# Fresno State–San Diego State football rivalry

The Fresno State–San Diego State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Fresno State Bulldogs football team of California State University, Fresno and San Diego State Aztecs football team of San Diego State University (SDSU). Both schools are members of the Mountain West Conference. The winner of the game receives "The Old Oil Can" trophy.

## History

The rivalry dates back to 1923 when the two teams competed in the Southern California Junior College Conference. The Aztecs won 12–2 at home. Since then, the sides have met 52 more times, including every year from 1945 to 1979, when the two competed in the same conference or were independents. After not facing one another between 1979 and 1991, the schools resumed the annual series from 1992 to 1998, when both were members of the Western Athletic Conference. In 1999 the Aztecs were one of eight teams that left the WAC to form the Mountain West Conference (MW), which put the rivalry on hold. The two teams however met in 2002 in Fresno. The Bulldogs defeated the Aztecs in a close game 16–14. The rivalry was stalled once again until the two teams met in 2011. The game resulted in an Aztec win 35–28. In 2012, the Bulldogs joined the MW, which renewed the rivalry once again. When the MW expanded to 12 football members and split into divisions for that sport in 2013, the Aztecs and Bulldogs were placed in the new West Division, ensuring annual games for the foreseeable future. San Diego State leads the series 31–27–4, including a 17–13–2 mark in San Diego, a 14–13–2 mark in Fresno and losing the only meeting in Carson.

## Oil Can

The Oil Can trophy comes from a 1930s-era oil can hailing from Fresno that was found at a construction site at San Diego State. "The oil can likely came from a time when Aztec and Bulldog fans traveled to football games between the two schools via the old, twisting, precipitous Grapevine section of Highway 99 over Tejon Pass," said Jacquelyn K. Glasener, executive director of the Fresno State Alumni Association. "Cars in those days carried extra oil and water to be sure they could make it through difficult trips," added Jim Herrick, executive director of the San Diego State Alumni Association. The two alumni associations made the oil can into a trophy and the teams started competing for it during the 2011 season.

## Game results

| Fresno State victories | San Diego State victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | November 29, 1923 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 12–2 |
| 2 | November 27, 1924 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 7–0 |
| 3 | October 30, 1926 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 28–7 |
| 4 | December 5, 1931 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 15–0 |
| 5 | October 25, 1940 | San Diego, CA | Tie | 0–0 |
| 6 | October 25, 1941 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 26–0 |
| 7 | October 11, 1942 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 66–0 |
| 8 | October 27, 1945 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 7–0 |
| 9 | October 26, 1946 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 7–0 |
| 10 | November 1, 1947 | Fresno, CA | Tie | 7–7 |
| 11 | November 6, 1948 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 7–6 |
| 12 | November 5, 1949 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 18–7 |
| 13 | October 21, 1950 | San Diego, CA | Tie | 20–20 |
| 14 | November 3, 1951 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 13–7 |
| 15 | November 1, 1952 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 49–33 |
| 16 | October 31, 1953 | Fresno, CA | Tie | 27–27 |
| 17 | October 30, 1954 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 20–0 |
| 18 | November 5, 1955 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 20–6 |
| 19 | November 17, 1956 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 50–7 |
| 20 | November 3, 1957 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 27–0 |
| 21 | November 1, 1958 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 22–20 |
| 22 | October 31, 1959 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 38–13 |
| 23 | October 29, 1960 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 60–0 |
| 24 | October 28, 1961 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 27–6 |
| 25 | October 27, 1962 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 29–26 |
| 26 | November 2, 1963 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 34–6 |
| 27 | October 31, 1964 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 44–6 |
| 28 | October 30, 1965 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 26–7 |
| 29 | October 29, 1966 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 34–13 |
| 30 | October 28, 1967 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 28–21 |
| 31 | November 2, 1968 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 42–12 |
| 32 | November 1, 1969 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 48–20 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 33 | October 31, 1970 | San Diego, CA | #14 San Diego State | 56–14 |
| 34 | October 30, 1971 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 17–10 |
| 35 | October 28, 1972 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 21–14 |
| 36 | November 17, 1973 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 41–6 |
| 37 | October 12, 1974 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 24–21 |
| 38 | October 11, 1975 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 29–0 |
| 39 | September 18, 1976 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 7–3 |
| 40 | October 8, 1977 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 34–14 |
| 41 | October 7, 1978 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 31–14 |
| 42 | September 22, 1979 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 32–23 |
| 43 | November 21, 1992 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 45–41 |
| 44 | November 20, 1993 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 63–37 |
| 45 | November 26, 1994 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 49–42 |
| 46 | October 14, 1995 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 48–24 |
| 47 | November 23, 1996 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 31–21 |
| 48 | November 15, 1997 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 20–19 |
| 49 | November 7, 1998 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 10–0 |
| 50 | August 29, 2002 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 16–14 |
| 51 | December 3, 2011 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 35–28 |
| 52 | September 29, 2012 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 52–40 |
| 53 | October 26, 2013 | San Diego, CA | #15 Fresno State | 35–28 |
| 54 | October 3, 2014 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 24–13 |
| 55 | October 3, 2015 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 21–7 |
| 56 | October 14, 2016 | Fresno, CA | San Diego State | 17–3 |
| 57 | October 21, 2017 | San Diego, CA | Fresno State | 27–3 |
| 58 | November 17, 2018 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 23–14 |
| 59 | November 15, 2019 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 17–7 |
| 60 | October 30, 2021 | Carson, CA | Fresno State | 30–20 |
| 61 | October 29, 2022 | Fresno, CA | Fresno State | 32–28 |
| 62 | November 25, 2023 | San Diego, CA | San Diego State | 33–18 |
| Series: San Diego State leads 31–27–4 |||||