Sept. 11, 2010
Recap | Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery
LAS CRUCES, N.M. -
SDSU-New Mexico State Notes in PDF Format
TOP NOTES
- San Diego State improves to 2-0 for the first time in 16 years. This is the 12th time in 42 Division I seasons that the Aztecs have opened 2-0. In 10 of the previous 11 times, San Diego State has gone on to record a winning season, averaging 8.45 victories in those 11 campaigns.
- This is the first time a San Diego State team has opened with a 2-0 record, with at least one of those victories coming on the road since 1986. That season, the Aztecs ended the campaign with an 8-4 record, a trip to the Holiday Bowl and a No. 25 ranking in the final CNN/USA Today poll.
- San Diego State records its first non-conference road victory since Sept. 13, 2003 (at UTEP, 34-0). The victory today snaps a 14-game non-conference road losing streak. The Aztecs are 33-52-3 all-time in road openers.
- San Diego State snaps a 17-game losing streak in its first road game of the season. Prior to today, the last time the Aztecs won their initial road contest of the campaign was Sept. 10, 1992, when SDSU won at Brigham Young, 45-38.
- Coupled with last season's victory over the Aggies, San Diego State completes a home-and-home sweep of a non-conference opponent in consecutive seasons for the first time since defeating UNLV (at that time a member of the Big West Conference) and Oklahoma State in 1981 and 1982. Since those series, San Diego State had 32 opportunities to complete a sweep prior to today.
- San Diego State improves to two games above .500 for the first time since posting a 3-1 record after four games of the 2003 campaign.
- San Diego State claims consecutive victories in the same September for the first time since 2003. That season, the Aztecs won at UTEP (34-0) and vs. Samford (37-17) in consecutive weeks. SDSU is now 2-3 all-time in Sept. 11 games (1-3 on the road).
- San Diego State claims its first ever victory in Las Cruces (three all-time games played against New Mexico State here) and records its first victory in the "Land of Enchantment" state since Nov. 4, 2000 (a 17-16 win at New Mexico). The Aztecs move to 8-1-1 all-time against the Aggies and have won six in a row.
- San Diego State is now 2-2 in its last four road games after losing the previous nine contests away from Qualcomm Stadium (from Nov. 17, 2007-Sept. 16, 2009). The two victories in the last four road outings equals the total number of road wins San Diego State had in its previous 22 road games (2-20 from Dec. 3, 2005-Sept. 16, 2009).
TEAM NOTES
- SDSU has recorded over 500 yards of total offense in back-to-back games for the first time since 2005, when the Aztecs had 508 yards vs. BYU and 513 yards vs. San Jose State ... SDSU has reached the 400-yard mark in total offense in three consecutive games for the first time since 2002, when the team turned the trick vs. Utah (410 yards), Wyoming (419 yards) and UNLV (475 yards). The Aztecs had 445 yards in last year's finale at UNLV and 531 yards against Nicholls.
- The Aztecs have rushed for at least 200 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2005, when SDSU had 210 yards vs. San Jose State and 265 yards vs. BYU ... The Aztecs have rushed for at least 100 yards in three consecutive outings for the first time since the first three games of the 2007 season.
- SDSU did not have a turnover in a game for the first time since last year's road victory at Colorado State.
- On Gavin Escobar's first career touchdown in the second quarter, SDSU has now scored a touchdown in 40 straight games.
- The Aztec defense limited the UNM offense to a combined -3 yards in the second quarter.
- With four last week and four tonight, SDSU has eight rushing TDs already this season after accumulating only eight in 12 outings a year ago.
PLAYER NOTES
Ronnie Hillman, Freshman RB: First SDSU player to post four rushing touchdowns in the same game since Larry Ned turned the trick at Wyoming on Nov. 17, 2001 (W, 38-16) ... The four TDs tie for fifth in Aztec single-game history and it is the ninth time an Aztec has tallied exactly four rushing scores in the same outing ... Became the 71st player in Aztec history with a 100-yard rushing game in his career ... Marks the second straight year SDSU has had a true freshman log a 100-yard rushing game against New Mexico State (Walter Kazee, 2009, 101 yards) ... Has four rushing TDs in two career outings ... His first TD of the night came on a career-long 44-yard rush.
Brian Stahovich, Junior P: Kicked his second and third punts of 50 or more yards in 2010 in the first quarter with a 59-yard effort and in the third quarter with a 54-yarder (56-yard punt vs. Nicholls) ... Has 28 career kicks for 50 or more yards ... Dropped two of his four kicks tonight inside the 20.
Vincent Brown, Senior WR: With his five catches tonight, moved from 10th to eighth in career receptions with 150, passing both Az-zahir Hakim (147) and Gary Garrison (148).
Abel Perez, Junior PK: Logged a pair of field goals for the second game in a row ... On kickoffs, recorded six touchbacks in eight tries, giving him seven on the season. SDSU had only two touchbacks on kickoffs in 2009.
Gavin Escobar, RS Freshman TE: Posted his first career touchdown on his third career catch in the second quarter to give the Aztecs' the 13-7 lead.
OTHER NOTES
- Aztec redshirt freshman tight end Gavin Escobar made his first career start vs. the Aggies. He is the third SDSU player to start a game for the first time in his career in 2010 (Davon Brown, Darryn Lewis).
- Redshirt freshman Dylan Denso caught his first career reception in the third quarter to give SDSU a first down.
- Aztec senior running back Brandon Sullivan caught a career-long 57 pass in the fourth quarter. His previous long reception was a 45-yard effort against Idaho in 2008.
- SDSU sophomore Khalid Stevens recovered his first career fumble in the fourth quarter, setting up the Aztecs' final TD.
- Ryan Lindley did not through a interception for the second game in a row, the second time in his career that he has had back-to-back outings with no picks thrown.