Aztecs Power Past Boise State in Battle for First Place, 17-7
Bolstered by a strong running game and a hard-hitting defense, San Diego State rebounded with a big 17-7 victory over Boise State in a key Mountain West showdown Saturday at a rain-swept Snapdragon Stadium.
SAN DIEGO – Bolstered by a strong running game and a hard-hitting defense, San Diego State rebounded with a big 17-7 victory over Boise State in a key Mountain West showdown Saturday at a rain-swept Snapdragon Stadium.
The Aztecs (8-2, 5-1 MW) posted their second-highest team rushing total of the season with 277 yards to snap a three-game losing streak to the Broncos (6-4, 4-2 MW) and take over sole possession of first place in the MW.
Lucky Sutton led the SDSU ground attack with 150 yards on 25 attempts, while Christian Washington added 98 yards on just nine carries, helping the Aztecs improve to 62-2 in their last 64 games when rushing for over 200 yards.
Not to be outdone, quarterback Jayden Denegal punctuated two first-half scoring drives with a pair of short touchdown runs.
Despite the slick conditions, neither team committed a turnover, as the Scarlet and Black raised its record to 42-8 since the 2012 campaign without giving the ball away.
A defensive battle unfolded from the outset, with the two teams trading punts on the first seven possessions of the contest.
After mustering just five yards on its first three drives, San Diego State was finally able to get its running game in high gear during a game-defining six-play, 80-yard touchdown march, capped by Denegal’s keeper from a yard out with 1:45 elapsed in the second quarter.
Washington accounted for all but the final yard on that foray, highlighted by a 41-yard burst down the right sideline to the Boise State 39 on the first snap following a Bronco punt. Two plays later, the San Diego native plowed up the middle for another sizable gain of 26 yards, putting the Scarlet and Black in the red zone at the Boise State 11.
The Broncos responded with a scoring drive of their own, marching 75 yards in 14 plays, culminating in Dylan Riley’s nine-yard touchdown run on a 3rd-and-goal situation, which knotted the score at 7-7.
Undaunted, the Aztecs turned to Sutton on their next foray down the field, and the SDSU junior delivered, rushing for 65 of team’s 71 yards on an 11-play march that consumed 4:13 on the clock.
On the second play of the drive, Sutton helped the Aztecs out of a 2nd-and-12 hole with a 14-yard rush up the middle to the SDSU 41. Facing a 4th-and-1 situation at midfield four plays later, he darted through a gaping hole on left side for a crucial 27-yard scamper to the Bronco 23.
Sutton gained 15 yards on the next five plays before Denegal scored on an eight-yard scramble on 3rd-and-goal, giving the hosts a 14-7 lead they would not relinquish with 1:10 left before intermission.
San Diego State rushed for 166 yards in the first half, its highest total over the first two quarters since 2020.
The Aztecs seemed poised to increase their advantage on their first drive of the second half when Denegal connected with Donovan Brown for an apparent 29-yard gain to the Boise State 17 on a 3rd-and-2 play. However, the call was overturned after an official replay, forcing an SDSU punt.
The score remained unchanged until the 10:51 mark of the fourth quarter when Gabriel Plascencia booted a 47-yard field goal. Previously, Washington kept the drive alive with a 14-yard burst up the middle to the Boise State 49 on a 3rd-and-4 situation.
The Broncos reached the SDSU 43 on the ensuing possession where Riley was stuffed for a one-yard loss on 3rd and 2. On the next play, Max Cutforth completed a 19-yard pass to Cameron Bates, but a holding penalty nullified the gain, forcing Boise State to punt.
The Broncos had one last chance to narrow the deficit, but Boomer’s 41-yard field goal attempt drifted wide left, and the Aztecs ran out the remaining 1:20 with three straight kneel downs to seal the victory.
Cutforth completed 5-of-9 passes for 72 yards in desperation mode on that final drive. Otherwise, the SDSU defense held the Boise State signal caller in check for the balance of the night with just 32 yards through the air.
Although the Broncos gained 164 yards on the ground, they averaged 4.0 yards per carry, compared to the Aztecs’ 6.0 clip.
Individually, Owen Chambliss and Mister Williams led the Aztecs with eight tackles apiece, followed by Trey White (7 tackles) and Chris Johnson (6 tackles), who topped the squad with five solo stops each.
San Diego State returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 22, when it plays host to San José State, starting at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Aztecs-Spartans clash will air live on FS1.