Tag: San Diego State Aztecs

Sep 18, 2021; Carson, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs running back Greg Bell (22) runs the ball against the Utah Utes during the first half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego State outlasts Utah in triple overtime

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Greg Bell ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns to lead San Diego State to a 33-31 victory in triple overtime over Utah on Saturday in Carson, Calif.

Backup quarterback Lucas Johnson added 87 yards on eight carries. The Aztecs (3-0) totaled 204 rushing yards against the Utes (1-2), who led the Pac-12 in rushing defense each of the previous three seasons. Utah gave up 224 yards rushing to BYU last time out.

SDSU got the winning points on a trick play when Jesse Matthews threw a pass to Johnson for a successful two-point play.

Cameron Rising threw for 153 yards and three touchdowns to lead Utah. Rising added 46 yards on five carries.

The Utes did not get going on offense until late in the fourth quarter. Charlie Brewer threw for 104 yards and an interception before being replaced at quarterback by Rising late in the third quarter.

Rising led Utah to touchdowns on three straight drives, culminating in a 25-yard pass to Jaylen Dixon that knotted it up at 31-31 at the end of the first overtime.

Neither offense gained any traction in the first half. Utah totaled 89 yards while San Diego State mustered 79 yards. The two teams were a combined 1-of-16 on third down before halftime.

Utah finished with zero total yards in the first quarter. The Utes still jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the strength of an 80-yard punt return by Britain Covey.

The Aztecs tied it up 10-10 midway through the second quarter after Jordan Byrd returned a kickoff 100 yards.

San Diego State took over in the third quarter. The Aztecs covered 82 yards on their opening drive in the second half, running seven out of eight plays, and took a 17-10 lead on a 7-yard run from Bell. Then, Tayler Hawkins intercepted Brewer and returned it 34 yards, setting up Bell’s second 7-yard scoring run on the next play. It extended the Aztecs’ lead to 24-10 with 10:42 left in the third quarter.

Rising threw a 2-yard TD pass to Covey to help Utah cut it to 24-16 with 4:17 left. The Utes got the ball back after forcing a 3-and-out and drove down for another touchdown in the final seconds of regulation, tying it up on a 4-yard TD catch by Theo Howard with 16 seconds remaining.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) is tackled by Weber State Wildcats defensive end George Tarlas (44) in the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Utah looking to bounce back against San Diego State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Utah is searching for answers on both sides of the ball heading into a nonconference clash Saturday with San Diego State in Carson, Calif.

The Utes (1-1) endured some uncharacteristic struggles during a 26-17 loss to archrival BYU on Saturday. Defensively, Utah surrendered 231 rushing yards — the highest amount it had given up since a loss to Texas in the 2019 Alamo Bowl. Offensively, the Utes could not sustain drives, converting just 2 of 11 attempts on third and fourth downs.

BYU dominated the Utes at the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively for four quarters, a rarity for a Utah team with a reputation for punishing opponents up front.

“They wore us out in the second half,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said. “That’s when they started to wear us down and push us around. … They did a great job of sticking to their game plan, not deviating, continuing to run the football, and softening us up. Usually, we don’t soften up.”

San Diego State (2-0) will pose another tough test for the Utes along the line of scrimmage.

The Aztecs thrashed Arizona 38-14 on Saturday after rolling up 271 yards on the ground. Greg Bell led the way with 125 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. San Diego State averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a team.

Defensively, the Aztecs held Arizona to 230 total yards and nine first downs. San Diego State forced 11 punts and the Wildcats went 1-of-14 on third down. It helped the Aztecs stake out a 21-0 lead by the midway point of the first quarter.

The fast start came a week after New Mexico State shut out San Diego State in the first half.

“I wish I could tell you how they happen, but if I could tell you, we would do it every time,” Aztecs coach Brady Hoke said. “I believe we had a good plan.”

Containing Utah running back Micah Bernard will be key to San Diego State jumping on a second straight Pac-12 opponent quickly. Bernard ripped off 146 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries against BYU. He is averaging 10.1 yards per carry through his first two games and seems to have emerged as Ty Jordan’s successor in the backfield.

