Sept. 27, 2014
Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2
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| STATISTICAL LEADERS | ||||
| Passing | C-Att | Yds | TD | Int |
| Blake Decker, UNLV | 18-31 | 346 | 1 | 2 |
| Quinn Kaehler, SDSU | 16-27 | 209 | 0 | 0 |
| Rushing | Car | Yds | TD | Long |
| Keith Whitely, UNLV | 13 | 40 | 0 | 9 |
| Donnel Pumphrey, SDSU | 22 | 167 | 4 | 71 |
| Receiving | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
| Devonte Boyd, UNLV | 4 | 86 | 1 | 44 |
| Larry Clark, SDSU | 4 | 71 | 0 | 29 |
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| MULTIMEDIA |
 Postgame Presser - Barrett, Clark Postgame Presser - Long, Pumphrey |
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| RELATED LINKS |
 Gameday Live | Notes | Depth Chart Season Stats | Mountain West | NCAA Media Guide | Home |
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State began its quest for a 20th conference title with a 34-17 victory over UNLV Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium.
Donnel Pumphrey rushed for a career-high tying 167 yards, including 107 yards in the first half, and a career-best four rushing touchdowns as the Aztecs won their 14th game in their last 16 league outings.
Pumphrey, who also set a career high with 22 attempts, averaging 7.6 yards per carry, posted his third 100-yard rushing game in four contests on the year as SDSU posted its largest margin of victory (17 points) in a MW game since a 19-point win over Air Force on Nov. 10, 2012.
It was the Rebels who got on the scoreboard first as they got into good field position after forcing San Diego State to a 3-and-out on its opening possession. Aztecs' Joel Alesi punted it 44 yards to Jay Mitchell at the UNLV 39, who returned it 48 yards to set up 1st and 10 on the 13. The SDSU defense, however, stood tall and held the Rebels to a 22-yard field goal by Jonathan Leiva.
San Diego State wasted no time answering as Pumphrey took the first play of the team's second drive 71 yards to the end zone to put the Aztecs on top, 7-3.
After the two teams exchanged punts, UNLV drove 88 yards on seven plays, ending with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Blake Decker to Devonte Boyd. It would be the Rebels' final lead of the game (10-7), however, as SDSU scored 24 unanswered points to break open a close contest, including three straight touchdowns by Pumphrey.
Pumphrey, a Las Vegas, Nev., native, scored on runs from one yard, three yards and one yard, the latter coming with 11 seconds left in the half. San Diego State had started with the ball with just 0:43 left on its own 15. Quarterback Quinn Kaehler got the Aztecs down the field in a hurry, though, with a 24-yard completion to Larry Clark, a 15-yard pass to Mikah Holder two plays later and a 45-yard strike to Lloyd Mills two plays after that down to the 1-yard line. After calling a timeout, Pumphrey attempted to throw his first touchdown pass, but his attempt to Daniel Brunskill fell to the turf. On the very next play, Pumphrey pounded it across the end zone to put SDSU up, 28-10, at intermission.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but UNLV did threaten on its opening possession. The Rebels got to its own 47 after a 15-yard pass from Decker to Anthony Williams. After a 3-yard sack by Alex Barrett that pushed UNLV back to the 44, Decker was picked off by Calvin Munson at the San Diego State 22.
The Rebels got the ball back later in the quarter, but Leiva's 43-yard field goal attempted hit the right goal post, keeping the score at 28-10 after three quarters.
The Aztecs put together a long 13-play, 67-yard drive to get to the UNLV 7-yard line. Donny Hageman then nailed a 24-yard field goal to put SDSU up by 21 at 31-10, its largest lead of the game.
The Rebels answered with a 7-play, 80-yard march, ending with a Decker 2-yard plunge.
San Diego State, however, once again grounded up clock time, using 5:29 on 66 yards over 11 plays before Hageman made a 31-yard field goal for the final points of the game.
Kaehler completed 16 of 27 passing attempts for 209 yards, his 15th 200-yard game over the past 16 contests, while Clark set career highs of four receptions and 71 yards.
Barrett had two of the Aztecs' six sacks on the night, the program's most since recording six at Wyoming on Nov. 24, 2012, while Josh Gavert tied his career high with 11 tackles in his first start of the year.
SDSU went without a turnover for the first time since Nov. 2, 2013 vs. New Mexico and picked off two passes for the first time since Nov. 23, 2013 at Boise State. San Diego State finished with a .500 or better September (2-2) for the first time since 2011.
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| First Downs | 26 | 25 | ||||
| Total Yards | 455 | 466 | ||||
| Passing Yards | 346 | 209 | ||||
| Rushing Yards | 109 | 257 | ||||
| Number of Plays | 71 | 71 | ||||
| Penalties-Yards | 8-72 | 6-66 | ||||
| 3rd Down Conversions | 6 of 14 | 5 of 12 | ||||
| 4th Down Conversions | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | ||||
| Kick Return Yards | 87 | 52 | ||||
| Punt Return Yards | 48 | 0 | ||||
| Punts-Yards | 4-40.0 | 5-38.2 | ||||
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Time of Possession | 26:31 | 33:29 | ||||