SAN DIEGO -- Jury selection was pushed back until Tuesday for the trial of two young men accused in the October 2008 stabbing death of a college student during a fight on the campus of San Diego State University.

Ryan Jett, 24, and Esteban Nunez, 21, are charged with murder, assault, vandalism, conspiracy to commit an assault and conspiracy to destroy evidence in the death of 22-year-old Luis Santos.

If convicted, both face 25 years to life behind bars.

Two co-defendants, 20-year-old Rafael Garcia and 21-year-old Leshanor Thomas, pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

A judge last year found that Nunez, Garcia and Jett were "talking smack" and "looking for trouble" at the apartment of Garcia's cousin in the hours leading up to the fatal Oct. 4, 2008, stabbing.

The defendants were upset after being turned away from a fraternity party, according to evidence presented at a preliminary hearing.

Defense attorneys maintain their clients were acting in self-defense after a fight broke out.

A witness told detectives that Santos told him just before the fight that he was carrying a "piece" and wouldn't back down from anyone, and apparently the defendants' group overheard the remarks.

Deputy District Attorney Jill DiCarlo said all of the defendants were liable for the killing even if they did not mean to kill Santos.

Once the defendants got back Garcia's brother's home in San Diego after the fight, Thomas drove everyone back to their homes in Sacramento, according to testimony by a friend, John Murray.

On the trip north, Jett and Nunez said the knives "should be gotten rid of," Murray testified. Once in the Sacramento area, Jett got some gasoline and burned some clothes near a river, the witness said.

Murray said he overheard Jett and Nunez talk about throwing knives in the river, but felt uncomfortable and walked back to his truck before Nunez, Garcia and Jett returned.

According to Murray, once everybody got back in the truck, Jett and Nunez said "we weren't to speak about this instance again," referring to what happened at the river.