s top punter
San Diego State punter Matt Araiza was named Tuesday as one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nation’s top punter.
The junior from Rancho Bernardo leads the nation with a 51.82-yard average per punt (67 punts), which, if maintained, would break the NCAA single-season record of 50.98 set in 2018 by Texas A&M’s Braden Mann.
“It’s an honor to be up for such a prestigious award,” Araiza said. “I am grateful the season has gone so well.”
Araiza already this season has set NCAA records for the most 50-yard punts (36) and 60-yard punts (17) in a season. His 86-yard punt against San Jose State is the NCAA’s longest punt of the season (he also had an 81yarder against Air Force) and Araiza leads the nation with six punts of at least 70 yards.
The Augusta Sports Council announced Rutgers’ Adam Korsak and Penn State’s Jordan Stout as the other two finalists for the award. The winner will be announced during the 31st annual The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 9 (4 p.m. on ESPN).
Korsak ranks 12th in the nation this season with a 45.98 average on 66 punts. He has 18 punts of at least 50 yards (long of 74 yards) and has placed 35 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Stout is 10th in the nation with a 46.47 average on 59 punts. He has 24 punts of at least 50 yards (long of 76 yards) and has placed 31 punts inside the 20-yard line.
The Ray Guy Award is named for the Hall of Fame punter who played 16 seasons with the Raiders. Guy was drafted by Oakland in the 1973 NFL Draft after a standout career at Southern Mississippi.
Araiza is the first SDSU player to be a finalist for a major award since 2017, when running back Rashaad Penny was a Walter Camp Player of the Year finalist.
In addition to leading all FBS players in punt average, Araiza also leads in total punt yards (3,472) and punt yards per game (315.64). He is one off the lead in punts inside the 20-yard line (34).
Araiza is one of only four players in the country who in addition to punting also handles kickoffs, field goals and PATs. He has 47 touchbacks in 57 kickoffs, has made 13 field goals (three in excess of 50 yards) and is perfect on 36 extra-point attempts.
Since 1996, only three players have had a punt of 80-plus yards and a field goal of 50-plus yards in the same game. Utah’s Louie Sakoda did it in 2008. Araiza did it this year in back-to-back games against San Jose State and Air Force.
Aztecs fall in rankings
San Diego State dropped two spots to No. 21 in the updated CFP rankings.
SDSU (10-1, 6-1 Mountain West) moved within a win of clinching the West Division with last week’s 28-20 victory over UNLV. Perhaps it was the closeness of that victory that swayed people on the 13-person CFP committee.
It also could have been the lack of other teams immediately above the Aztecs that lost — a week ago three teams within five spots of SDSU lost — and the interest in moving one team up after an impressive win.
Utah (8-3), which lost to SDSU in overtime in Week 3, made the biggest move — going from No. 23 to No. 19 — following last week’s 38-7 win over then-No. 3 Oregon, which dropped to No. 11.
North Carolina State
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(8-3) stayed at No. 20 after a 41-17 win over Syracuse, and the Aztecs were slotted in behind the Wolfpack.
The CFP rankings are significant because they determine the teams for the four-team playoff as well as the other New Year’s Six games.
The highest-rated Group of Five school that is a conference champion receives an NY6 berth.
Cincinnati (11-0), which moved up to No. 4, has a stranglehold on that spot right now. A Bearcats upset loss in the AAC championship game, however, would open the door for another school.
SDSU is positioned for the NY6 berth if Cincinnati falters. Of course, it would require the Aztecs advance to and win the Mountain West championship game.
Other Group of Five schools in the rankings are No. 22 UTSA (11-0) from Conference USA and No. 24 Houston (10-1), which is Cincinnati’s biggest challenger in the AAC.
MW considers one division
SDSU head coach Brady Hoke said he was on a call Monday with other conference head coaches in which one of the discussion items was going from six-team Mountain and West divisions to one 12-team division.
“I haven’t really thought about that,” said Hoke, whose focus has been on preparing for Friday morning’s game against Boise State. “I think I would be in favor, not knowing enough, let’s not have the divisions and find a way out to get it done.”
A Mountain West spokesman said the conference is exploring the one-division option as a way to ensure its top two teams face each other in the MW championship game and increase the chances for a conference team to earn a CFP spot. The 11-team AAC and 10-team Big 12 both use that format.
Discussions will be ongoing, though the earliest a change could be made is the 2023 season.
Going for 1,000
SDSU running back Greg Bell (193 carries, 898 yards, 7 TDs) needs 102 yards against Boise State to reach 1,000 yards for the season.
The Aztecs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Penny gained a school-record 2,248 yards in 2017, marking the eighth straight year for someone to reach the milestone.
Bell led the Aztecs with 637 yards last season, despite missing 21⁄2 games during the truncated 2020 season.
If Bell reaches the 1,000-yard mark, it would be the 25th time an SDSU player has done so. Norm Nygaard was the first to do it, rushing for 1,016 yards in 1952.
What’s the rush?
SDSU ranks third in the nation in rushing yards allowed (77.4 ypg), which continues the defense’s success against the run over the past three seasons.
Since 2019, the Aztecs are second in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game (81.8), yards per rush (2.8) and rushing touchdowns allowed (17).
Scoring defense/special teams
Linebacker Andrew Aleki’s 17-yard interception return for a touchdown against UNLV marked the second time this season he has returned an interception for a TD.
SDSU this season has five non-offensive touchdowns — including a kickoff return for a TD by Jordan Byrd and blocked punt TD returns by Trenton Thompson and Tyrell Shavers — which ranks tied for sixth in the nation.
Schedule demands
Boise State has played the most demanding schedule in the nation. Counting Friday’s game against SDSU, the Broncos this season will have faced 10 bowl-eligible teams, which is more than any other school in the country.
Boise State’s 12 opponents have gone 82-39 (.678), which is tied with Indiana for the toughest opponent schedule in the nation.
SDSU has five bowl-eligible teams, including Boise State, on the schedule that have compiled a record of 5864 (.475). That ranks 108th in the nation.