SAN JOSE, Calif. – Despite a career-high 134 rushing yards and a touchdown from Jaylon Armstead, San Diego State fell to San Jose State, 24-13, Saturday night at CEFCU Stadium.
The Aztecs (3-7, 1-6 Mountain West) were tied with the Spartans (6-5, 5-2 MW) at 10-10 at the half, but SJSU outscored SDSU, 14-3, in the second half in the final home game for 17 San Jose State seniors.
San Diego State scored a touchdown on its opening drive for the first time in exactly a year, marching 77 yards on 13 plays and eating up 7 minutes, 30 seconds, before Armstead punched it in from a yard out. Armstead rushed seven times on the drive for 53 yards, highlighted by a 39-yard run on the second play and a tough 3-yard gain on a fourth-and-goal situation from the Spartan 4. It was Armstead's seventh rushing touchdown of the season.
SJSU tied it on its ensuing drive, going 71 yards on 10 plays, ending with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Chevan Cordeiro to Dominick Mazotti with 14:19 left in the first half.
After punting, the Aztecs got the ball right back when Chris Johnson intercepted a deep Cordeiro pass and returned it 44 yards to the San Jose State 33-yard line. SDSU, however, only went four yards on seven plays, ultimately setting for a 46-yard field goal by Gabe Placencia with just over three minutes remaining in the half.
The Spartans got all the way to the red zone, but San Diego State held, resorting to a 35-yard field goal by Kyler Halvorsen as time expired in the half, making it a 10-10 game.
The Aztecs came out of intermission with a 10-play, 49-yard drive over 6:03, but Armstead was stopped on a fourth-and-1 on the SJSU 26.
SJSU raced 74 yards on five plays with the bulk of it coming on a 42-yard pass from Cordeiro to Isaac Jernagin, followed by a 20-yard touchdown scamper by Quali Conley to give San Jose State its first lead of the game with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
Later, SDSU used a 16-play, 85-yard drive over 7:50, but had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Plascencia. San Diego State converted a third-and-12 on the drive with a 15-yard pass to a diving Phillippe Wesley and a fourth-and-1 on a 21-yard run by Armstead. The Aztecs appeared to get within one when Armstead pounded it in from three yards out. But a holding penalty was called - the first penalty of the game for either team - and SDSU would get no closer, now trailing, 17-13, midway through the fourth quarter.
On the kickoff, an invalid fair catch was called on the Spartans, resulting a starting spot on their own 6. SJSU, however, went 94 yards on just six plays, highlighted by back-to-back long runs of 21 and 57 yards by Conley. Kairee Robinson later punched it in from five yards, making it a 24-13 game with 5:13 left.
San Diego State mounted one last try, but Mayden's second interception of the game came, and San Jose State ran out the clock, beginning with a 32-yard run by Conley.
Mayden completed 15 of 24 passes for the Aztecs, who lost for just the second time in the last 11 meetings against the Spartans. Additionally, SDSU's five-game road winning streak in the series was snapped.
Cedarious Barfield had a team-high seven tackles for San Diego State, which did not allow a first-quarter touchdown for the eighth straight game.
Aztecs Drop Final Road Game, 24-13
