SAN JOSE, Calif. -- San Diego State received contributions from all three phases of the game - offense, defense and special teams - and never trailed in defeating San Jose State for the seventh straight time, 27-17, at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday.
The win made the Aztecs (6-1, 3-1 MW) bowl eligible for the 10th consecutive season.
SDSU ran for 260 yards and two touchdowns on offense, held a potent Spartan (3-4, 1-3 MW) offense well below their season average and got standout performances in the kicking and return game from a host of San Diego State specialists.
Kaegun Williams opened the game with a 95-yard kick return for touchdown. It marked the 11th time San Diego State has returned a kickoff for a score since the start of the 2015, the most in the nation.
SJSU responded with a quick 4-play, 66-yard drive, culminating in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Josh Love to Kaire Robinson.
After exchanging punts the rest of the first quarter, the Aztecs took the lead early in the second quarter on a 41-yard field goal by Matt Araiza.
Later in the quarter, SDSU put together an incredible 20-play drive over 10 minutes, 5 seconds (10:05), but had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Araiza, heading into halftime with a 13-7 lead. The 20 plays were tied for the longest in a drive in FBS play this season (Wake Forest vs. Boston College), while the 10:05 was the sixth-longest possession time in a drive this year.
San Jose State came out of the intermission with the goal to take the lead, but San Diego State held the Spartans to a 25-yard field goal.
The Aztecs responded with another long drive, this time going 57 yards on 11 plays over 6:12, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Juwan Washington. SDSU passed only one time on the drive - a 10-yard completion from Ryan Agnew to Jesse Matthews - while pounding the run for 47 yards on 10 carries to take the 20-10 lead.
After forcing a 3 and out, San Diego State went to the ground again as Chase Jasmin took a handoff on a third-and-3 situation 50 yards for the score. It was the longest run of Jasmin's career and longest play by the Aztecs this season.
SJSU later had an impressive drive in the fourth quarter when it went 99 yards on 11 plays before Love found Bailey Gaither for an 8-yard touchdown strike, cutting the deficit to 10 at 27-17.
After a failed onsides attempt, SDSU tried to run out the clock, but was unable to overcome four penalties on the drive. Facing fourth-and-4, Brandon Heicklen punted the ball 54 yards to the San Jose State 1-yard line. Backed into its own end zone, Love's first pass attempt was picked off by Caden McDonald and returned 11 yards to the Spartan 2.
Three kneeldowns later, San Diego State completed the 27-17 win.
The 260 yards on the ground came from a host of Aztecs, including 78 by Washington, 70 from Jasmin, 45 by Chance Bell, a career-high 44 by quarterback Ryan Agnew and 27 from Williams.
Agnew was 13-for-20 for 86 yards through the air, extending his career-long streak to 102 passes without an interception.
Kyahva Tezino's 10 tackles led a SDSU defense that held SJSU to just 272 yards, its fewest in a game this season and fewest since gaining 200 on Nov. 17, 2018 vs. Nevada. San Jose State came into the game averaging 29.3 points and 415.8 yards per game.
San Diego State, which came into the game ranked second nationally in turnover margin and third in time of possession, won both categories once again, going +1 in turnover margin and an impressive 20:44 advantage in time of possession.
The Aztecs improved to 4-0 on the road this season and joined Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State as the only FBS teams to win six of their first seven games in four consecutive seasons.
SDSU, which won its third straight game, also improved to 43-2 over the last 45 games it rushed for 200-plus yards.