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

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