Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

In what was possibly the best game of his young career, it was Ryan Lindley’s one big mistake that may have cost his team the upset victory.

With the San Diego State football team tied 14-14 with No. 18 Brigham Young, the sophomore quarterback drove his team 56 yards to the BYU 9-yard line late in the second half.

But an interception in the endzone effectively prevented SDSU from posting any more points before halftime and allowed his counterpart, Cougar quarterback Max Hall, to drive 80 yards down the field and score on a 1-yard run as time ran out in the second half.

While it was Lindley who gave BYU (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) the ball back, it was the Aztec defense that failed to stop the Cougars’ attack as Hall and company racked up 512 yards of total offense in the 38-28 defeat of SDSU (2-4, 0-2).

“When you play the game, you’ve got to play to win,” head coach Brady Hoke said.

“There’s an intensity it takes to play to win and there’s a demeanor you play with. That’s the most frustrating thing, because I thought our kids prepared well. They came in with a great attitude, but I think at times, we didn’t play with `I’m going to go win.'”

Hall accounted for 397 total yards as he passed for 346 yards and three touchdowns with 51 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

“That was one of those games when, at the end of the game, it felt really good to win the game,” Hall said. “I thought it was a battle. I thought the San Diego State players and coaches did a phenomenal job. They played really hard and gave us everything we could handle.”

While Hall stole the spotlight, Lindley put up impressive numbers of his own with 298 yards and three touchdowns.

Though the Aztecs managed just 20 yards on the ground, Lindley’s performance came as a relief to fans who have watched the offense struggle in many games this year.

“We are gelling with coach (Al) Borges and the offense,” Lindley said. “I think it’s really getting to the point where we understand schemes. It’s more than just guys knowing where they’re supposed to go, but (that) they understand what they’re doing and now they’re getting other guys open and the whole schematics of the West Coast offense.”

Junior wide receiver Vincent Brown notched his fifth 100-yard receiving effort in six games this year, finishing with eight catches for 147 yards while senior wide receiver DeMarco Sampson caught five passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

SDSU’s next game will come this weekend when the Aztecs travel to Fort Collins, Colo. to take on Colorado State in another MWC matchup.