Dec. 17, 2016
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery | USATSI Photo Gallery
SDSU-Houston Notes in PDF Format
NCAA Records
- Senior Donnel Pumphrey broke the NCAA record for career rushing yards. Pumphrey passed Wisconsin's Ron Dayne, who amassed 6,397 yards rushing from 1996-99, and finished his career with 6,405 yards.
- San Diego State became the first team in NCAA FBS history to produce a 2,000-yard rusher (Pumphrey) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Rashaad Penny) in the same season.
School Records
- The Aztecs tied the school record by winning their 11th game of the season. This is the fourth 11-win campaign in school history (also: 1966, 1969 and 2015).
- SDSU has produced consecutive seasons with at least 11 victories for the first time in the program's 94-year history.
- San Diego State broke its single-season records for rushing yards (3,680), rushing touchdowns (34), rushing yards per carry (5.8), points (493) and field goals (21).
Bowl Notes
- Coupled with the victory in last season's Hawai'i Bowl, the Aztecs have won consecutive bowl games for the first time in the Division I era and the first time since 1966 and 1967 campaigns.
- SDSU improved to 8-7 all-time in bowl games.
- San Diego State is 5-6 in bowl games played during the Division I era.
- Rocky Long has guided the Aztecs to three victories in bowl games. That is the most by any coach in SDSU's Division I era and tied Don Coryell (3) for the most in school history.
- San Diego State is now 1-1 in the Las Vegas Bowl (lost to North Carolina, 20-13, in 1998).
- Rocky Long claimed his first victory in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Big Notes
- SDSU stopped Houston's 56-game win streak when leading by at least 10 points (dating back to UCF in 2009).
- San Diego State won for the first time when trailing by 10 points after the first quarter since Nov. 9, 2013 at San Jose State (W, 34-30). SDSU is now 5-24 since 2001 when trailing by at least 10 points after one quarter.
- The Aztecs became the first Mountain West school since Boise State (2011-12) to record consecutive 11-win seasons. Only four MW program have had back-to-back years with at least 11 wins (Boise State, 2011-12; Brigham Young, 2006-07; TCU, 2005-06 and 2008-11).
- SDSU won for the 21st time over the last 24 games (21-3).
- San Diego State handed Houston just its fifth loss over its last 24 games (19-5).
Team Notes
- SDSU's seven sacks were tied for its most in a game since 1996 (also at UNLV on Nov. 21, 2015).
- San Diego State held Houston to its fewest points (10) and total yards (254) since Aug. 29, 2014 vs. UTSA.
- The Aztecs held the Cougars to their 10th-fewest rushing yards (25) since 1996.
- The Aztecs trailed at the half in a road/neutral game for the first time in 13 games (since trailing, 27-14, at Penn State on Sept. 26, 2015).
- SDSU improved to 6-2 in road/neutral games this season.
Trends
- SDSU started with the ball for the 62nd time over the last 70 games.
- San Diego State won the coin toss for the 23rd time over the last 38 games.
- The Aztecs have now gone 131 games without suffering a shutout (Nov. 18, 2006 at TCU), which is the third-longest streak among current Mountain West schools (Air Force at 296 and Boise State at 249). That is the only time SDSU has been shut out in their last 223 games.
- SDSU held an opponent scoreless on its opening drive for the 19th time over the last 25 games and 20th time over the last two seasons (28 games).
- San Diego State has scored in 23 straight second quarters.
- The Aztecs improved to 11-2 on the year and 46-10 in the Rocky Long era when leading after three quarters.
The Series
- San Diego State improved to 1-2 all-time against Houston.
- The Aztecs are 1-0 against the Cougars in neutral games.
Player Notes
* Donnel Pumphrey, Sr., RB (19 att., 115 yds., 1 TD | 1 rec., 26 yds.)
- Rushed 19 times for 115 yards and one touchdown, while adding a 26-yard catch.
- Passed Wisconsin's Ron Dayne (6,397 yards) as the all-time NCAA FBS leader and now has (6,405).
- Recorded his 11th 100-yard rushing game of the season and 33nd of his career. The 11 100-yard games breaks his own school record (10 set in 2014), while his 33 career 100-yards games extends his SDSU record.
- The rushing touchdown was his 17th of the season and 62nd of his career.
- Now has 17 overall touchdowns and 67 for his career, tying Cedric Benson (Texas) for ninth on the all-time NCAA FBS list.
- Passed T.Y. Hilton (Florida International) for fifth place in NCAA FBS history with 7,515 all-purpose yards.
- Finished 10th in NCAA FBS single-season history with 2,133 rushing yards.
* Rashaad Penny, Jr., RB/KR (10 att., 23 yds., | 1 rec., 4 yds. | 2 KR, 49 yds.)
- Became the 17th Aztec to record a 1,000-yard season (24th occasion overall).
- Finished the season with 1,018 yards, which ranks 21st in SDSU single-season history.
* Juwan Washington, Fr., RB (3 att., 8 yds., 1 TD)
- Scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the season and seventh overall (also one receiving).
* Christian Chapman, So., QB (10-for-14, 128 yds., 1 TD, 0 INT)
- Was 10-for-14 for 128 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception.
- Improved to 13-3 as the starting quarterback and 4-0 in postseason games (2-0 in MW championships, 2-0 in bowl games).
- Threw his 20th touchdown pass of the season and 22nd of his career.
* Curtis Anderson III, Sr., WR (1 rec., 28 yds., 1 TD)
- Caught a 28-yard touchdown pass, the first of his career.
- The touchdown reception was his seventh career catch.
* John Baron II, So., K (2-for-2 FG, 28 Long, 4-for-4 PATs)
- Was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and 4-for-4 on PATs.
- Now has a school-record 21 field goals, passing Donny Hageman's 20 in 2014.
- Is now 21-for-23 (.913) on the season on field goal attempts, the best mark in SDSU single-season history.
- Has made 19 straight field goals of 50 yards or less.
* Ron Smith, RS-Fr., CB (10 tackles (7 solo), 1 INT, 1 TD)
- Had a career-high 10 tackles (seven solo) and a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown.
- Recorded his first career game with double-digits in tackles.
- The interception was his third of the season, while the interception return for a score was his second.
* Kyle Kelley, Sr., DE (10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL)
- Had a career-high and team-high-tying 10 tackles, including a 5-yard sack and tackle for loss.
* Calvin Munson, Sr., LB (8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 INT)
- Had eight tackles, an 8-yard sack (and TFL) and an interception.
- The interception was his first of the season and seventh of his career.
- Finished his career with 301 tackles, just the sixth Aztec to eclipse 300 stops.
- Also was ninth in sacks (18.0).
* Kameron Kelly, Jr., WAR (2 tackles, 2 INT, 1 PBU)
- Had two tackles and a career-high two interceptions.
- The interceptions were his fourth and fifth of the season, and he now has seven for his career.
Other Notes
- CB Damontae Kazee, LB Calvin Munson, RB Donnel Pumphrey, LG Nico Siragusa and WAR Malik Smith each started for the 41st straight game, the longest streaks on the team (does not include specialists).
- RT Daniel Brunskill, RB Donnel Pumphrey and LG Nico Siragusa each played in their 54th consecutive game, the longest streak on the team.
- WR Quest Truxton made his first career start.
- WAR Kameron Kelly started for the first time of the season.
- Redshirt freshman Liam Cabrera made his first appearance of his career on special teams.
- Kelly recorded his fourth interception of the season and sixth of his career.
- Tonight's game temperature was 51 degrees.
- Tonight's attendance was 29,286.