The California Golden Bears (3-1) and its offense began its night with an 18-play drive spanning almost 10 minutes, putting the San Diego State Aztecs (2-1) on the ropes early.
Unlike the defenses Cal has seen this year, the Aztecs did not fold, forcing a crucial fourth-down, goal-line stop on the 19th play that set the defensive tone for the rest of Saturday night’s contest.
There are plenty of positive sentiments to take away from SDSU’s 34-0 shutout win over the Golden Bears; one of them is the fact that the Aztecs’ defense scored as many touchdowns as the offense.
The third quarter saw two Scarlet and Black touchdowns, neither of them coming from the offensive side of the ball. Safety Dwayne McDougle took a fumble recovery 35 yards for a score, followed by Chris Johnson taking an interception 97 yards for a touchdown.
McDougle specifically stood out on Saturday night, making his name known across Bashor Field and its surrounding loudspeakers. His comfort level with defensive coordinator Rob Aurich’s scheme enabled the Aztecs’ safety to make all kinds of plays, impacting the game in a variety of ways. McDougle’s prior relationship with Aurich at the University of Idaho is something that he leans on.
“I already knew the defense, I knew the ins and outs,” said a confident McDougle. “I was helping everybody who did not know [the defense].”
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Other than the two turnovers taken back for touchdowns, SDSU added another takeaway when safety Dalesean Staley intercepted Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on the drive immediately following Johnson’s pick-six.
“We wanted to make sure that we took away the layups,” said Aztecs’ head coach Sean Lewis when asked about why Cal’s offense was so stagnant. “Our kids showed tremendous mental toughness to see what was going on, communicate with urgency and take away the gimmies. We wanted to put [Sagapolutele] in situations he has not been in before.”
Not only did SDSU’s secondary plunder the Golden Bears’ poised aerial attack, its front seven took care of business, as well.
The linebacker tandem of Owen Chambliss and Mister Williams combined for 13 total tackles and was a constant pain in the Cal offense’s side. As Tano Letuli was forced to miss Saturday night’s game with an injury, there was a question mark at the linebacker position; Chambliss’ and Williams’ eight and five respective tackles, as well as their constant thirst for playmaking, answered the bell.
Up front, the Aztecs made their home for the night in the California backfield. August Salvati tallied a game-leading two sacks. Ryan Henderson also snagged a sack for himself and Trey White finally notched the ever elusive first sack of the season.
“We told [the defensive line that] this is their game, too,” mentioned McDougle when asked how and why the defensive line impacted the game and pass coverage. “We said this is [their] game, this is an ACC team, [they] have to go.”
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A point of emphasis during the week leading up to Saturday night’s contest was to force uncomfortable throws and make the Golden Bears run the ball. SDSU’s defense set this advice into motion, only allowing 65 rushing yards and forcing some ill-advised, or sometimes off-target, throws from Sagapolutele.
“We are just trying to be the best defense we can be,” said a blunt McDougle in regards to his side’s dominant showing. “Everybody was saying [that their quarterback] is the best freshman, the best quarterback in the nation. We were like ‘Okay, we’ll see about that.’”
As the Scarlet and Black stonewalled Cal’s offense, the Aztec faithful let the visiting Golden Bears hear about it. A crowd of 31,369 people packed the stands of Snapdragon Stadium, tormenting Cal’s football team every chance they got.
Coach Lewis is aware of what a packed Snapdragon Stadium can do to an opposing team; Saturday night was exactly what he envisioned. He and his staff made an effort to visit classes at SDSU, as well as various events and venues in the greater San Diego community, in an effort to garner as much physical support as he could. Lewis’ tactics worked like a charm; he expressed his thankful sentiment postgame.
“I think momentum is a very real thing,” Lewis explained. “Tell your friends, come one, come all. We have a few more of these opportunities to go, and we need all of San Diego to be here and to be with us and create a tremendous home field environment in the greatest stadium in college football.”
The Aztecs’ defensive masterclass allowed them to win the time of possession battle, contributing to 321 yards of total offense. Lucky Sutton’s 61 rushing yards and a touchdown, combined with Jordan Napier’s 154 receiving yards and a touchdown, put the game well out of reach.
Following SDSU’s dazzling upset of the Golden Bears, joyful exclamations could be heard from the locker room as the Aztecs enjoyed the fruits of their defense’s labor. However, Coach Lewis’ point is well taken: “You have 24 hours to enjoy [the win].”
As the beginning of the next work week looms, SDSU shifts its focus to asserting itself over its next opponent: the Northern Illinois Huskies. The Aztecs hit the road and travel to DeKalb, Illinois, to oppose the Huskies at Huskie Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. PT this Saturday.