“He’s grown up right before our eyes,” Whittingham said. “He has matured and developed a toughness and a consistency about him that is admirable.”

Utah has won five straight in the series with San Diego State dating back to 2005. The Utes hold a 17-12-1 lead in the series.

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver BJ Casteel (5) at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego St. too much for Arizona, 38-14

Posted on | by Field Level Media

San Diego State’s defense dominated and the Aztecs pounced on Arizona early in cruising to a 38-14 victory in a nonconference game Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz.

Jordon Brookshire completed 10 of 14 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, and Greg Bell carried 17 times for 125 yards and a touchdown for San Diego State (2-0).

The Wildcats (0-2) lost their 14th consecutive game.

Arizona scraped together only 111 yards through three quarters and 228 for the game against a salty San Diego State defense that had four sacks.

Wildcats quarterback Gunner Cruz completed 10 of 19 passes for 70 yards with one touchdown and one interception before being replaced by Will Plummer in the third quarter.

Bell scored on a 55-yard run on the fourth play of the game, and San Diego State went up 21-0 within the first eight minutes with the help of two more big plays. Tight end Daniel Bellinger’s 73-yard reception set up a Brookshire rushing TD, and Tyrell Shavers snagged a blocked punt out of the air and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.

Arizona stopped the bleeding when Stanley Berryhill III turned a short screen pass into a tackle-breaking 43-yard score with 5:50 to go in the first quarter. But the rest of the half belonged to the Aztecs, who rolled up 344 yards before the break en route to a 35-7 lead.

None of Arizona’s first 13 possessions lasted longer than four plays, including one that ended in an interception that led to a San Diego State field goal and a 38-7 lead with 5:13 to go in the third quarter. The Wildcats had the same number of punts and first downs (11).

Plummer hit Tayvian Cunningham for a 7-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter for the final points of the game.

Since the start of the 2016 season, San Diego State is 6-2 against teams from the Pac-12. The Aztecs will host Utah next Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Dec 12, 2020; Provo, UT, USA; BYU quarterback Zach Wilson passes the ball in the first half of an NCAA college football game against San Diego State Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Provo, Utah. Mandatory Credit: George Frey/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

No. 18 BYU rebounds in victory vs. San Diego State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Zach Wilson passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 18 BYU to a 28-14 victory over San Diego State in a nonconference game on Saturday night at Provo, Utah.

Wilson completed 25 of 34 passes as the Cougars (10-1) reached double digits in victories for the first time since 2011. Isaac Rex caught two touchdown passes, Dax Milne had seven receptions for 87 yards and a score, Neil Pau’u caught eight passes for a career-high 117 yards, and Lopini Katoa rushed for 83 yards.

Jordon Brookshire completed 21 of 31 passes for 230 yards, one touchdown and one interception for San Diego State (4-4). Kaegun Williams rushed for a career-best 92 yards and scored a touchdown, but he also lost a pivotal fumble, while Elijah Kothe caught a touchdown pass for the Aztecs.

San Diego State outgained the Cougars 399-384 and controlled the ball for 37:01 but still dropped to 2-17 all-time at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

The Aztecs trailed by three points at halftime and began the third quarter by quickly reaching the Cougars’ 10-yard line. But Kavika Fonua forced Williams to fumble and teammate Seleti Fevaleaki recovered at the 8 with 12:35 left in the stanza.

Wilson then guided BYU on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Jake Oldroyd’s 29-yard field goal to make it 20-14 with 5:47 remaining in the quarter.

The Cougars tacked on to the lead when Rex made his 10th touchdown catch of the season, this one an acrobatic 20-yard grab with 10:53 left in the game. Wilson followed with a two-point conversion throw to Katoa to stretch the lead to 14.

The Aztecs attempted to get back in the game with a 15-play, 72-yard drive that wiped 8:02 off the clock. But Brookshire slipped on the slick surface for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to turn the ball over to the Cougars with 2:51 left.

