Glenn Connelly / Assistant Photo Editor

In some circles, San Diego State against UNLV in football is considered a rivalry game.

So just like any rivalry, the two teams played for some sort of title or trophy on Saturday night.

The “prize”: The Worst Overall Record in the Mountain West Conference Award. This year’s (un)lucky recipient: the Rebels.

SDSU utilized perhaps its best defensive performance of the year to beat UNLV, 21-7, and earn its second conference victory in front of 21,445 fans at Qualcomm Stadium.

“I told our guys in the locker room after the game, ‘All wins are good wins,'” head coach Chuck Long said. “And I also felt a little tinge of remorse with the team in the locker room thinking, ‘You know what, we could’ve done better.’

“I felt like (the defense), the past couple of games they’re starting to get it … and tonight, I think we got it.”

The defense certainly did its part. But when two basement teams are playing, someone has to get at least a little lucky. In this case, the Aztecs (2-7, 2-3 in MWC play) fed off the misfortunes of Rebel kicker Sergio Aguayo.

Aguayo – who nailed a 52-yard game-winner against the Aztecs last season – missed all five of his field goal attempts, including three kicks of 41, 37 and 52 yards in the first half and a blocked 28-yard try in the third quarter.

“You never want to root against a guy, but since he did kind of deliver the crushing blow to us last season that put us away, I think a little karma came around to get him,” junior quarterback Kevin O’Connell said. “But I wish him luck next week now that we’ve moved on from UNLV; I hope he can go 4-for-4 next week, but I’m glad he missed those five.”

Because Aguayo did, UNLV (1-9, 0-6 MWC) found itself down two touchdowns at the half and with its ninth straight loss after the game, instead of a much more manageable 14-9 score heading into the locker room or a 22-21 victory at the end of the night.

Meanwhile, SDSU made enough big plays to maintain a lead.

Junior safety Ray Bass intercepted UNLV quarterback Rocky Hinds and took it 49 yards the other way for a first-quarter touchdown. In the second quarter, O’Connell ran in a score on a fourth-and-goal option play from the 1-yard line.

Thankfully for the Aztecs, their defense kept up – especially when it mattered most.

With the exception of a fourth quarter touchdown pass by Hinds, the Rebels consistently marched into SDSU territory only to falter. Whether it be Hinds’ inefficiency or Aguayo’s missed kicks, UNLV was shut down in the red zone one way or another for most of the game.

“You can mess up in the midfield, you can mess up back in their red zone, but when they get down to ours, that’s when you know you go to clamp down,” senior linebacker Joe Martin said. “They could go for a 12-play drive, I don’t care about that as long as they don’t get a point.”

The Aztec defense, at least for now, is not a question mark. The same can’t be said about the quarterback position.

Long implemented a quarterback rotation, as redshirt freshman Kevin Craft started and played the first and third quarters while O’Connell played the second and fourth.

Despite not starting, O’Connell’s play was relatively superior to Craft’s. In addition to running in a touchdown, O’Connell went 7-of-7 for 68 yards, compared to Craft’s 9-of-14 for 68 yards and an interception.

After the game, Long wasn’t quite ready to give O’Connell the starting job.

“We never like to resolve anything till we watch the tape, of course,” Long said. “But I thought both of them played well.

“I thought Kevin O’Connell had some great drives, had presence and you could feel his leadership.”

NEWS AND NOTES

? Sophomore linebacker Andrew Schantz intercepted the first pass of his career in the fourth quarter.

? SDSU held an opponent scoreless in the first quarter for the fourth time this season.

? Bass’ interception return for a touchdown was the second pick of his career and his first career score.