The most anticipated game on San Diego State’s 2017 schedule is here. Perhaps most interesting about No. 19-ranked Stanford, beyond being a high-profile Pac-12 opponent, is how similar it is in style to the Aztecs.

Here are five things to watch:

1. Thinking inside the box

SDSU (2-0) wants to run the ball. Stanford (1-1) wants to run the ball.

What does it take to stop either team from doing what it wants to do? Just take a look at the line of scrimmage and start counting how many players are required to stop the run.


“If I’m a real football fanatic,” SDSU head coach Rocky Long said, “I’m going to watch the two defenses and see how many players they have to put near the line of scrimmage to try to slow the run down. I think that’s a real key.

“If you can play a seven-man front and slow the run, you’re good for the game. I’m saying they can’t and I’m saying we can’t. If you can do it with eight, you’re still good.

“If you have to start putting nine and 10 up there to slow the run down, you’re in deep trouble. You’re in deep trouble because that poor cornerback is out there by himself with the whoooole field to cover, which is almost impossible.”

That’s when you get a 95-yard touchdown run, like the one Rashaad Penny had for the Aztecs last week at Arizona State, or a 75-yard touchdown run, like the one Bryce Love had for Stanford last week at USC.


Long said the Aztecs do not plan on putting 10 players in the box against the Cardinal.

“If you can control it with eight, you can actually play some coverages back there,” he said. “Then it they pop it at the line of scrimmage, it’s a 10- to 15-yard gain and not a 75-yard gain. ...

“That does not mean they don’t get first down after first down after first down. That’s probably what they’re going to get. You just can’t give them the big one that is a momentum shift.

“They’re going to score. They scored on USC.”


2. Keep an eye on No. 20 — both of them

Two of the nation’s top running backs go head-to-head in the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Penny and the 5-10, 196-pound Love.

They will be easy to spot. Both wear jersey No. 20, gain gobs of yards and have the speed to run away from defenses.

Penny comes into the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in rushing yards per game (203.5). Love is fourth (170) in yards per game.

Penny gained 197 yards in three quarters in the season opener against UC Davis, then produced a career-high 216 yards against ASU. Love had 180 in the season opener against Rice in Australia, then gained 160 last week against USC.


3. Chapman may need to be at his best

Christian Chapman is 15-3 as SDSU’s starting quarterback. In those 18 games — dating back to the 2015 Mountain West Championship Game against Air Force — the Aztecs have trailed by more than 10 points just twice.

The circumstances in each instance — a 42-24 road loss to South Alabama that included 21 fourth-quarter points by the Jaguars and a 63-31 home loss to Colorado State that was a blowout early — did not require Chapman to start throwing pass after pass.

If Stanford is able to slow down SDSU’s running game, then it will shift the focus onto Chapman and his ability to make something happen in the passing game.

The Aztecs are deep at tight end, have solid possession receivers and have added speed guys with height to stretch the field, so the weapons are there to succeed.


Chapman (25-for-39, 293 yards, 3 TDs/1 INT) emphasized coming into the season that he wanted to be more than a game manager this year.

He may get his wish against the Cardinal.

4. Will Stanford kick to the Aztecs?

Penny had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Arizona State, his school-record sixth career kickoff return for a TD and one shy of the FBS career record.

Will Penny have a chance to tie the FBS record against Stanford? Will the Cardinal aim toward SDSU teammate Juwan Washington instead?


More likely than not, Penny and Washington will watch the ball sail over their heads and out of the end zone.

Only two of 12 kickoffs by Stanford’s Jake Bailey have been returned this season. Eight have been touchbacks and two went out of bounds.

Bailey, who has been booming kicks since his days at Santa Fe Christian High, has been even more impressive punting. His five punts have averaged 52.8 yards, with a long of 59 yards.

5. John Baron II splitting the uprights

SDSU junior place-kicker John Baron II has steadily become the most reliable kicker in school history.


He comes into this contest with a streak of 23 straight field goals from 50 yards or less. It is the longest active streak among FBS kickers and the longest streak in Mountain West history.

Baron ranks first in school history — and first among active FBS kickers — in field goal percentage (.926, 25-for-27). Chris O’Brien (.875, 28-for-32), who kicked at SDSU from 1984-85, is the only other Aztecs kicker to make more than 80 percent of his kicks.


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kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com / on Twitter: @sdutkirKDKenney