Oct. 02, 2016
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MOBILE, Ala. - No. 19/24 San Diego State saw its 13-game winning streak snapped in a 42-24 loss at South Alabama Saturday night in Mobile, Ala.
The Aztecs (3-1) took a 24-21 lead late in the third quarter when Christian Chapman found Kahale Warring with a 12-yard touchdown pass, but the Jaguars (3-2) scored the final 21 points of the game to knock off SDSU for a second straight season.
Cole Garvin, who replaced injured starter Dallas Davis, gave USA a lead it would not relinquish with a 20-yard touchdown strike to Josh Magee.
After a botched snap by San Diego State's backup long snapper, South Alabama started its next drive on the Aztec 3-yard line. Two plays later, Dami Ayoola pounded it in from a yard out to put the Jaguars up by a 35-24 score.
SDSU got all the way to the USA 24-yard line, but fullback Nick Bawden fumbled a handoff on 3rd and 2 and South Alabama's Devon Earl picked it up and ran it back 80 yards for the final score of the game.
Tyreis Thomas put the Jaguars on the scoreboard first with a 12-yard run on their opening drive of the game. San Diego State appeared to force a 3 and out, but a roughing the kicker penalty on punter Corliss Waitman gave the ball back to USA. South Alabama ended up using up 3 minutes, 29 seconds (3:29) of clock time, marching 90 yards on eight plays before the Thomas touchdown.
After the teams traded punts, the Aztecs used just two plays - a 33-yard pass from Christian Chapman to Mikah Holder and a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Rashaad Penny - to close the gap. A bad snap on the PAT, however, kept the score at 7-6.
The Jaguars extended its lead to 14-6 on the ensuing drive as they went 75 yards on eight plays, ending with a 37-yard pass from Garvin to Kevin Kutchera.
SDSU got back to within a point at 14-13 early in the second quarter when Donnel Pumphrey scampered in from seven yards out.
On its next drive, Chapman was sacked and lost the ball, giving USA a chance to extend its lead just before the half. San Diego State's Derek Babiash, however, picked off Garvin in the end zone and the Aztecs responded with a 34-yard field goal by John Baron with four seconds left in the half to take a 16-14 lead.
South Alabama wasted no time coming out of the locker room as Garvin connected on a 79-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the third quarter to put the Jaguars back up at 21-16.
SDSU used an 11-play, 90-yard drive, culminating with Chapman's pass to Warring and a 2-point conversion from Chapman to David Wells to take its final lead of the game before USA closed the game with the final 21 points.
Garvin was 16-for-21 for 242 yards and three touchdowns to lead South Alabama. Josh Magee (6 catches, 81 yards, 1 touchdown) and Gerald Everett (5 catches, 103 yards, 1 touchdown) combined for 11 receptions, 184 yards and two scores for the Jaguars.
Pumphrey ran for 151 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries to lead San Diego State. He broke 100 yards rushing for the 25th time and went over 5,000 yards to become the Mountain West's all-time leading rusher. Pumphrey is now ranked 20th all-time in NCAA history with 5,022 yards, passing the like of Melvin Gordon (4,915), Ray Rice (4,926), Michael Turner (4,941) and Daren Sproles (4,979) on the night.
Chapman was 13 of 22 for 159 yards and a touchdown.
Calvin Munson led the Aztecs in tackles for the third time in four games this season, making nine stops. Austin Wyatt-Thayer (eight) and Dakota Turner (seven) each set career highs in tackles.