Las Vegas Bowl team history: San Diego State’s ‘Old Oil Can’
Leading up to the Las Vegas Bowl between Houston and San Diego State, the Review-Journal will provide glimpses into each school’s football history. We’ll take a look at each school once per day until game day Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.
The Old Oil Can
Dates: 2011-present
When San Diego State plays longtime rival Fresno State, there’s more on the line than just a victory. There’s also the rusting five-gallon hunk of metal that goes to the winner.
The “Old Oil Can,” the trophy that commemorates the rivalry, was introduced in 2011, but the teams have been playing each other since 1923. The rivalry has ebbed and flowed as the teams moved throughout conferences, but the game is now an annual tradition with both teams residing in the West Division of the Mountain West.
The trophy came out of a contest run by the Fresno State and San Diego State Alumni Associations, asking entrants to suggest a name for the rivalry and a trophy. One of the 65 entries mentioned the discovery of an old oil can from Fresno that dated to 1935 and was supposedly recovered during a San Diego State building project.
The alumni associations purchased an antique oil can to be the basis of the trophy, and the “Battle for the Old Oil Can” began. The teams are tied 3-3 since the trophy was introduced. San Diego State leads the all-time series 29-23-4.
Ben Gotz can be reached at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
