The scene was joyous late Saturday night as San Diego State players celebrated beating rival Fresno State.
As time expired, SDSU players raced to the southeast corner of the field at Snapdragon Stadium, grabbed the Old Oil Can trophy and spirited it to the north end for a showing in front of the student section.
Seemingly every Aztecs player on the team had the trophy in his hands at one time or another, including inside a celebratory postgame locker room.
The Aztecs may have finished the season 4-8 — and tied for last in the Mountain West with a 2-6 record — but there was something to be said for ending the season with a win rather than a five-game losing streak.
Here are three thoughts after the 33-18 victory over Fresno State.
1. Coaching carousel spinning
When it was announced two weeks ago that SDSU head coach Brady Hoke would not be returning, it became the sixth head coach opening among FBS schools.
Jobs came open at three of the other four schools — Boise State, Mississippi State and Texas A&M — within hours of SDSU’s announcement. Openings at Northwestern and Michigan State were created in September.
Northwestern filled its vacancy by promoting interim head coach David Braun on Nov. 15.
Michigan State announced Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith as its new coach over the weekend, which created an opening for the Beavers.
And Sunday brought news that Texas A&M is hiring Duke’s Mike Elko, which creates an opening for the Blue Devils, and that Mississippi State is hiring Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.
And so it goes.
The coaching carousel really started spinning over the weekend, as some teams announced they were parting ways with their coaches. There are five openings at five Power Five schools (Duke, Houston, Indiana, Oregon State and Syracuse) and four Group of Five schools (Boise State, New Mexico, SDSU and UTEP).
The list is expected to grow before it shrinks.
The Union-Tribune confirmed last week that Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White had been contacted about the position and that UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion had been interviewed.
Sources say former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo, who served in an advisory role this season at UCLA, is among others who have been interviewed.
Athletic director John David Wicker has said he wants to have a new head coach in place by mid-December.
The sooner, the better.
San Diego State quarterback Jalen Mayden (18) runs the ball against Fresno State.
(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
2. Mayden rushes into history
Jalen Mayden’s 70-yard touchdown run against Fresno State was the longest play of the season and longest run by an SDSU quarterback in at least three decades.
It also provided the majority of the team-high 96 rushing yards he had against the Bulldogs.
Mayden led the Aztecs this season in both carries (128) and rushing yards (528).
Mayden (199-for-314, 2,031 yards, 10 TDs/9 INTs) is only the second player in school history to lead the team in both passing and rushing, joining former QB Kevin O’Connell (2007).
The Aztecs planned to take advantage of Mayden’s running ability, but leading the team also was a product of SDSU spreading carries among five running backs: Jaylen Armstead (103 carries, 448 yards, 8 TDs), Kenan Christon (96-378), Cam Davis (52-225), Lucky Sutton (30-157, 2 TDs) and Martin Blake (12-103, TD).
The Aztecs finished the season with 1,851 rushing yards. It was the third time in four full seasons that SDSU rushed for fewer than 2,000 yards.
That, after nine straight season of more than 2,000 yards, capped by a school-record 3,680 yards in 2016.
3. Now what?
This is the first time SDSU has not been bowl eligible since 2009.
It’s only the second time since then — 2020 was the other — that the Aztecs won’t be practicing in December for a bowl game.
Actually, they did practice in December in 2020. It just wasn’t for a postseason appearance. It was because the season was delayed amid the pandemic and didn’t end until mid-December.
Back then, the NCAA transfer portal was just gaining steam and NIL was still a year away.
So it was the start of a fairly normal offseason.
The team banquet will be held in two weeks. It will be the last time this group is together.
By then, players already may have started going their own way; the NCAA transfer portal opens Dec. 4.
Wicker hopes to have a new coach in place by mid-December. He has counseled players to hold off on any decisions until they have met with the new coach.
Also, Wicker is intent on avoiding a mass roster churn like Colorado did last year when Deion Sanders was hired and brought in more than 80 new players.
“It’s not going to be a situation,” Wicker said, “where somebody walks in and says, ‘All of you get in the transfer portal.’ That won’t happen here.”
Twelve of the team’s 18 seniors have a “COVID year” of eligibility remaining and could potentially return. Of course, the interest in that return must be mutual.
More roster turnover than ever is virtually assured given a new coaching staff, the portal and the lure of NIL money.
This promises to be the most unusual offseason. Ever.