Wilson threw two first-half touchdown passes as BYU held a 17-14 halftime lead.

Wilson tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to Milne to cap the Cougars’ first possession. San Diego State forged ahead with 14 straight first-quarter points on Williams’ 25-yard touchdown run and Brookshire’s 15-yard pass to Kothe.

BYU knotted the score at 14 on Wilson’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Rex with 8:34 left in the half. Oldroyd booted a 50-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cougars the three-point edge.

–Field Level Media

Oct 31, 2020; Provo, UT, USA; BYU quarterback Zach Wilson (1) out runs Western Kentucky defensive end DeAngelo Malone (10) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Provo, Utah. Mandatory Credit: Rick Bowmer/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

No. 18 BYU (9-1) aims to rebound vs. San Diego State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

BYU’s bid for an undefeated season has ended, but the No. 18 Cougars look to rebound from that disappointment when they host San Diego State on Saturday night in Provo, Utah.

BYU (9-1) dropped a 22-17 road decision at Coastal Carolina last Saturday and now turns its focus to securing its first 10-win season since 2011.

Putting aside the setback isn’t easy for Cougars receiver Dax Milne, as he was tackled a yard short of the end zone on the game’s final play.

“It hurts,” Milne said. “I think that happening honestly just put a chip on our shoulder, that we’re not done yet. We’ve got a lot more to say, and we’d like any opportunity we can to just go prove ourselves.”

The loss caused BYU to drop five spots in the College Football Playoff rankings.

“We just want to play football. I let everyone else do the talking on rankings and that stuff,” Cougars coach Kalani Sitake said before the latest rankings were announced Tuesday night. “I love coaching these guys, and they love to play football.”

BYU traditionally has fared well against the Aztecs (4-3), holding a 28-8-1 series edge. San Diego State is just 2-16 all-time at LaVell Edwards Stadium, with the first victory occurring in 1992, when legendary Marshall Faulk ran for 299 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-38 win.

The two schools were in the same conference for 33 consecutive seasons — the Western Athletic Conference from 1978-1998 and the Mountain West from 1999-2010 — but are playing for just the third time since BYU became an independent in 2011. One of those meetings — won by the Cougars — came in the 2012 Poinsettia Bowl.

“When they left the league, that was obviously tough on everybody,” Aztecs coach Brady Hoke said. “I think our guys are competitive and this program is based on competition. So they’re excited about it. They know the history. We try to remind them of the history the two schools have.”

Last season, San Diego State shut down BYU’s offense in posting a 13-3 home win under then-head coach Rocky Long.

Cougars star Zach Wilson passed for 316 yards but was intercepted twice and failed to throw a touchdown pass.

This season, he has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game and has been picked off just three times. Wilson has thrown for 2,964 yards and 27 touchdowns and has eight rushing scores.

“He is unbelievable,” Hoke said of Wilson. “His ability to get the ball off and his ability to extend plays, he does a great job. He will be a real test for our defense.”

BYU topped 40 points in five straight games and eight of nine before scoring only 17 in the loss to the Chanticleers. The Cougars rank seventh in the nation in scoring offense (44.5 points per game) and total offense (522.7 yards per game).

Milne has caught 55 passes for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns, and Tyler Allgeier has rushed for 957 yards and 12 scores.

San Diego State will look to mirror last year’s effort and seek to make it a low-scoring affair. The Aztecs rank third in the country in total defense (269.1 ypg) and eighth in scoring defense (16.3 ppg).

However, San Diego State is just 104th in total offense (343.9 ypg) as it goes against a BYU defense that rates fourth in scoring defense (14.7 ppg) and seventh in total defense (299.9 ypg).

Hoke said quarterback Jordon Brookshire will make his second straight start. Brookshire completed 14 of 24 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown, with one interception, in last Saturday’s 29-17 win over Colorado State.

Running back Greg Bell (team-high 569 rushing yards) is getting closer to full health after suffering an ankle injury Nov. 21.

–Field Level Media