SAN DIEGO – Jordan Byrd ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns — including a go-ahead 1-yard TD in the closing seconds — to help San Diego State beat Toledo, 17-14, Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.
Aztec (2-2) quarterback Braxton Burmeister completed 3 of 4 passes for 25 yards on the drive and ran three times for 46 yards before Byrd scored from a yard out to cap the scoring with 41 seconds to play.
Quarterback Dequan Finn started the Rockets (2-2) with the ball on their own 19, but was picked off by Caden McDonald on his first attempt of the drive, setting up a kneel down for SDSU.
After a scoreless first quarter and a 36-yard field goal miss by Toledo's Thomas Cluckey to begin the second, Byrd ran 37 yards down the left side and then broke tackles on a 43-yard run into the end zone for the first points of the game.
The Rockets got into the San Diego State side of the field late in the corner but running back Peny Boone fumbled on the Aztec 16 which was scooped up by Cooper McDonald.
After exchanging punts and turnovers early in the third quarter, Jack Browning put SDSU up, 10-0, with a career-long 50-yard field goal.
Finn threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Turner that capped a 12-play, 73-yard drive and trimmed Toledo's deficit to 10-7 midway through the fourth quarter. After San Diego State went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, the Rockets went 93 yards in eight plays to take their first lead when Finn scored on a 1-yard run with 2:56 to play.
The Aztecs answered with the game-winning drive, going 67 yards on nine plays before Byrd punched it in from a yard out.
SDSU won its seventh straight game decided by one score (eight points or less) and improved to 21-8 in its last 29 games decided by one score (started with a 27-24 win at Wyoming in the 2016 Mountain West Championship game).
San Diego State rushed for 217 yards for the game on 33 carries, averaging 6.6 yards an attempt. It was the Aztecs' 12th consecutive win when rushing for at least 200 yards. SDSU is now 54-2 over its last 56, 200-yard rushing games.
Defensively, San Diego State forced four turnovers, its most since forcing five against Central Michigan in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl, and forced six three-and-outs (or better) to a team that came into the game averaging 37.7 points per game.
The Aztecs held the Rockets scoreless through three times, their first time since shutting out Weber State on Aug. 31, 2019.
Michael Shawcroft led SDSU with nine tackles, while former quarterback Jalen Mayden and CJ Baskerville logged eight tackles apiece. Fellow safeties Cedarious Barfield and Davaughn Celestine picked up their first career interceptions.
San Diego State improved to 15-1-1 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference and 10-1-1 vs. teams that were members of the MAC at game time.
Late Score Rockets SDSU Past Toledo 17-14
