San Diego State football head coach Rocky Long and FOX Sports San Diego have announced a coaches show for the upcoming 2014 season. Aztec Football with Rocky Long will air each Thursday following live programming on FOX Sports San Diego, beginning Aug. 21.
The weekly show will give unprecedented access to SDSU's football program and to Long, the Mountain West's all-time leader in victories and a two-time MW Coach of the Year. Aztec Football with Rocky Long, hosted by FOX Sports San Diego's own Kris Budden, will consist of player and coach features, behind-the-scenes footage, X's and O's with Long, a preview of the upcoming game, a recap of the last game and much more from the show's analyst and former San Diego State quarterback, Kevin O'Connell.
Aztec Football with Rocky Long will premiere on Thursday Aug. 21 at 10:30 PM PST or immediately following live coverage of Padres at Dodgers beginning at 6:30 PM PST. The debut episode will preview the upcoming SDSU football season.
About the Host and Analyst:
A sideline reporter and host for FOX Sports San Diego, Budden most recently covered sideline reporting for NFL on FOX and SEC broadcasts throughout the 2013 season. Prior to joining the FOX family, Budden covered the Tennessee Vols for six seasons after graduating from Missouri with a degree in broadcast journalism. Budden will join Joey Harrington and Joe Davis on the sidelines for FOX Sports 1's college football broadcasts this year.
A current college football analyst and former sideline reporter for Aztec games, O'Connell was a four-year starter at SDSU from 2004-07, where he passed for 7,689 yards and 46 touchdowns. Additionally, O'Connell rushed for 1,312 yards, a school record by a quarterback, and 19 touchdowns. Other program records for O'Connell include rushing yards by a quarterback in a season (408 in 2007), rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season (11 in 2007) and career (19). He is currently ranked third all-time at San Diego State in completions (664), passing attempts (1,151) and quarterback starts (33), fourth in passing yards (7,689), fifth in passing touchdowns (46) and 19th in rushing yards (1,312).
About SDSU Football:
The Aztecs return 12 starters and 35 letter winners from a team that finished 8-5 overall and 6-2 in Mountain West play a year ago, culminating with a victory over Buffalo, 49-24, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. With its bowl game appearance, SDSU became one of only 29 teams in the nation, and one of just five non-BCS schools, to play in a bowl game in each of the last four seasons.
SDSU kicks off the 2014 season on Aug. 30 at 4 p.m. PT, when it welcomes Northern Arizona to Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego State was picked to finish second in the West Division of the MW with 172 points, just two points behind back-to-back champion Fresno State (174). Both teams had 15 first-place votes apiece.
Season tickets and all individual home football game tickets are currently on sale through GoAztecs.com, the SDSU athletic ticket office (619) 283-SDSU or Qualcomm Stadium, Window E (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).
