Spirited Second-Half Comeback Propels Aztecs Past Texas State in Pac-12 Opener, 31-29
SAN DIEGO – In a tale of two halves, San Diego State rallied for a gritty 31-29 victory over Texas State in the inaugural Pac-12 game for both squads on a sweltering Saturday evening at Snapdragon Stadium.
Bolstered by stellar special teams play and an opportunistic defense, the Aztecs (2-3, 1-0 Pac-12) outscored the Bobcats 28-12 over the final two quarters to snap a three-game losing streak and win their conference opener for the 11th time in the last 14 years.
Trailing 17-3 at intermission, SDSU struck for three touchdowns in the first eight minutes of the third quarter, as Jaylon Hawkins opened the second half with a 96-yard kickoff return, while freshman running back Josiah Lucas followed with two short scoring bursts to put the Scarlet and Black in front for good.
In surviving a 14-point deficit, the Aztecs matched their fourth-largest second-half comeback in their Division I era dating back to 1969.
Lucas’ first touchdown was set up when edge rusher Kai Wallin dropped into coverage and intercepted a pass in the flat from Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson and returned it 13 yards to the Bobcat 10.
Texas State was called for defensive pass interference in the end zone three plays later before Lucas barreled into the end zone from two yards out.
After the SDSU defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, the Aztecs caught another break when punter Tom Flintoff bobbled the snap and fell on the loose ball at the Bobcat 7. SDSU needed just one play to capitalize on the opportunity, as Lucas took the handoff and powered up the middle untouched for his second score of the night.
In his first collegiate start, Lucas accounted for the bulk of the Aztecs’ yardage on ground, finishing with career-high 111 yards on 21 attempts. With his performance, the Arlington, Texas, native becomes the first Aztec true freshman to record a 100-yard rushing game since Donnel Pumphrey accomplished the feat against Air Force in October 2013.
Facing a 24-17 deficit, Texas State (2-3, 0-1 Pac-12) trimmed the deficit with 2:47 elapsed in the fourth quarter on Jacob Bonilla’s 45-yard field goal to cap a 12-play 53-yard advance.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Bobcats regained possession and drove 73-yards in 15-plays to the SDSU 2, but a potential go-ahead touchdown was denied when Josh Hunter stuffed Arvis Battle Jr. short of the goal line after a 1-yard reception.
The Aztecs still found themselves in peril; however, as Jayden Denegal was tackled in the end zone for a safety after a low snap from center in shotgun formation two plays later, which narrowed the gap to 24-22 with 3:02 remaining in the game.
Following the free kick, Texas State set up shop at its own 30, but on the first play of the drive, Cameron Cooper intercepted his own deflection of a Jackson pass and rambled 32 yards down the far-right sideline for what proved to be the clinching touchdown, giving SDSU a 31-22 advantage with 2:47 left on the clock.
Stung, the Bobcats needed just 53 seconds to cut the margin, driving 75 yards in four plays, capped by Jackson’s 40-yard bomb to Beau Sparks with 1:53 remaining.
Clinging to a suddenly precarious 31-29 lead, the Aztecs recovered the subsequent onside kick but were unable to gain a first down, burning just 25 seconds after Texas State used all three of its timeouts.
Pinned deep at their own 6 following a punt with 1:26 left, the Bobcats had one last chance to move into range for a potential game-winning field goal.
Texas State reached the SDSU 44 after Jackson hit Sparks with a 17-yard completion on 4th and 14. With no timeouts, Jackson was sacked on the next play for a four-yard loss by Alijah Lash, and after a spike and an incompletion, the Aztecs withstood a desperate Hail Mary pass beyond the end line to hang on for the hard-fought victory.
Gavriel Lightfoot led the SDSU defensive charge with a game-high 12 tackles, while Jelani McLaughlin racked up eight solo stops to finish the night with nine tackles of his own, matching the totals for Josiah Cox and Sione Hala.
The Bobcats outgained the Aztecs 310-139 in the first half, including a 196-62 spread in passing yardage, to help build a 17-3 cushion
Texas State scored on its first two possessions of the evening , as Bonilla split the uprights from 37 yards out, while Jackson connected with Ty Stamey on a 21-yard touchdown pass.
Trailing 10-0, SDSU broke its scoring drought on Cooper DiLeva’s 47-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
However, the Bobcats seemed poised to turn the contest into a runaway after Davian Jackson scored a touchdown on a six-yard shovel pass early in the second period to punctuate a 12-play, 86-yard drive.
After another three-and-out, Texas State threatened to strike again, advancing to the Aztec 16 on eight plays. But on 3rd-and-2, Brad Jackson was thrown for a one-yard loss by Brady Nassar and Djibril Rahman, while Cooper crashed through to block Bonilla’s subsequent 35-yard field goal attempt, keeping the Scarlet and Black within two scores.
SDSU marched into Bobcat territory on its final two drives of the half but came away without any points thanks to a pair of costly penalties.
On the first occasion, Nathan Acevedo caught a five-yard pass from Denegal to the Texas State 25 on first down, but a holding call during the run negated the play, and the Aztecs were forced to punt shortly thereafter.
With the half nearing a close, SDSU ultimately reached the Bobcat 19, but an illegal procedure infraction resulted in the run-off of the final five seconds.
Denegal finished with 109 yards on 15-of-23 passing with no interceptions, while Acevedo (47 yards), Lucas (9 yards) and Jordan Napier (21 yards) tied for team-high honors with four receptions apiece.
Conversely, Brad Jackson completed 27-of-43 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions while suffering three sacks. He also led Texas State with 80 yards rushing on 22 attempts, while Torrance Burgess Jr. added 77 yards on the ground in 21 carries.
In addition, Sparks led all players with 10 receptions for 153 yards and one touchdown, while Chris Dawn Jr. totaled 10 catches for 57 yards in the loss for the Bobcats.
San Diego State looks to build on its momentum next Saturday, Oct.10, when it travels to the Pacific Northwest for a Pac-12 showdown against Oregon State, starting at 3 p.m. PT. The Aztecs-Beavers game is scheduled to air live on USA Network.