Oct. 29, 2017
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HONOLULU -
Rashaad Penny ran for a career-high 253 yards and two touchdowns, and San Diego State limited Hawai'i to just 195 yards of total offense in a 28-7 victory Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.
Penny rushed for a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 63-yard score in the fourth as the Aztecs (7-2, 3-2 MW) stopped their two-game skid.
Penny ended up with 173 of his 253 yards in the second half, including 141 on just six carries (23.5 avg.) in the fourth.
SDSU, which entered the game without a lead in each of its past two contests, used a methodical 14-play, 68-yard drive in the first quarter over 6:09, punctuated with a 1-yard touchdown run by Juwan Washington to take a 7-0 lead.
After forcing its third straight 3 and out to start the game, San Diego State got into Rainbow Warrior (3-5, 1-4 MW) field position on just two plays - a 14-yard run by Penny and a 23-yard pass from Christian Chapman to Mikah Holder. Chapman later found Holder on a 16-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-12 to put the Aztecs up, 14-0, early in the second quarter.
UH answered with a 16-play, 88-yard drive, extended in part to two SDSU penalties on fourth down, when quarterback Dru Brown leapt in from the 1-yard line to halve San Diego State's lead at the half.
After trading punts to start the third quarter, the Aztecs took advantage of an 18-yard punt return by Quest Truxton, giving the visitors the ball at the Hawai'i 40. After a 9-yard run by Penny, it appeared Chapman found David Wells for another SDSU score, but Wells was ruled down at the 1. Penny promptly punched it in to put San Diego State back up by two scores at 21-7.
Later starting out on their own 1 after a well-placed punt by the Rainbow Warriors, Penny went to work, rushing six times for all of the Aztecs' 99 yards on the drive, including a 63-yard touchdown.
Up, 28-7, Penny carried three more times for 52 yards in the quarter before exiting and giving way to Washington and Chase Jasmin. Penny's 253 yards were the 12th most on a game in school history and the 10th most in a game this season.
Neither team scored the rest of the way.
Washington added 46 yards on nine carries and the touchdown, and Holder hauled in three passes for 55 yards and another score. Chapman threw for 83 yards and a touchdown, but did throw an interception, snapping his career-long streak of 168 passes without a pick.
The offense was plenty for the stout SDSU defense. San Diego State, which had 417 yards of total offense, held UH to just 195 yards, including 35 on the ground on 23 carries. Diocemy Saint Juste, who came into the game ranked fourth in the country with 156.3 rushing yards per game and a pair of 200-yard games, was held to just 40 yards on 17 carries (2.4 avg.) by the Aztecs. SDSU also forced seven 3 and outs in the game.
It was just the second time since 1999 that a Hawai'i team failed to break 200 total yards of offensive at Aloha Stadium.
San Diego State won its 36th straight game when rushing for at least 200 yards and beat the Rainbow Warriors for a sixth consecutive time.
Making his first career start, Kyahva Tezino led the Aztec defense with seven tackles. He entered the game with eight total stops in the first 17 games of his career.