San Diego State took care of business Saturday night, beating San Jose State University 25-3, bringing themselves to the doorstep of a Mountain West Championship appearance. 

The 22-point victory carried a similar tone to most Aztec wins this season: bend, but do not break. 

“We could give up 99 yards as long as they don’t end up in the endzone,” senior cornerback Chris Johnson said when referring to the team’s mentality. 

That mindset was also tested in the first half for the Aztec offense. 

SDSU (9-2, 6-1 Mountain West) struggled through the air, dropping three passes, each in key situations. But the ground game picked up the slack. Junior running back Lucky Sutton ran for 47 yards and cashed in a touchdown in the first half alone. He would finish the game with 79 yards. 

Sutton’s performance pushed him to 1,127 yards on the year, placing him first in the Mountain West. 

Junior running back Christian Washington also made his presence known, rushing for 70 yards on just 10 carries, while adding a touchdown of his own late in the fourth quarter to seal the game. 

Entering the game, Spartans receiver Danny Scudero was a focal point. Scudero put together solid numbers in the box score, but his contributions were ultimately inconsequential.

“Great plan by Rob [Aurich] and the guys playing to be able to contain him, he’s a player that you’re not going to stop, you just gotta do a good job of containing him,” head coach Sean Lewis said when discussing the receiver’s performance. 

SJSU (3-8, 2-5 MW) came into the matchup as one of the best passing offenses in the nation, with starting quarterback Walker Eget ranking third in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards. 

However, the Aztecs got to Eget early. Junior safety Dwayne McDougle picked off the quarterback on the Spartans’ opening drive, leading to Sutton’s touchdown run and the risky two-point conversion that followed. 

Eget was swapped out for freshman quarterback Tama Amisone after just two Spartan drives.  

Amisone posed a unique challenge for the Aztecs thanks to his incredible rushing ability, but the defense stood tall. 

“Players make plays and obviously the quarterback is the trigger man,” Lewis said, “When they have different skillsets, when they have different styles, you got to have a really focused approach.”

He also reinforced pride in his defensive unit. 

“It happened to be multiple quarterbacks that we saw, but again being able to execute the call, owning that within the white lines by our players was really impressive.” 

Standing tall may be an understatement. The Aztec defense kept San Jose out of the endzone entirely, while racking up four total sacks and two interceptions on the night. Two sacks came from stand-out junior edge rusher Ryan Henderson, bringing his season total to four. 

Saturday’s game carried some emotional weight as well. The Aztecs celebrated senior night before the game, thanking the team’s veterans. 

Fittingly, senior cornerback Chris Johnson made an impact, picking off Amisone in the fourth quarter with a ridiculous acrobatic grab, while also securing a key sack on third down. 

“He’s one of the seniors that re-committed and came back to finish what we started,” Lewis said before giving the star corner some significant praise. 

Chris Johnson and the Aztecs will prepare for a quick turnaround to New Mexico on Nov. 28 with an opportunity to clinch a Mountain West Championship game berth. 

“He is a young man of tremendous character and has shown that all your dreams are possible,” Lewis said. “All your goals are possible from a team standpoint and an individual standpoint here at San Diego State University.”