Football’s fourth quarter efforts fall short in loss against No. 16 Oregon State.

Beavers’ strong defense keeps the Aztecs to a touchdown and a field goal

by David Rosas, Staff Writer • September 17, 2023

San Diego State running back Keenan Christon carries the ball earlier this season against UCLA at Snapdragon Stadium.

San Diego State’s first road game ends in an offensive struggle against a dominant Oregon State defense, falling in Saturday’s contest 9-26.

Running back Jayden Armstead accounted for the Aztecs only touchdown of the game and led the team in rushing yards with 48 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Jaylen Mayden finished the game 20-32 with 256 and one interception, but Maden was under pressure being brought down six times by the Beavers defense.

The Aztec defense made its best effort to stop the well-established Beaver offense led by transfer quarterback DJ Uiafalelei. The Beavers generated 97 points of offense in their first two weeks of football, being held to 26 points against SDSU. The Aztecs also caused the Beavers first turnovers of the season.

Linebacker Zyrus Flaseu continued to make his presence known, leading the Aztecs again with seven tackles: three of which were solo tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. Safety Cedarious Barfield and cornerback Noah Tumblin generated two interceptions for the Aztecs.

The first half of the game was controlled by the Beavers, but the Aztecs forced them to a field goal on their first two possessions.

Cornerback Dezjhon Malone had a huge role in forcing the Beavers first field goal with a third down stop for a loss of 5 yards and a pass deflection two plays prior.

However, on their third possession, the Beavers would be the first to score a touchdown with a Uiafalelei lateral pass to Tackle Joshua Gray for a 3-yard rushing touchdown, making the game 0-12.

The Aztecs struggled in their first four possessions of the game with three punts and a missed field goal by kicker Jack Browning from 48 yards. SDSU could not score until their final drive of the second quarter.

The Aztecs faced a third down when Mayden found wide receiver Brionne Penny for 4 yards. Mayden targeted Penny again on the next play, gaining 24 yards to the Beavers 31-yard line. The drive stalled, which resulted in a Browning 52-yard field goal, making the score 3-12 before halftime.

The Aztecs continued to struggle on offense with three punts in the third quarter. The Beavers would find the endzone again on their second possession of the half. Marching down 84 yards, Uiafalelei added the lead with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, making the score 3-19.

The Aztecs would battle back early in the fourth quarter starting with an Aztecs’ interception by Barfield. The interception placed the Aztecs at their own 43-yard line.

The Aztecs took advantage, marching to the Beavers 6-yard when Armstead rushed up the middle to find the endzone, but a failed two-point conversion kept the score 9-19.

The Beavers responded quickly on the next drive when Uiafalelei found Gould on a screenplay taking it 75 yards to the endzone, adding to a 9-26 lead.

Mayden started the next drive with four straight completions for 58 yards, converting a fourth down and one on a quarterback sneak, but Maden at the Beavers 9-yard line would be intercepted by cornerback Akili Arnold.

The Aztec defense ended the next Beaver drive quickly after Tumblin snatched a deep ball from Uiafalelei for an interception. However, the next Aztec drive would result in Browning’s second miss of the game from 49 yards.

This is the second loss for the Aztecs this season, creating a two-game losing streak. Both losses come from Pac-12 teams, making the Aztecs record 7-6 against this conference since 2016.

The Aztecs will return to Snapdragon on Friday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m. to face Boise State for the Aztecs’ first conference matchup of the season.

About the Contributors

David Rosas, Staff Writer

Isabella Biunno, '24-25 Managing Editor, '23-24 Photo Editor

Isabella Biunno is the Managing Editor for The Daily Aztec. She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a part of publications for seven years. She is a third-year Psychology major with an emphasis in Neuroscience, and she plans to go to graduate school to become a Doctor of Occupational Therapy. She loves photography, editing, and creating, and she can’t wait to continue contributing to the DA. One thing she is passionate about outside of photojournalism is being involved in the disability community. She is an instructor at SDSU’s Adaptive Fitness Clinic, president of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Student Association, and a board member for a nonprofit called Mentoring Autistic Minds. She works as an instructor at a company back home called Inclusion Fusion where she is able to work with individuals with disabilities. Although her career-related passions fall in the healthcare field, she enjoys journalism just as much. She looks forward to expanding her experience as an editor this year.