Aztecs and Wolverines to meet for the second time in football

   San Diego State completed its 2011 non-conference football schedule Tuesday with the announcement that the Aztecs will play at Michigan, on Sept. 24, 2011. The Aztecs and Wolverines will be meeting for the second time in school history.

   “We are excited to add one of the marquee college football programs to our schedule,” SDSU athletic director Jim Sterk said. “This completes the 2011 schedule with a great balance of challenging games, trips to historic venues and a home game against a Pac-10 team. This is a challenging schedule that our fans will enjoy.”

   The game will be a homecoming of sorts for San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke.  Hoke served on the Michigan coaching staff from 1995 through 2002, first as a defensive line coach and then as the associate head coach/defensive line coach. The Wolverines went 76-23 during Hoke’s tenure in Ann Arbor, claiming the 1997 national championship.

   “This is a great opportunity to play one of the storied programs in college football,” SDSU head coach Brady Hoke said. “It is an honor for our student-athletes to play in one of the nationally recognizable stadiums. It will be a great opportunity for us to play a great Michigan team and it will be a tremendous experience for everyone involved.”

   The teams met back in 2004, with the 17th-ranked Wolverines claiming a 24-21 victory at Michigan Stadium. The Aztecs led 21-17 at intermission and were outgained by Michigan by only 16 yards on the afternoon (327-311).

   The 2011 game against Michigan marks the ninth time the Aztecs have faced a member of the Big 10 Conference since 1998. San Diego State is 2-12 all-time vs. Big 10 Conference schools, but recently has proven to be a tough out. In addition to the near upset at Michigan in 2004, San Diego State also had close calls at second-ranked Ohio State (13-16) on Sept. 9, 2003, and at Wisconsin (0-14) on Sept. 16, 2006. In 2005, the Aztecs scored on their first play from scrimmage against then No. 9 Ohio State, before falling to the Buckeyes, 27-6.

   With the addition of Michigan, the 2011 non-conference schedule is now complete. San Diego State opens the campaign against Cal Poly on Sept. 3, followed by a road game at Army on Sept. 10. SDSU returns home on Sept. 17 to face Washington State, which will be the first Pac-10 opponent to play the Aztecs at Qualcomm Stadium since 2005. The contest at Michigan on Sept. 24 rounds out the non-conference portion of the schedule.

   San Diego State’s non-conference schedule is now also complete through the 2012 season. Future Aztec football schedules can be found online at http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/Future-Schedules.html.

San Diego State 2011 Non-Conference Football Schedule
   Sept. 3                    Cal Poly
   Sept. 10                  at Army
   Sept. 17                  Washington State
   Sept. 24                  at Michigan