The San Diego State Aztecs needed a win against the winless University of Hawaii Warriors to become bowl-eligible for the fourth-straight year. While it may not have been pretty, the Aztecs got the win Saturday night with a score of 28-21.
Hawaii began the game the way perhaps many thought it would. Senior quarterback Sean Schroeder was intercepted by Aztecs’ junior linebacker Josh Gavert on the second play of the game. On an evening when the Warriors wore their off-green throwback uniforms with rainbow stripes on the shoulder pads, they played their most competitive game of the season.
SDSU trailed by a score of 14-7 at halftime, but put together an impressive 78-yard scoring drive behind six runs from junior running back Adam Muema and a 30-yard touchdown run from freshman running back Donnel Pumphrey to tie the game at 14 in the third quarter. The Aztecs were driving in Warrior territory when the Hawaii defense caused junior wide receiver Ezell Ruffin to fumble. The Warriors then covered 86 yards on a drive that chewed up more than 7 minutes off the clock and ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass to junior running back Joey Iosefa for his second score of the night.
With 6:20 left in the fourth quarter and down by one touchdown, the Aztecs needed to score quickly and did just that. SDSU drove 82 yards in less than 4 minutes to score a touchdown on a 14-yard rush from senior fullback Chad Young. Junior quarterback Quinn Kaehler targeted Ruffin twice on the drive for 53 yards. Kaehler finished the game completing 17 of 34 pass attempts for 265 yards and a touchdown and Ruffin caught four passes for 99 yards. Senior wide receiver Colin Lockett led the Aztec receivers with four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.
After the Aztecs’ defense forced a quick Warriors’ punt, the team wanted to drive down the field and seal the victory against Hawaii. Instead, senior wide receiver Dylan Denso fumbled after hauling in a 19-yard reception on third down in Warrior territory and the ball was recovered by Hawaii. The Warriors moved the ball to near midfield, but time expired and the teams headed into overtime.
Overtime hasn’t been unfamiliar to the Aztecs this season, as the team had played in three overtime contests already this season. SDSU wasted no time in scoring as Muema ran it three straight times on the drive, his last being a 2-yard touchdown to take the lead 28-21. On the Warriors’ overtime possession, the Aztec defense sacked the Warriors’ senior quarterback Sean Schroeder for a 10-yard loss and forced two incomplete passes to hang on to the win.
Muema was the focal point of the Aztecs’ offense and he finished the game with 163 yards on 24 attempts with one touchdown.
SDSU has had come-from-behind victories in two consecutive games, and the close nature of many of the Aztecs’ wins this season was something head coach Rocky Long acknowledged after the game.
[quote]”We’ve won six out of the last seven, and every one of them has been within 10 points,” Long said. “Most of them have been at the end of the game when we’ve found a way to win, so we’ve got great character … but we make it really hard on ourselves because we make a bunch of mistakes.” [/quote]
Mistakes came in the form of turnovers for the Aztecs, who fumbled the ball four times against Hawaii.
Nevertheless, the Aztecs now have the opportunity to play in a bowl game this season.
[quote]”That’s exciting,” Long said. “I think it says we have a program because that’s the fourth year in a row, and if you don’t have a program you don’t do that.”[/quote]
The Aztecs will return for their final home game of the season at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium against the Boise State University Broncos.
Photo by Monica Linzmeier, Photo Editor
