San Diego State football’s came up short in its bid for a 10-win season as the team narrowly lost 49-47 to North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl.The Aztecs trailed by three scores in the second half, but kept the game in reach until the end with third-string QB Kyle Crum managing the comeback attempt.It would have been the Aztecs’ 10th season with 10 or more wins in program history. The bowl loss will go down as SDSU’s final game as a member of the Mountain West Conference, before they join the reconstituted Pac-12 next season.Still, the 9-win season and bowl appearance came as a major turnaround for SDSU head coach Sean Lewis in his second season with the team. The team went 3-9 last year in his first season.The team lost quarterback Bert Emmanuel Jr. to a shoulder injury in the first half, just 10 days after he replaced the team’s starting quarterback Jayden Denegal to season-ending shoulder surgery.North Texas scored early and often in Albuquerque on Saturday, beginning with its opening drive. The Mean Green and freshman phenom quarterback Drew Mestemaker marched down the field for a score in just under three and a half minutes against one of college football’s best defenses.The Aztecs also scored on their first possession, with a commanding four-and-a-half minute that covered 65 yards in 10 plays. It culminated with an eight-yard touchdown run by Emmanuel Jr. and an unsuccessful sneak two-point conversion attempt.The Mean Green responded with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 14-6 lead.The ensuing Aztecs drive came up empty before North Texas put up another long touchdown drive and pushed their advantage to 21-6 at the end of the first quarter.But on the first play of the second quarter, Emmanel Jr. brought the Aztecs back. From SDSU’s own 25-yard line, he dashed 75 yards into the opposing end zone, ending what had started to look like a blowout and making it a one-score game at 21-13.North Texas, however, was determined to not let San Diego fully back into the game. Theteam’s starting running back, Ashton Gray, scored on a 51-yard dash to the end zone that bumped the score up 28-13.Things went from bad to worse for SDSU with about six minutes remaining in the first half.Emmanuel Jr. rushed right for a 10-yard gain but went down with a rotator cuff injury in his non-throwing shoulder at the end of the play. He ran 11 times for 170 yards and two rushing touchdowns and no interceptions before beinginjured.With him out, in came third-string QB Kyle Crum, who hadn’t thrown a pass in a collegefootball game since 2022. He showed no clear signs of rust, however, and completed SDSU’s drive by converting a three-yard pass on fourth down to tight end Jackson Ford for a touchdown, making the score 28-20.
After each team missed a field goal – including what would have been a career-long 57-yarder by San Diego State’s six-foot, 230-pound kicker, Gabe “the Hefty Lefty” Plascencia, thescore remained 28-20 going into the third quarter.With about six-and-a-half minutes left in the third, the Mean Green struck again. Runningback Caleb Hawkins found the end zone from three yards out, and the subsequent point-afterkick made the score 35-20. It was the third time Hawkins put points on the board during the game, as he also had two touchdowns – one rushing and one receiving – in the first quarter.With just three seconds left in the third, North Texas found the end zone yet again.Mestemaker, who announced earlier in the season that he may enter the transfer portal, found wide receiver Cameron Dorner on a one-yard pass. After three quarters, SDSU was down 42-20.Despite the 22-point hole, San Diego State didn’t roll over. With 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Crum had an 11-yard touchdown run, and Plascencia’s extra point made the score 42-27.SDSU further reduced the deficit after Aztec special teamer Nathan Acevedo returned a kick63 yards for a touchdown, setting a New Mexico Bowl record in the process. With just over 10 minutes to play, SDSU trailed by only eight points. But North Texas added another touchdown, and SDSU again responded. Running back Christian Washington scored on an 11-yard run with 4:39 left, but the Aztecs two-point conversion attempt came up short. They trailed by two possessions, 49-40.The Aztecs final score of the game, a one-yard Crum touchdown run, cane with just a second left on the game clock. North Texas ended the game on the ensuing kickoff.Crum finished with 169 yards passing and 14 completions on 29 attempts. He had onepassing touchdown, two rushing TDs and two interceptions. His counterpart, Mestemaker, threw for 250 yards three touchdowns and two interceptions.
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