San Diego State’s Jalen Mayden led an impressive night on the ground, rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns to propel the Aztecs to a 36-28 win against Idaho State at SnapDragon Stadium.
As a team, SDSU held a sizeable 302-34 advantage in rushing yardage. Running backs Jaylon Armstead and Martin Blake both totaled 58 yards with one touchdown, while Kenan Christian rushed for 40 yards.
Mayden also completed 13 of 19 passes through the air for 87 yards, with Blake leading pass catchers with three receptions for 42 yards.
Mayden set a program record for quarterback rushing yards in a game, becoming the fourth quarterback in program history to surpass 100 yards on the ground, in addition to being the third to do so in the Division I era. The senior signal caller is also the first SDSU quarterback to achieve this feat since Kevin O’Connell totaled 101 yards vs. Brigham Young in 2004.
Both teams exchanged field goals to tie the score (3-3), including a 36-yarder from kicker Jack Browning. On the Bengal’s first play that following drive, safety Cedarious Barfield leaped in the air to bring down an interception off a Jordan Cooke pass at the Bengals’ 32. Two plays later, the Aztecs capitalized as Mayden darted 24 yards into the end zone to put SDSU ahead 10-3.
ISU kicker Thomas Kopcho split the uprights for a 33-yarder, for his second field goal of the game to slim the deficit to 10-6. Even so, the Scarlet and Black responded on a 12-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by a 4-yard run and score from running back Armstead.
Idaho State’s next possession was again cut short by a diving interception from cornerback Dez Malone off a pass from quarterback Hunter Hays at the Bengal 49, with applied pressure from defensive lineman Daniel Okpoko. SDSU increased its lead seven plays later after a 41-yard field goal from Browning to 20-6.
However, the Aztec defense couldn’t hold ISU as they took the final 50 seconds of the first half to march 65 yards down the field, and catch the Aztecs off guard before halftime.
Cooke found receiver Alfred Jordan Jr. for a 27-yard gain to give the Bengals hope to score before intermission. There, Cooke hit Christian Frederickson across the middle on a 24-yard pass that cut the lead down to 20-13 at the half.
On its first possession of the second half, SDSU covered 46 yards on eight plays to advance well within ISU territory, but a fumble at the Bengal 10-yard line from Armstead ended any momentum.
San Diego State’s defense stood tall and limited ISU to only two yards after the turnover. Soon after, the Bengals long snapper sailed the ball high over their punter Ross Bolger’s arms and to the back of the end zone for a safety, giving SDSU a 22-13 lead.
Following a return of 35 yards from Blake and a facemask penalty from ISU, the Aztecs were in good field position at the Bengal 27. SDSU called five straight rushing plays as Blake sprinted into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown and the first of his collegiate career to increase the Aztecs’ lead to 29-13.
“It felt amazing, it felt like the heaven gates opened,” Blake said, who gained 58 yards with one touchdown. “It felt great when you put in all that work and it pays off.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Idaho State had its longest drive of the game, going 80 yards on 14 plays finished off by Hays’ 8t-yard touchdown to wide receiver Chedon James. Jordan Jr. converted the 2-point conversion soon after to cut the deficit to 29-21.
The Bengals soon later found themselves in a position to tie the game as a 23-yard pass from Hays to wide receiver Keoua Kauhi and a face mask penalty marked ISU to the SDSU 38. Hays hit a quick seven-yard pass out to James and Hays scrambled for a yard after an incompletion.
A couple of short gains and incompletions later left the Bengals staring at a 4th and 2. On the attempt to convert on fourth-down, Hay’s pass fell to the ground as he looked for wide receiver Aaron Blancas.
After the turnover on downs, Mayden took advantage just two plays later and sprinted through an open hole in the middle on a keeper to race 56 yards into the end zone, giving the Aztecs a sizeable 36-21 lead with 6:50 left in the game.
As time was winding down late in the fourth, Hays crossed the goal line himself with two yards out for the Bengal’s final touchdown with 14 seconds left. The Aztecs recovered the onside kick to finish the game in celebration formation.
While the Aztecs came away with the win, head coach Brady Hoke saw plenty to clean up and work on in all three phases of the game.
“We didn’t play the football we wanted to play,” Hoke said. “Didn’t tackle well, didn’t do a good job late in the half twice, we gotta have better coverage, part of that is getting a better rush.”
San Diego State continues its three-game homestand on Saturday, Sept. 9, where they take on UCLA at Snapdragon Stadium, starting at 4:30 p.m.
