Last-Minute Field Goal Lifts Aztecs Past Fresno State 26-23

SAN DIEGO -- Cooper DiLeva kicked a career-long 53-yard goal with 57 seconds left and San Diego State retained the Old Oil Can trophy in a 26-23 win over Fresno State on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium.

It was the third consecutive win in the series for the Aztecs (3-4, 2-1 Pac-12), their longest streak since winning four straight from 1995-98.

Tied at 23 after Manaki Watanabe’s PAT try hit the right goal post following Julius Gillick’s 2-yard touchdown run with 4:45 remaining, SDSU went 40 yards on 10 plays, using up 3:48 of clock time, before DiLeva’s game-winning attempt. San Diego State converted its first two third downs on the drive, including a 4-yard run by Javion Kinnard on a third-and-2 from the Aztec 33 and a big 26-yard pass from backup quarterback Stone Saunders to Jordan Napier on a third-and-7 from the SDSU 37.

It was the fourth field goal of the game for DiLeva, who entered with four field goals on the season through six games. DiLeva had makes of 32, 30 and 40 yards in the first half before the career-long 53-yarder. DiLeva, who tied a program record with his four field goals (11th time it has happened at SDSU), earlier missed from 43 yards in the third quarter.

The last-ditch effort by FS (4-3, 1-2 Pac-12) was stopped by the SDSU defense. Jayden Mandal was sacked on first down by Kai Wallin, the last of a career-high three sacks for the San Diego State edge defender. Mandal then completed a 9-yard pass to Ezekial Avit, but back-to-back pressures by the Aztec defense led to incompletions, sealing victory formation for SDSU.

San Diego State scored the first 13 points of the game, starting with a 32-yard field goal by DiLeva with 6:16 left in the first quarter.

On their next drive, quarterback Jayden Denegal found wide receiver Jaylon Hawkins on two big plays. The first was a 12-yard completion on a third-and-11 situation. Denegal then round a streaking Hawkins in stride down the right sideline for a 52-yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Aztecs.

SDSU went 61 yards on nine plays on its next drive, settling for a 30-yard chip shot by DiLeva.

FS finally got on the scoreboard with a 51-yard field goal by Watanabe with 7:48 left in the second quarter.

On its ensuing drive, Denegal went down with an injury as Saunders replaced him. On the very first play, the snap bounced off the leg of a San Diego State player in motion and Fresno State recovered. Five plays later, Bryson Donelson punched it in from two yards out to bring the Bulldogs to within three at 13-10.

Later in the quarter, the Aztecs took advantage of good field position when Kinnard returned a punt 24 yards to the FS 27. DiLeva made a 40-yard field goal to give SDSU a 16-10 advantage at the half.

San Diego State started with the ball in the third quarter and got all the way to the Fresno State 25, but DiLeva’s 43-yard attempt was no good.

The Bulldogs answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, culminating with a 7-yard touchdown by Gillick. The Watanabe PAT gave FS its first lead of the game at 17-16 with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter.

The teams traded punts until Lucky Sutton opened the fourth quarter with a career-long 67-yard run. Bert Emanuel Jr. later found Napier with a shovel pass and Napier scooted past Fresno State defenders, diving in the end from seven yards to put the Aztecs back on top at 23-17 with 12:00 left.

The Bulldogs, however, went 75 yards on 11 plays, using up 6:58 of the clock before Gillick’s 2-yard rushing score set up DiLeva’s heroics.

Sutton, who had missed three of the previous four games with an injury, ran for a season-high 110 yards on 18 carries (6.1 avg.). It was the seventh 100-yard game of his career.

Kinnard chipped in with 77 yards on 14 attempts (5.5 avg.) as SDSU rushed for 204 yards, improving to 59-1 in its last 60 regular-season games when rushing for at least 200 yards.

Denegal was an efficient 7-for-10 for 112 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, while Saunders finished 6 of 11 for 61 yards.

Hawkins posted career highs of six catches and 84 yards, scoring a touchdown for a fourth consecutive game.

Tano Letuli led the San Diego State defense with 11 tackles, including one of a season-high six sacks for the Aztecs. SDSU held FS to 276 yards, the fewest allowed by San Diego State this season.