SAN DIEGO – Redshirt freshman Matt Araiza kicked two field goals and the San Diego State defense did the rest, as the Aztecs grinded out a tough 6-0 victory over Weber State Saturday evening in front of 40,222 fans at SDCCU Stadium.
The Aztecs limited the Wildcats to 154 total yards and five first downs to win their fifth straight season-opening game played at home. Weber State gained 35 yards rushing on 19 attempts, crossing midfield just once the entire evening.
SDSU, which totaled just 16 snaps on its first five possessions, finally generated some offense of its own in the second quarter, advancing 53 yards in 12 plays into the red zone at the Wildcat 17. Jordan Byrd opened the drive with runs of 13 and 15 yards, respectively, while Ryan Agnew connected with Jesse Matthews for six yards on a key 4th-and-3 situation down to the WSU 29. Moments later, the Aztecs crept closer thanks to an 11-yard scamper by Chance Bell.
However, SDSU was unable to overcome McKade Mitton's sack of Agnew, salvaging three points on 34-yard field goal by Araiza with 4:41 left before intermission.
After holding the Wildcats to a three-and-out, the Aztecs threatened on their next foray down the field as well, with Byrd chewing up another chunk of real estate on a 23-yard sweep down the left sideline to the Wildcat 39. Agnew followed with two quick completions, an 11-yarder to Elijah Kothe and an 8-yard hookup to Matthews, while a 3-yard run by Juwan Washington gave the Scarlet and Black a first down at the WSU 17.
SDSU could not capitalize on its prime field position, however, as Agnew's next three passes fell incomplete. Araiza was once again summoned for a field goal attempt, but an errant snap prevented the host school from padding its lead.
The score remained unchanged until Araiza split the uprights on a 29-yard field goal with just over four minutes elapsed in the fourth quarter, capping a 13-play, 40-yard march. Agnew kept the drive alive with a 12-yard scramble, as well as a 12-yard completion to Daniel Bellinger on a dangerous cross-field pass when it appeared the Aztec signal-caller would step out of bounds.
SDSU managed to move the chains further to the Wildcat 13 after Agnew bolted around left end and reached across the marker for a first down. However, the Aztecs could not find the end zone, as three straight rushes netted one yard.
Despite suffering three-and-outs on their next two possessions, Weber State still had two chances in the final three minutes to pull out the win.
After setting up shop on their own 35 following an SDSU punt, the Wildcats went for broke on the first play, but Tariq Thompson made a spectacular leaping interception of Wildcat quarterback Jake Constantine, who underthrew his intended receiver David Ames at the Aztec 35.
San Diego State could not put the victory on ice just yet, as Weber State forced a three-and-out, getting the ball back its own 21 with two minutes to go in the contest. After two passes gained just six yards, however, the Aztec defense came through once again, with Thompson fittingly breaking up the Wildcats' last gasp on fourth down.
The two teams combined for 19 punts in a game that took only 2 hours and 41 minutes to complete. Brandon Heicklen consistently flipped field position with an average of 49.0 yards on nine kicks, matching his career-best with a 58-yarder in the first quarter.
Despite running 22 more plays than the Wildcats (73-51), SDSU gained just 238 yards for the game, running for 130 yards on 43 attempts.
Individually, Washington finished with 55 yards on 22 carries, while Byrd totaled 50 yards on five rushes. In addition, Agnew completed 16 of 30 passes for an economical 108 yards, with Matthews, Kothe and Washington hauling in three receptions apiece.
On the other side of the ball, Dwayne Johnson Jr. led the Aztec defense with a career-high 12 tackles, including six solo efforts, while Troy Cassidy made seven stops of his own. Not to be outdone, Thompson tied his personal-best with three pass breakups.
With Thompson's pick, San Diego State has been even or has had an advantage in turnover margin in nine of its last 11 games.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs will make the short drive north on the freeway to renew acquaintances with UCLA on Saturday, Sept. 7, starting at 1:15 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Shut Out Weber State in Season Opener, 6-0
