Aztecs’ Oldest Rivalry, a Key Game

When the Aztecs meet Fresno State tonight in Bulldog Stadium, it will be a pivotal contest in Mountain West Conference play. More than that for me because this always has been my favorite rivalry.

It’s certainly our oldest and longest rivalry, with 53 games -- the first one in 1923. (Yes, before I was born!) C.E. Peterson was the head coach (as he was also for basketball and other sports). It was just the third year of San Diego State College football, our school colors were purple and gold, and the team nickname was alternately the Wampus Cats and the Professors. We won that one, 12-2. The amazing stat: there were 7,000 people in City Stadium for that game, and the City population was less than100,000!

To give you an idea how even this rivalry has been, the total scoring in 53 games since that first one, played 91 years ago: 1,129 to 1,126. And we lead the series, 27-22-4. The longest continuous stretch of games was from 1945 to 1979 – 34 straight seasons. The longest Aztec winning streak: 9 games, 1962 to 1970, all during the Coryell years.

A lot of the Fresno games leap to my mind. One that still sticks in my memory was the game in 1950 when we came from behind to tie it on the very last play of the game in Aztec Bowl. Even though the QB who threw that TD pass to Art Preston was Jesse Thompson, our other QB that night was Leon Parma, whose name you can see on the entrance to the Alumni Building, along with Jack Goodall and Bob Payne.

One game most longtime Aztec fans always talk about was the famous “Fog Bowl” in Aztec Bowl in 1962. A sellout crowd of 14,500 was there to “see” their Aztecs upset favored Fresno, 29-26, in Don Coryell's second season, snapping an 8-game Bulldogs winning streak. It was by far the thickest fog I've ever seen. The radio announcer, Al Couppee, went down to the field, and players from that game have told me he actually was in the huddle to hear what plays were called!

Enough about the past and why I love this rivalry so much. Tonight is what’s important right now, and our offense is in the hands of a true Freshman, Nick Bawden. I am convinced he will do well. Maybe not perfect (who is?), but he has the tools to be a great one. We will see his first step tonight!

Clockwise from upper left: C.E. Peterson, Art Preston (#35), Leon Parma, Jesse Thompson (#16). Photos courtesy of San Diego State

GO AZTECS!