SAN DIEGO – Ryan Agnew hit Daniel Bellinger on a 12-yard pass for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:09 remaining, as San Diego State rallied for a 26-22 victory over Wyoming on Saturday night at SDCCU Stadium.
Juwan Washington also scored two touchdowns in the third quarter on a 15-yard reception and a 10-yard run to help the Aztecs erase a 14-3 first-half deficit.
With the victory, SDSU took over sole possession of first place in the MW West Division, improving to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in conference, while the Cowboys slip to 4-2 on the season and 1-1 in the league's Mountain Division.
Wyoming grabbed a 22-19 lead with 6:49 left in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Sean Chambers to Raghib Ismail Jr., capping a 10-play, 79-yard drive that began when the Aztecs' Matt Araiza missed a 38-yard field goal attempt at the 11:44 mark of the period.
Unfazed, SDSU ran 4:34 off the clock on their game-winning march, covering 76 yards in nine plays, highlighted by an 18-yard dump pass to fullback Isaac Lessard and an over-the-shoulder catch by Bellinger on a 3rd-and-6 play that gave the hosts a first down at the Cowboy 26.
Five plays later on 2nd-and-8 from the Wyoming 12, Agnew scrambled left and threw a cross-field pass to a sliding Bellinger in the middle of the end zone for the decisive score.
On the ensuing possession, Wyoming advanced to its own 40 after Chambers connected with Ismail for 15 yards on 4th-and-10. Two plays later, Chambers went for broke, launching a deep pass down the middle intended for wide receiver Gunner Gentry. However, Luq Barcoo intercepted the overthrown ball at the Aztec 13 with 1:20 left.
Following the turnover, two runs by Washington gained only yard, but Agnew then called his own number, scrambling left for 11 yards on a naked bootleg that appeared doomed by an early snap for the game-clinching first down.
Agnew finished with 209 yards and two touchdowns on 21-for-32 passing while adding 42 yards on the ground.
In addition, Washington led all players with 84 yards rushing on 23 carries, while Jesse Matthews posted game highs of six receptions for 73 yards.
SDSU drew first blood with 43 seconds left in the first quarter on Araiza's career-long 47-yard field goal that punctuated a 7-play, 40-yard march.
However, Wyoming seized momentum with two touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the second period, as Chambers finished off both drives with a pair of 1-yard scoring runs, giving the visitors a 14-3 advantage.
The Cowboys' first touchdown march featured a huge 45-yard reception by Gentry down to the Aztec 5, while Chambers' 21-yard run on 3rd-and-3 from the SDSU 28 keyed the visitors' subsequent foray down the field.
With time winding down in the half, The Aztecs trimmed the margin to 14-6 on Araiza's 32-yard field goal at the 1:11 mark to complete a 10-play, 56-yard drive. SDSU benefited from two costly 15-yard Wyoming penalties, one on a late hit out-of-bounds and the other on a pass interference call. After the latter infraction gave the Scarlet and Black a first down at the Cowboy 20, the Aztecs could only gain five more yards when Araiza was summoned for his kick.
After allowing 129 first-half rushing yards by Wyoming, the SDSU defense stiffened, yielding just seven yards on the ground in the third quarter, while the Aztec offense nearly doubled the possession time in the period (9:54-5:06). As a result, San Diego State was able to eventually regain the lead.
Agnew connected with Matthews three times for 31 yards on the Aztecs' first drive of the second half before finding Washington all alone in the right flat on a 15-yard scoring pass that narrowed the gap to 14-13.
After forcing a three-and-out, SDSU began another lengthy march, culminating in Washington's 10-yard scamper around left end with 1:28 to go in the third quarter. Just one play earlier, the Aztecs gambled on 4th-and-3 from the Cowboy 35, as Agnew threaded a pass to Matthews, who made a leaping grab over Jordan Murry at the 10.
Leading 19-14 following an unsuccessful two-point conversion, San Diego State seemed poised to add to its advantage after Rashad Scott pounced on a fumble by punt returner Austin Conway at the Wyoming 25 early in the fourth quarter. However, three plays netted just four yards, while Araiza's subsequent 38-yard field goal attempt hooked wide right, which set the stage for an intriguing finish.
Dwayne Johnson Jr. led the Aztec defense with eight tackles, including four solo stops, while Myles Cheatum, Cameron Thomas and Kyahva Tezino finished with six each. In addition, Darren Hall had two pass breakups on Wyoming's final drive.
Xazavian Valladay paced the Cowboys with 73 yards rushing, but had just 12 after intermission, while Chambers completed only 5 of 14 passes with one interception for 109 yards in the loss.
With the victory, San Diego State overcame their largest deficit to win (11 pts) since climbing out of a 14-point hole to beat San José State 34-30 in Silicon Valley on Nov. 9, 2013. Additionally, Saturday's victory marked the 22nd second-half comeback for the Aztecs under head coach Rocky Long, the most in their Division I history.
Aztecs Rally to Beat Wyoming 26-22
