Sept. 22, 2007
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With The Win:
SDSU improved to 1-0 all-time against Portland State and 10-0 against teams from the Big Sky Conference ... SDSU has won each of its last three outings at Qualcomm Stadium .... The three-game home win streak is SDSU's longest since claiming four in a row during the 2003-04 seasons.
SKYing Attendance:
Tonight's attendance of 53,110 ranks sixth in Aztec school history. This is the fourth straight year SDSU has had a home game with 50,000 or more fans with all of those outings followed by the KGB SkyShow.
Sweet Day for Swain:
Senior wideout Brett Swain had a career game against the Vikings. The Carlsbad, Calif., native had six receptions for a career-high 224 yards and career-best three touchdowns. Swain logged the second 100-yard receiving game of his career since catching eight passes for 108 yards last season versus New Mexico. His three TD receptions in a game tie for fifth in school single-game history. Swain has at least one reception in 17 straight games and four or more in 12 of his last 15 outings.
Swain is the 13th Aztec to log a 200-yard receiving game in his career and the first since Jeff Webb had 253 receiving yards against BYU in 2003. Swains's 224 yards tie for 12th in school single-game history.
Kevin Connects:
SDSU quarterback Kevin O'Connell also had a career day, setting highs for most passing yards (443) and most TDs passing in a game (5). O'Connell's previous highs were 421 yards passing in the 2005 season finale at Hawai'i and four TDs versus San Jose State, also in 2005. His 443 passing yards rank 16th in school single-game history and are the most since Adam Hall threw for 506 yards at Idaho on Sept. 21, 2002.
His 37 career touchdown passes are eighth in school history, following his second career game with 300 o rmore yards passing. O'Connell moved from eighth to sixth in career passing yards with 5,522 yards.
Offensive Explosion:
SDSU's 52 points tonight are its most in a game since defeating San Jose State, 52-21, on Sept. 24, 2005 ... The 35-point margin of victory is the Aztecs' largest since defeating Hawai'i on Oct. 11, 1996, 56-8 ... SDSU's biggest since beating Eastern IllinoiSan Diego State's 35 first-half points are its most in the first 30 minutes of a contest since also tallying 35 against San Jose State on Nov. 8, 1997, at Qualcomm Stadium. The Aztecs went on to win that game, 48-21 ... SDSU's 596 yards of total offense are its most since recording 632 yards at Hawai'i on Dec. 7, 2002. The 474 yards through the air are the most since that same Hawai'i game when the Aztecs threw for 507 yards.
Holmes Is Hot:
SDSU junior transfer Vonnie Holmes recorded an interception for the third straight game, the first three outings of his Aztec career.
It's A Score: For the second time in its three games, San Diego State scored on its opening drive ... SDSU scored on both of its opening two drives of a contest for the second time this year (also at WSU) ... The Aztecs notched a pair of TDs in the same quarter for the first time since the fourth quarter of last year's game at New Mexico ... SDSU's 91-yard drive in the second quarter is its longest since Nov. 15, 2002, when the team had a 93-yarder against Colorado State ... SDSU has seven scoring drives of 70 or more yards this year ... Twelve of the Aztecs' 14 scoring drives have taken less than four minutes, including seven of eight today.
What A Return:
Freshman Vincent Brown logged the Aztecs' longest kickoff return of the season, a 49-yarder to set up SDSU's first scoring drive. Brown later recorded his first career punt return (8 yards). It was also the team's first punt return of the 2007 campaign.
Let The Streaks Continue:
Aztec place-kicker Garrett Palmer continued his streak of consecutive extra-point attempts made, hitting his 58th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 63rd and 64th straight in the first half. The streak dates back to the Ohio State game in 2005.
Other notes:
Vincent Brown and Alston Umuolo notched their first career touchdowns in the fourth quarter. They are the first true freshmen to score a TD since DeMarco Sampson did so in 2005 ... Redshirt freshman linebacker Andrew Preston made his first career start for the Aztecs ... Mekell Wesley (WR), Lynell Hamilton (FB), Jonathan Soto (DL), Ornan Nwansi (DL) and T.J. McKay (S) made their first starts of the season ... Defensive end Nick Osborn recorded a tackle in his 29th straight game ... Marc Hull recorded his first career pick ... SDSU has an interception in each of its three games this season, while its three tonight are its most in a game since the 2006 opener against UTEP (4 INTs) ... Junior Justin Shaw caught his first career pass, as did sophomore Roberto Wallace ... SDSU had eight different players log at least one reception. The Aztecs have had eight or more receivers catch a pass in the same game in each of its three 2007 outings.