No. 19 Stanford (1-1) at San Diego State (2-0), Saturday 10:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network).
Line: Stanford by 9½.
Series record: Stanford leads 3-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
San Diego State of the Mountain West Conference, which now has the city to itself after NFL’s Chargers left for Los Angeles, is looking for its third straight win vs. a Pac-12 team. It beat Arizona State 30-20 last week to end a 28-game road losing streak to Pac-12 teams. It beat Cal 45-40 last year. Stanford is looking to rebound from a 42-24 loss at Southern California in its Pac-12 opener. The Cardinal gave up 307 yards rushing.
KEY MATCHUP
SDSU RB Rashaad Penny vs. Stanford defense and special teams. Penny leads FBS in rushing yards per game, 206.5, and all-purpose yards per game, 284. After running for 197 yards and two touchdowns in a season-opening victory against FCS UC Davis, Penny went off for 353 all-purpose yards vs. Arizona State, scoring on a 95-yard run, a 99-yard kickoff return and a 33-yard reception. The senior is replacing Donnel Pumphrey, who set NCAA career rushing record last season. Penny, the two-time MWC Special Teams Player of the Year, has six career kickoff returns for TDs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Stanford: RB Bryce Love is the first Cardinal player with 100 yards rushing in each of his first four career starts. He had 160 yards against the Trojans, including a 75-yard TD run.
San Diego State: WR Micah Holder is expected to line up against his twin brother, Stanford CB Alijah. They grew up in Oceanside in northern San Diego County and have never faced each other in a game.
FACTS & FIGURES
The teams haven’t met since playing four straight seasons from 1985-88. … Penny became the first Aztecs player to be named the Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week. He also became the first player in the MWC’s 19-year history to win two of the three weekly awards, for offense and special teams. … Stanford and SDSU are the only California teams, college or pro, to advance to postseason play each of the last seven seasons.
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