Aztecs lose 29-26 thriller to Washington State – San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego State gradually measured progress through the first half of the football season.

Saturday night against Washington State was full of emotion. And pains. Growing pains.

The Aztecs delighted the announced crowd of 26,937 (18,375 turnstiles) at Snapdragon Stadium with an exciting performance that soccer fans have been anticipating. They were also poised to upset a Washington State team that arrived as a two-touchdown favorite and took a 12-point lead less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.

However, Washington State scored two TDs in the fourth quarter, the second on a pass from SDSU quarterback Danny O’Neil, for a 29-26 victory over the Aztecs.

After the Cougars took the lead with 5:03 left, SDSU (3-4) had the final possession to take the lead. However, the drive stalled at the Aztecs’ 41-yard line and SDSU coach Sean Lewis opted for a punt instead of attacking on fourth-and-22. The crowd booed this decision.

SDSU has all three timeouts remaining and a two-minute timeout remaining. All those timeouts didn’t stop Washington State (7-1) from running out of time. With 22 seconds left, Washington State gave the ball back to SDSU, but the Aztecs called for a sharp kicker and the Cougars kept the ball.

Trailing 14-12 at halftime, it seemed SDSU would be on track in the second half.

The Aztecs’ defense forced Washington State to give up four straight possessions. SDSU also lost the ball as the Cougars muffed the punt.

Two particular performances aroused the greatest emotions:

A 27-yard touchdown catch by SDSU wide receiver Nate Bennett – on a pass from wide receiver Jordan Napier, of all people – in the third quarter and a 1-yard dive into the end zone by SDSU quarterback Marquez Cooper (18 carries), 78 yards, 2 TDs tanks) conquered the Aztecs in the fourth quarter.

Cooper’s score gave SDSU a 26-14 advantage with 13:39 left in the game.

Washington State quarterback John Mateer (19-for-27, 257 yards, 2 TDs/20 carries, 45 yards, 2 TDs) immediately returned with a 34-yard pass to Carlos Hernandez to make the score 26-21.

Mateer’s 2-yard scoring strike and two-point conversion gave the Cougars a 29-26 lead with 5:03 left.

SDSU came out of the off week refreshed and ready to face Washington State.

The Aztecs hadn’t even started the game before players started leaving the field.

Starting wide receiver Louis Brown IV, starting tight end Jude Wolfe and third-string quarterback AJ Duffy did not dress. The three watched the performance in street clothes as punishment for breaking team rules.

Adding to the injuries, O’Neil (22 of 34, 195 yards, INT) and right guard Tyler McMahon were injured on the same drive late in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, SDSU player Darrion Dalton had to be helped off the field.

The defense was already playing poorly, so to speak.

Linebackers Tano Letuli and Owen Chambliss started the game with protective wraps on their surgically repaired right hands.

That was all the Aztecs needed against an opponent favored by two touchdowns in the game.

The Cougars looked as advertised as they capped their first drive with a 26-yard pass from Mateer to tight end Cooper Mathews for a 7-0 lead.

The injuries began to pile up with five minutes left in the first quarter, moments after the Aztecs’ defense stopped Washington State on a fourth-and-3 play at the SDSU 28-yard line.

On the first play of the next drive, O’Neil was sacked on a 7-yard loss by Washington’s Ansel Din-Mbuha.

The true freshman QB from Indianapolis was left on the damaged turf. Trainers came out and checked O’Neil’s left arm while Lewis watched.

O’Neil left the field under his own power and was further examined on the sideline before going to the locker room.

Four players after O’Neil was injured, McMahon went down when a Cougars player rolled up on his left ankle.

McMahon’s ankle was taped and he was on the bench in the second quarter, although Saipale Fuimaono remained at right back. McMahon returned late in the second half, pressed back into the game when right tackle Nate Williams left the game with a left foot injury.

SDSU backup point guard Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson replaced O’Neil, leading the Aztecs on a drive that ended with Gabriel Plascencia’s second field goal of the quarter.

As time expired in the first half, Plascencia scored from 28 yards out to cut the Cougars’ lead to 7-6.

Washington State increased its lead to 14-6 midway through the second quarter on a drive that continued halfway through the quarter before Mateer barreled across the goal line for a fourth-and-one.

O’Neil returned in the final two minutes to lead the Aztecs on a six-play, 60-yard drive that culminated with a 7-yard touchdown run by Cooper.

SDSU’s two-point attempt failed and the Aztecs went into the locker room with a 14-12 advantage.

Considerable

• The Aztecs return to Mountain West play at Boise State on Friday. Kickoff at 5 p.m. PT (Fox Sports 1).

The Broncos (6-1, 3-0 MW) are in first place in the conference after a 29-24 victory at UNLV. Boise State running back Asthon Jeanty had 33 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. He leads the nation with 1,376 rushing yards and is second with 18 rushing touchdowns.

• SDSU advantage, Marlem Louis played in a game for the first time as a father. He and his wife welcomed their first child, Marlem Louis Jr., on Tuesday.

• SDSU, second in the nation with 10 penalties per game, was whistled for eight penalties for 78 yards against the Cougars.