As San Diego State head football coach Brady Hoke prepares for his final game on the sidelines with the Aztec program, and what will be the final game of the 2023 season, the coach has a message for Aztec fans... come loud and come proud for the Aztec seniors.
"I want the fans to be there for our seniors," Hoke told NBC 7. "Every senior class is important. There are some that are more successful than others, but they've given their toughness, they've given their will to play, and they've worked every day. They come to the football facility to become better and improve, it's really about those seniors and the guys we will recognize."
SDSU will have a special ceremony before the game to recognize and honor all their senior players.
As the losses have mounted this season, attendance numbers have decreased at Snapdragon Stadium. Aztec players have noticed the decline in fans at home games and say it hasn't impacted how hard they've played. On the same hand, Aztec players want SDSU fans to know their presence makes a difference.
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"You never know how much that your support can go a long way," said Aztec running back Martin Blake. "I remember my first game, Arizona, it was packed, just having that feeling of having people there. The UCLA game was amazing, that built us up. We are still going to play football the same way, but just having that gives you the extra push to be great. Knowing that if I score then the sound comes back on and the crowd roars and it just feels good. Knowing you have people there to be an Aztec, being proud to be an Aztec, seeing an Aztec score, and knowing that you care just as much about us as we care about them."
In a season that has been far from fantastic, maybe Aztec fans can help make it a fantastic finale.
San Diego State (1-6 in the Mountain West Conference,3-8) overall kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night against Fresno State (4-3 in the conference, 8-3 overall).
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