San Diego State continued its push for a bowl game with its sixth victory in a row Saturday, turning Snapdragon Stadium into a house of horrors for the Wyoming.
Behind a dominant defense and a relentless running game, the Aztecs (7-1, 4-0 in Mountain West) beat the Cowboys (4-5, 2-3 MW) by a score of 24-7.
“Six in a row. Good win,” said coach Sean Lewis. “Another dominant performance by the defense except for that opening drive.”
The Aztecs had come into the game riding a hot defense that had notched three shutouts and was leading the conference and was second in all of FBS football in points allowed per game.
That domination continued against the Cowboys, with the Aztecs rustling up three interceptions, three sacks and one fumble recovery.
But the defense started slowly, allowing the Cowboys to score first. After getting the ball on the kickoff, Wyoming drove down the field in 4:31, capping it with quarterback Kade Anderson throwing out of the shotgun for a touchdown.
After the Aztecs went three and out on their first possession, their defense rose up, stopping the Cowboys deep in their own territory, leading to a punt that gave San Diego State the ball on Wyoming’s 35-yard line. The Aztecs couldn’t get a first down and had to punt the ball back to Wyoming, but their defense saved them again.
This time, cornerback Bryce Phillips made a leaping interception and returned it 28 yards. With the ball theirs again, quarterback Jayden Denegal, who played after being listed as questionable, threw a short middle pass to running back Bryon Cardwell Jr. who took it 24 yards for a touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7.
The teams traded possessions into the second quarter when the Aztecs defense again propelled them to another score. This time it was an interception by safety Dwayne McDougle in Wyoming territory. That led to a 34-yard field goal by kicker Gabriel Plascencia, making it 10-7 Aztecs.
Wyoming later had a chance to tie the game. They intercepted Denegal but couldn’t move the ball. They decided to go for a 50-yard field goal, but the attempt fell short.
That lost opportunity was highlighted soon after as the Aztecs mounted a successful drive, capped by wide receiver Jordan Napier rushing seven yards for a touchdown to make it 17-7 Aztecs with about three minutes left in the half.
Both teams turned over the ball to close out the half, with the Aztecs getting their third interception from linebacker Owen Chambliss, who was leading the team with 58 tackles heading into the game. But Wyoming soon after intercepted Denegal and the first half ended.
If there was one blemish for the Aztecs on the night, it came with 8:10 left in the third quarter when kicker Gabriel Plascencia missed a 24-yard field goal. That snapped a record 26 straight field goals for Plascencia. It was the longest streak in the history of not just the SDSU program, but also the Mountain West.
But the Cowboys could not ride that momentum as they went three and out on their next possession.
“We just had to settle in as a defense,” said edge Trey White. “They obviously scored on that first drive, which was unacceptable for us.”
As the teams traded possessions, the Cowboys had their best chance to score early in the fourth quarter, driving down the field into Aztecs territory. But a couple of penalties set them back. And then the Aztecs capitalized on their fourth turnover of the night when safety Eric Butler, who had earlier been flagged for pass interference, recovered a fumble.
Still, the Cowboys wouldn’t go away and the next time they got the ball they again drove into Aztecs territory. And the defense again stood strong as cornerback Bryce Phillips broke up a touchdown pass in the end zone. And then edge rusher Ryan Henderson sacked Anderson. That forced Wyoming to try for another 50-yard field goal. They missed it again.
That left the Aztecs leading 17-7 with eight minutes left in the game. But running back Lucky Sutton wasn’t through yet. With about three minutes left in the game, he scampered 50 yards for a touchdown.
Sutton wound up with 158 rushing yards, a career high. It was his second consecutive 100-yard game, and the fourth of his career, all coming this season.
The win could help the Aztecs rise in the polls. Entering the game, San Diego State had received votes in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches polls. Their winning streak had made them eligible for a post-season bowl game.
“We’re just a really hungry team and we know we have plenty ahead of us,” said White. “We know we just have to take it game by game.”
“I think we’re one of the best teams in the country,” added Lewis. “We should be in the top 25.”
EXTRA POINTS: San Diego State and Wyoming met for the 40th time, with the Aztecs leading the series 20-19 … Due to road trips and a bye, this was the first game the Aztecs had played in their home stadium since Oct. 3 … Next up for the Aztecs is a road trip to play Hawaii on Saturday. The game is scheduled to be broadcast online on the Mountain West network.
Hence then, the article about aztecs keep rolling beating wyoming 24 7 for sixth straight victory was published today ( ) and is available on Times of San Diego ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Aztecs keep rolling, beating Wyoming 24-7 for sixth straight victory )
Also on site :
- Disgraced former Centinela Valley schools Superintendent Jose Fernandez dies
- Gold Star Distribution Inc., Issues Recall of Certain FDA-Regulated Products in Three States Including Drugs, Devices, Cosmetics, Human Foods, and Pet Foods
- ’Beverly Hills, 90210’s Jason Priestley Shares Bold Callout After ‘Worst’ Travel Experience