SAN DIEGO – San Diego State suffered its first shutout in nearly five years after falling to Nevada 6-0 in a defensive struggle Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.
With the loss, the Aztecs were blanked for the first time since the 2018 Frisco Bowl vs. Ohio (27-0), dropping to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in Mountain West play, while the Wolf Pack (1-6, 1-2 MW) snapped a 16-game losing streak dating back to last season.
SDSU was 0-for-10 on third-down conversions and came up empty on two of three fourth-down opportunities in Nevada territory.
In addition, the Aztecs passed for just 47 yards on 6-of-14 completions by Jalen Mayden, finishing with 204 yards of total offense for the night.
Still, SDSU had a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter after the Wolf Pack's Brandon Talton missed a 48-yard field goal with 8:16 left in the game.
Setting up at their own 30, the Aztecs chewed just over seven minutes off the clock, marching 47 yards in 11 plays to the Nevada 23. Facing a 4th-and-3 situation, however, Mayden fumbled in heavy traffic trying to avoid a sack, and Wolf Pack linebacker Jonathan Maldonado recovered at the 25.
Following the turnover, Nevada ran two plays, gaining one first down, before kneeling twice to end a night of frustration for the Scarlet and Black.
After a three-and-out on the Aztecs' first possession of the game, the Wolf Pack marched 51 yards in 13 plays, culminating in Talton's 39-yard field goal. Quarterback Brendon Lewis accounted for 40 of those yards himself, gaining 21 on three rushing attempts while completing 3-of-5 passes for another 19 yards.
Following an exchange of punts, SDSU drove 41 yards in eight plays, but Jack Browning's 34-yard field goal sailed just outside the left upright at the 11:31 mark of the second quarter.
The Aztecs were unable to take advantage of good field position on their next three possessions in the second quarter.
After an offensive pass interference penalty wiped out a 14-yard gain to the Nevada 35, Mayden was sacked for a six-yard loss on the ensuing snap in a 1st-and-25 situation, and SDSU was forced to punt three plays later.
The Aztecs set up shop once again at the Wolf Pack 49 on their next foray but were unable to overcome another penalty, this time for an illegal man downfield.
Incredibly, SDSU came away empty on its next drive after starting at the Nevada 44. A quarterback keeper quickly gained seven yards, but the Aztecs netted just two more yards on the ground over the next three plays, turning the ball over on downs when Mayden was stopped a yard short of the marker after calling his own number on a 4th-and-2 from the Nevada 36.
Buoyed by its good fortune, the Wolf Pack extended their lead just before halftime when Talton split the uprights from 37 yards out as the clock expired. Nevada drove 46 yards on their final advance of the half, aided by an SDSU pass interference penalty and a 10-yard rush by Sean Dollars.
After forcing a three-and-out to start the second half, the Aztecs were stymied on their first drive of the third quarter when Mayden's pass to Brionne Penny fell incomplete on a 4th-and-3 play from the Wolf Pack 34.
Later in the period, Nevada had a chance to extend its lead, but Talton's 47-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright.
Mayden led all players with 52 yards rushing on 14 carries, while Sutton finished with 48 yards on 12 attempts in the loss.
On the flip side, Dollars totaled 49 yards on 11 rushes to pace the Wolf Pack, while Lewis completed just 9-of-22 pass for 98 yards, nearly half of which came on a 44-yard connection to Dalevon Campbell on a 3rd-and-21 play preceding Dalton's second missed field goal.
Nevada outgained SDSU 242-204 for the game, maintaining a slight edge in time of possession (30:14 to 29:46).
The sloppy contest also featured a combined 17 penalties, with the Wolf Pack getting flagged 10 times for 58 yards, while the Aztecs were whistled on seven occasions for 80 yards.
Defensively, Cooper McDonald led SDSU with six tackles, including three solo stops, while Dez Malone, Zyrus Fiaseu and Dominic Oliver each contributed a sack.
San Diego State will be idle next weekend before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 4, when it plays host to Utah State at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff time will be revealed in the coming days.
Aztecs Stymied in 6-0 Loss to Nevada
