The bigger question mark is on defense, where San Diego State is rebuilding its secondary almost from scratch after losing a wave of talent, including defensive coordinator Rob Aurich to Nebraska. Demetrius Sumler steps in as the new DC with 12 new defensive backs on the roster, so a Week 1 tune-up against an FCS attack is as good a spot as any to get that unit's feet wet before the level of competition ramps up.
Portland State, meanwhile, is starting over. Chris Fisk takes over as head coach with just north of 70 scholarship players on the roster and 25 newcomers, so there's real churn happening in Portland before this trip south. The Vikings do return some pieces — linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler started all 12 games a year ago and racked up 71 tackles, and the offensive line brings back several starters — but replacing production while installing a new system in year one is a tall order against a Power Conference roster.
Add it up and this reads like exactly what it is on paper: a guarantee game for Portland State's athletic department and a confidence-building tune-up for San Diego State ahead of a Pac-12 debut that actually matters. The Aztecs have bigger fish to fry later in the season — trips to UCLA and Boise State loom — but how sharp this offense looks against overmatched competition will say plenty about how real the four-team-hangs-onto-its-best-players optimism actually is.