Aztecs Fall in Double Overtime to Utah State

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State football team finished with 384 total yards, its most in its last four contests, but an overtime interception spelled doom for the Scarlet and Black in a 32-24 loss to Utah State on Saturday evening at Snapdragon Stadium.
 
Trailing 17-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Aztecs put together a pair of scoring drives, which included a 10-yard touchdown strike from Jalen Mayden to Kenan Christon and then a 23-yard Jack Browning field goal, with 33 seconds left in regulation, to send the game to overtime.
 
On its initial possession of overtime, Mayden found Brionne Penny in the corner of the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown and after Browning's extra point was good, SDSU led 24-17.
 
The Aggies matched SDSU on its first extra possession, putting the ball in the end zone on an 18-yard strike from Cooper Legas to Terrell Vaughn, and with the extra point, the game was tied 24-24.
 
Utah State (4-5, 2-3 Mountain West) opened the second overtime period with possession and on a second-and-five from the 20, Robert Briggs Jr. busted up the middle for a touchdown.  Forced to go for the two-point conversion in the second overtime period, Legas pitched the ball to Vaughn, who found Broc Lane in the back of the endzone to push the Aggies lead to 32-24.
 
With a chance to tie the game and send it to a third extra period, and facing a fourth down and four yards to go, Mayden's pass attempt to Joshua Nicholson along the sideline was intercepted by the Aggies' Ike Larsen and returned 62 yards to seal the win for Utah State.
 
San Diego State's 384 yards of total offense, 121 rushing yards and 263 yards through the air, was its most in the last four games and its third highest of the season. Mayden finished 25-of-39 for 265 yards, three touchdowns, and the interception that ended the game. The three scoring strikes equals a career-best, matching his total against San Jose State on November 12, 2022, and his 39 attempts are a season-high.
 
Lucky Sutton finished with 86 yards on 11 carries to pace the Aztecs runners. Christon had a touchdown reception and set a career-best with eight catches.
 
Defensively, Cody Moon led the Aztecs (3-6, 1-4 Mountain West) with a season-best 13 tackles, including a career-high 10 solo stops. The 13 tackles are tied for the second most in a game for the junior linebacker, and was one off his career high, set against at Air Force on November 12, 2022.
 
After a scoreless opening quarter, San Diego State got on the scoreboard with 14:10 to go before the intermission. A six play, 88-yard drive was capped by a nine-yard Mayden to tight end Mark Redman touchdown toss. The key play which set up the score was a 62-yard scamper by Lucky Sutton. It was the longest rush of the season for Sutton and the team. The Aggies, slightly less than four minutes later, got a field goal from William Testa to send the game to the break with SDSU up 7-3.
 
Coming out of halftime, Utah State got the only score of the third quarter, a 50-yard touchdown pass from Legas to Jalen Royals to put Aggies up 10-7. The visitors pushed the advantage to 17-7 early in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard rush from Davon Booth, which set the stage for the Aztecs comeback to tie the contest and send it to overtime.

San Diego State returns to action on Saturday, November 11 at Colorado State. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.