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SDSU earn national recognition by ESPN, CBS Sports
Source: goaztecs.com press release
Photo: Rashad Penny via goaztecs.com
August 16, 2016 (San Diego) - San Diego State football was ranked within the top-25 for the second time in one week, as ESPN slotted the Aztecs in the 25th spot of its 2016 ESPN Power Rankings. Additionally, junior Rashaad Penny was named to CBS Sports’ Preseason All-America Second Team on special teams.
The Aztecs are the only Mountain West team represented in ESPN’s poll and only one of two from a Group of 5 conference (Houston, No. 12).
Said ESPN.com writer Mark Schlabach of SDSU, “If the Aztecs can knock off Cal at home and Northern Illinois on the road, they’re capable of finishing 12-0 and representing the Group of 5 in the CFP.”
ESPN projects a 20.2 percent chance for San Diego State to win the Mountain West and projects 9.1 wins.
Individually, Penny was honored with a spot on the 2016 CBS Sports All-America Second Team.
Penny, a junior kick returner and running back, returned 24 kicks last season for 804 yards (33.5 avg.) and three touchdowns. He was one of five players in FBS play to have at least three kick return touchdowns, ranking second in the nation in kick return average (33.5) and was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Year.
As a running back, he had 368 rushing yards and four scores on 61 attempts (6.0 avg.) and eight catches for 120 yards (15.0 avg.) and another score. Earlier this summer, Penny was named a preseason second-team All-American by Athlon Sports as a kick returner.
The Norwalk, Calif., native was one of two honorees on the list from a Group of 5 school (punter Austin Rehkow, Idaho).
The Aztecs swept the preseason awards and captured all 29 first-place votes en route to being picked to win the West Division of the Mountain West in the 2016 preseason poll released last month SDSU became just the second unanimous preseason pick in MW history (TCU in 2010) and is the only FBS team to receive all of the possible first-place votes in a divisional or league poll.
The Aztecs kick off the 2016 season at Qualcomm Stadium against New Hampshire on Sept. 3 at 5:30 p.m. PT.
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