Dec. 23, 2014
Past Michael Klitzing 2014 football features
Aztecs make strong first impression (Aug. 30)
Pumphrey's dominance is no passing fancy (Sept. 27)
Injury bug can't keep these Aztecs off the field (Oct. 19)
Barrett's play helps SDSU keep goals within reach (Nov. 8)
Pumphrey has Aztec history within reach (Nov. 29)
Aztecs, Pumphrey unable to savor record-breaking season
By Michael Klitzing
@mikeklitzing
SAN DIEGO - Donnel Pumphrey's shoulders slumped visibly as he made his way toward midfield to offer his hand to the jubilant Midshipmen after the final gun of Tuesday night's Poinsettia Bowl. He was flanked on his walk by a pair of teammates, offering their consolation to their downcast teammate. Several minutes later, as the sophomore running back sat in front of the bright glare of the TV cameras, the glint of tears were still visible in his eyes.
It just didn't seem right. Still doesn't.
Not after this season - a campaign that saw Pumphrey scale heights never before reached by a San Diego State running back. But in the Aztecs' 17-16 loss to Navy, the storybook finish he seemed destined for never made it onto the page.
The stinging reality we're left with is this: Had a 34-yard field goal sneaked inside the right upright, the postgame would have instead been a rightful coronation for the Aztecs' new single-season rushing leader.
But it didn't. As a result, Pumphrey wasn't in much of a mood to talk about records.
"It's great -- but we didn't get the win," he said, his voice breaking a little. "It was a hard one."
Particularly hard given what he'll likely go into his offseason dwelling on - a fumble with the Aztecs clinging to a 16-14 with 5:54 to play. It was unclear whether Pumphrey had actually been down before the ball popped loose, but none of the television angles were conclusive, so the call stood.
Handed a break - there were plenty to go around in a sloppy game that featured seven turnovers - the Midshipmen marched 47 yards in 10 plays, pulling ahead on Austin Grebe's 24-yard field goal with 1:27 left.
Had the next kick been true, people would remember Pumphrey's redemption - his work on the frantic drive that got the Aztecs in range. The 11-yard reception to start things off. The 16-yard gain on a shovel pass to put SDSU inside the red zone.
Instead, it's but a footnote.
Yet eventually, the fateful fourth quarter against Navy will be but a footnote on this exceptional season.
Pumphrey, who entered the game 87 yards shy of George Jones' single-season Aztec rushing mark, gained 112 on 21 carries and a score despite a misfiring passing game that left no doubt to SDSU's offensive intentions. The performance brought his final 2014 tally to a remarkable 276 carries, 1,867 yards, and 20 touchdowns. And he was at his best on the stretch run that sent the Aztecs bowling, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in seven of his final eight games.
Eventually, Pumphrey will have to chalk the Poinsettia Bowl up as motivation as he enters his junior year on Montezuma Mesa. He'll do so with four returning offensive linemen, and - just maybe - a new spread offense that will play to his ability to wreak havoc when he gets out in space.
But there will be plenty of time to think about those possibilities later.
For now, the pain is too fresh. The emotions too raw.
Which, given the excellence we witnessed over 13 weeks this fall, is an absolute shame.