Nov. 8, 2003
Final Stats?|? Notes
LAS VEGAS - POSTGAME NOTES -San Diego State at UNLV
Saturday, November 8, 2003
(Qualcomm Stadium/San Diego, Calif.)
Final Score: San Diego State 7, UNLV 0
With the win, the Aztecs improved to 7-6 all-time against the Rebels and 3-3 in games played in Las Vegas .... The Aztecs are .500 (5-5) overall through 10 games for the first time since the 1998 squad went 6-4 .... SDSU is 2-0 coming off an open week under second-year head coach Tom Craft ... the two schools combined for only seven points today, the lowest combined point total in the 13-game series history (previous 34 in UNLV's 31-3 win in 2001).
SDSU recorded its second shutout of the season and its second since MWC play began in 1999 ... The Aztecs def. UTEP in El Paso 34-0 earlier this season, while SDSU blanked conference opponent Wyoming in Laramie 34-0 on Oct. 7, 2000 ... the pair of shutouts marks the first time since 1975 that SDSU has had two shutouts in a season ( in 1975 - SDSU def. Oregon State, 25-0; def. Fresno State 29-0) ... in 1975, both shutouts were also away contests ... the last time UNLV was shutout was in 1999, when the Rebels fell to BYU 29-0 on Oct. 23.
The Aztecs' seven points is SDSU's lowest point total in a victory since defeating Utah State 7-6 in 1976 on Nov. 13.
With his 94 yards on 24 carries today, SDSU's Lynell Hamilton became the 12th different Aztec to reach the 1,000-yard rushing milestone in a season ... Overall, an SDSU player has run for 1,000 or more yards 15 times.... Hamilton is the second true freshman in school history to turn the trick, joining Marshall Faulk, who ran for 1,429 in 1991 ... For the season, Hamilton has 234 carries for 1,087 yards. His 1,087 yards ranks 11th, while his 234 carries rank ninth on the Aztecs' single-season rushing charts.
For the 10th straight game, the Aztec defense held its opponent off the scoreboard on its opening possession of the game. In 2003, SDSU has allowed a combined two first downs and 17 total yards on its opponents' opening drives (0 FD, 9 yards vs. EWU; 0 FD, 0 yards at Ohio State; 1 FD, 6 yards at UTEP; 1 FD, 12 yards vs. Samford; 0 FD, -2 yards at UCLA; 0 FD, -5 yards vs. BYU; 0 FD, -15 yards at Utah; 0 FD, -1 yard vs. N.M.; 0 FD, 6 yards vs. Wyo.; 0 FD, 7 yards at UNLV).
The San Diego State defense held its opponent off the scoreboard in the first half for the third time this season. The Aztecs are 2-1 overall in such instances with wins today and against UTEP and the loss coming at Utah ... SDSU has held its opponents to under 100 yards of total offense in the first half four times this season, including a low of 50 yards today at UNLV (also 84 tonight at Utah, 76 vs. Ohio State, 66 vs. Eastern Washington). UNLV crossed into SDSU territory on only two occasions in the first half.
After grabbing three interceptions against Wyoming, the Aztec defense matched that feat at UNLV with three by three different players, including two in the first quarter. Jeff Shoate and Marviel Underwood each recorded their first INTs of the season, while Dean had his second. Over the last two games, six different Aztecs have combined for the six interceptions ... SDSU now has 11 INTs in 2003.
Other Aztec notes: SDSU offensive lineman Brendan Darby made his 35th straight start, the longest starting streak on the squad ... With Robert Ortiz's TD in the first quarter, SDSU has been the first team to score in 11 of its last 12 games ... The Aztecs' 14-play, 65-yard drive covering 8:14 in the third quarter is the squad's longest in 2003 in terms of time of possession and matches the season high for number of plays.