By Kirk Kenney

Copyright sandiegouniontribune

Three thoughts — defense, defense, defense — after San Diego State’s 6-3 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday at Huskie Stadium.

1. Defense: Part I

This was a game SDSU would have lost last season. In fact, coaches and players referenced last year’s trip to the Midwest, when the Aztecs came out on the wrong side of a 22-21 score at Central Michigan.

The Aztecs let a 21-13 halftime lead slip away in that one. They missed 33- and 28-yard field goals in the final five minutes, then watched the Chippewas drive down the field to position themselves for a game-winning field goal with five seconds to play.

“We were in MAC country and we came up short in a game like this,” said SDSU coach Sean Lewis, whose team beat the Huskies on Gabe Plascencia’s 25-yard field goal as time expired. “We’ve talked a ton about the connection and the culture of this team and their grit and their fight and their toughness. They found a way to win (Saturday). That’s what matters most.”

SDSU lost two other one-score games last season. The Aztecs also lost two games that were one-score games into the second half before the defense wore down.

This season is shaping up differently. All because of a defense that has enabled to the Aztecs (3-1) to match last season’s win total in just four games.

There were high hopes a defense that returned virtually its entire starting lineup could be improved.

“Tremendous job by the defense,” Lewis said. “I know Coach (Rocky) Long is probably out there smiling somewhere right now.”

Defensive coordinator Rob Aurich’s defense has allowed only 39 points this season. Actually, it’s 37 considering there was a safety at Washington State when the defense was on the sideline.

There are two shutouts and the three points allowed against NIU. The last SDSU team to do that was Long’s 2016 Mountain West championship team, but it took nine games for the Aztecs to do it.

Saturday’s game may have hinged on the defense’s response midway through the fourth quarter when it stopped NIU, only to watch the Huskies retain possession when they were punting following offsides and personal foul penalties on the Aztecs’ special teams.

That moved the ball to midfield, where the defense stopped NIU on four plays. It got the ball back when Trey White and Krishna Clay stopped Huskies quarterback Josh Holst for no gain on fourth-and-2.

“Guys were, ‘Let’s strap it back up,’ ” Lewis said. “There was no pointing fingers. They embraced their brother with the mistake that was made to go play the next snap. … Obviously, we’ve got to be more disciplined than that. We can’t have those foolish penalties and those self-inflicted wounds. We found a way to escape that. … It speaks to the emotional toughness, next-snap mentality and our response for four quarters to find a way to win.”

2. Defense: Part II

SDSU cornerback Chris Johnson had an interception for the second straight game.

“I made a play,” Johnson said. “That’s it.”

He said it with the matter-of-fact nonchalance that represents the defense’s high expectations for itself.

The Aztecs seriously believe they should pitch a shutout each time they take the field, Johnson said.

“The mentality was just lights-out,” Johnson said. “Straight up. Sometimes the offense isn’t going to work. Sometimes they are. It has nothing to do with what we do.

“We gave up three, which we were honestly disappointed. The goal is to keep it at zero every game. The offense has only got to kick one field goal and, essentially, we want to win the game like that. That’s our mentality.”

More notable nuggets produced by the defense:

• SDSU opened its season with back-to-back home shutouts (42-0 vs. Stony Brook and 34-0 vs. Cal) for the first time in its Division I history.

• SDSU has multiple shutouts in the same season for the first time since 2016, marking the only two times the Aztecs have had multiple shutouts since 2004.

• The three points allowed over the last two games are the fewest allowed in a two-game stretch by the Aztecs since 1975 (Fresno State 0, and New Mexico State 3).

• San Diego State has not allowed touchdowns in consecutive games for the first time since 2016 (at Fresno State and vs. San Jose State).

• NIU was limited to three points for the first time since playing South Florida in the 2010 International Bowl. It was the fewest point for the Huskies in a home game since Navy shut them out in 2008.

3. Defense: Part III

SDSU comes into Friday night’s Mountain West opener against Colorado State as one of seven MW teams with winning records, along with UNLV (4-0), Fresno State (4-1), Hawaii (4-2), Boise State (3-1), New Mexico (3-1) and Utah (3-2).

The Aztecs are 6 1/2-point favorites against the Rams (1-3), who lost 20-3 on Saturday at home to Washington State.

SDSU’s Mountain West defensive rankings:

• First in yards allowed per play (3.62, 2nd in FBS)

• First in pass efficiency (92.71, 3rd in FBS)

• First in scoring (9.75, 6th in FBS)

• First in first downs allowed (52, 6th in FBS)

• First in total (235.00, 10th in FBS)

• First in passing (146.00, 13th in FBS)

• First in yard per rush (2.62, 13th in FBS)

• First in rushing (89.00, 19th in FBS)

• Second in red zone percentage (62.50, 5th in FBS)

• Second in third down percentage (26.15, 16th in FBS)

• Fourth in sacks (2.25, 55th in FBS)