San Diego State Aztecs vs. Northern Illinois Huskies Picks and Prediction, Saturday, September 27, 2025
Use Code WWWC In this San Diego State at Northern Illinois prediction, the Aztecs head to the Midwest to take on the Huskies in a non-conference matchup at Huskie Stadium. San Diego State, in its final season in the Mountain West Conference, is 2-1 on the season and coming off a big win over Cal last week. Northern Illinois, out of the MAC, is 1-2 on the season. The opening kick is scheduled for 3:30 pm EST. Don’t get sacked this football season! Try our College Football Picks!
San Diego State hopes to keep the momentum going
The San Diego State Aztecs bounced back from a rough loss in Washington State to shut out Cal, 34-0, at Snapdragon Stadium last Saturday. The win was the Aztecs' first shutout win against a Power Five conference opponent since 1975.
“That’s a good team that played well on a good night, and we're freaking proud of them,” Lewis said. “A lot of great emotional toughness that they've shown over the past 14 days to respond to coaching, to respond to the situations and to respond to an incredible opportunity that they had tonight that they really capitalized on. I think it's a really good football team.” head coach Sean Lewis said afterwards.
Wide receiver Jordan Napier led the Aztecs’ offensive attack with a career-high 10 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jayden Denegal was extremely efficient, going 15-of-18 for 189 yards on the night. Running back Lucky Sutton led the ground game with 61 yards on 12 carries. In all, they finished with 321 yards of total offense and averaged just over six yards per play. They were 4-of-4 in the red zone for the night.
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Defensively, the Aztecs pitched their second straight shutout at home. They finished with five tackles for loss, including four sacks. The Aztecs also had two interceptions in the game, one by Dalesean Staley, who also had seven tackles, and the other by Chris Johnson. Owen Chambliss led the team with ten tackles. In all, the Aztecs held Cal to 289 yards of total offense. The Bears were held to just four yards per play for the game.
San Diego State is 77th in the country in points per game. They are 101st in rushing and 117th in passing. The Aztecs are first in the country in red zone offense. The team is 67th in sacks allowed per game. Defensively, the Aztecs are 26th in the country in points allowed per game. They are 24th against the run and 88th against the pass. The Aztecs are ranked 7th in the country in red zone defense. The team is 54th in sacks per game. San Diego State is 10th in turnover margin, 80th in penalties per game, and 114th in time of possession.
Key Injuries: No Injuries to Report.
Huskies looking for huge home win
After squeaking out a win over Holy Cross, 19-17, in their opening game, the Northern Illinois Huskies have lost two straight, both to Power Five Conference teams. In week two, they lost to Maryland 20-9, and last week they lost 38-10 at Mississippi State. The Huskies trailed just 14-10 at halftime but were shut out in the second half to fall to 1-2 on the season.
"Obviously its not the result we wanted, but I'm proud of our players," said head coach Thomas Hammock following the game. "I thought we stayed in the fight as long as we could. We played a good first half and got worn a little bit in the second half. Their style of play can do that and we were not able to stay on the field offensively."
The Huskies’ offense was led by quarterback Josh Holst. Holst was 14-of-23 for a season-high 135 yards. Wide receiver DeAree Rogers was the primary beneficiary of his passing night, catching six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. In all, the Huskies had a total of 267 yards of offense. Running backs Chavon Wright and Telly Johnson Jr. combined for 93 yards rushing.
Defensively, the Huskies allowed 452 yards of offense to Mississippi State. They were gouged on the ground, allowing the Bulldogs to run up 292 yards of rushing offense. Quinn Urwiler had a big night for the Huskies, finishing with a career-high 14 tackles. Teammate Jasper Beeler also had a solid night, adding ten tackles and a half sack.
The Huskies are ranked 131st in the nation in points per game. They are 72nd on the ground and 132nd through the air. They are just 118th in the country in red zone offense. The team is 98th in the nation in sacks allowed. On the defensive end, the team is 85th in the country in points allowed per game. They are 98th against the run and 44th against the pass. The Huskies are 26th in red zone defense in the country. They are 105th in sacks per game. The Huskies are 59th in turnover margin, 54th in penalties per game, and 50th in time of possession.
Key Injuries: CB Malik Armstrong, QB Jalen Macon, and WR Rickey Taylor Jr. are questionable.
San Diego State at N.IllinoisÂ
Point Spread pick for San Diego State vs. Northern Illinois
- San Diego State -1.5 (4 units)
The Aztecs arrive in Illinois riding the moment of a huge win over a power conference opponent. They have one of the nation’s stingiest defenses overall, ranking 26th in the nation in points allowed per game. Northern Illinois does not possess a powerhouse offense, ranked 131st in scoring. The team’s biggest strength is on the ground. Unfortunately for the Huskies, San Diego State is 24th in the country in stopping the run. They are also 7th in the nation in the red zone defensively and tops in the red zone offensively. In a game that might feature limited opportunities for points, San Diego State should have the edge on both sides of the ball.
Take San Diego State -1.5
Over/Under Pick for San Diego State vs. Northern IllinoisÂ
- Under 43.5Â
San Diego State has been better offensively this season than Northern Illinois, but neither team lights up the scoreboard. The Huskies are ranked just 131st in points per game, while the Aztecs check in at 77th. Don’t expect explosive plays, certainly not through the air. Both teams rank in the lower half of the country in passing offense. Additionally, both teams are in the top 30 in red zone defense. This one should be a grind, and one that stays well below the total.
Take the under.
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