The Aztecs head into the 2023 season with guarded optimism. Each year presents challenges and opportunities. Last year this writer seriously began in earnest to look at the 2022 season and high expectations for Aztec football. The big news heading into last year was the new Snapdragon Stadium. Hopes were high and most fans surely thought a conference title was theirs for the taking. The season wound up disappointing most fans. The Aztecs ended with a 7-6 record, 5-3 in the conference (good enough for second place in the west), and did include a bowl game, which turned into quite the debacle.