Among the most intriguing aspects of football is that any play can be pivotal. A nondescript 13-yard slant to Mekhi Shaw at the end of the first half turned out to be among the biggest moments in the contest between SDSU and Washington State.

After leaving the game with what appeared to be a left shoulder injury in the first quarter, freshman quarterback Danny O’Neil returned and led the Aztecs on a touchdown drive just before intermission. On the consequential play, Shaw lined up to O’Neil’s left. Showing blitz, Washington State tried to create pressure by rushing a safety on the same side.

O’Neil calmly faced the rush, trusting the offensive line and running back Marquez Cooper to provide protection. When they did, SDSU’s signal caller completed the slant by throwing into the area the safety vacated.

The exchange gave WSU defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding a look at how Aztecs head coach Sean Lewis has taught O’Neil to handle a safety blitz. O’Neil’s strength is executing Lewis’ instructions. His weakness is not being able to deviate from it.

In the fourth quarter, up five and with the opportunity to put the game away, Lewis put the ball in his freshman’s hands. Schmedding dialed up the same look as O’Neil had seen in the second quarter. He crept his safety to the line, showing blitz.

O’Neil’s inexperience took over, and he sheepishly threw where he’d been taught to throw. Schmedding, anticipating the pass, dropped linebacker Taariq Al-Uqdah into where he knew the ball would go. 

“(O’Neil’s) a great decision-maker,” Lewis said postgame when asked why he made that call on 3rd and 10. “Operating within the confines of our offense, (I) trusted him to make a good decision. Hindsight being 20/20, we’re in field goal range there, being able to make a better decision. Run the ball, kick the ball there, extend the lead, and not make it that sort of 50/50 decision.” 

What the loss means

Lewis is correct that O’Neil’s fourth-quarter interception was the wrong play call. With the Aztecs up five, a field goal would have put them up eight. 

A run or a fade pass to the end zone would have been the safer play. If SDSU falls a game short of a bowl, the field goals against Central Michigan and that pick will loom large.

While the call was not right in the context of winning, it was correct for O’Neil’s development. In the final non-conference game of the year, Lewis took the training wheels off the offense. The results were mixed.

O’Neil’s final numbers only include the one pick, but he should have had at least three. On the Aztecs’ first two possessions, he gifted interceptions as easy as the one late in the contest. The Cougars dropped them.

On the other hand, he engineered the best stretch of offense this team has had against an FBS opponent. From SDSU’s final drive of the first half until a few plays into the fourth quarter, the Aztecs scored touchdowns on three of five possessions. He displayed the intangible competitiveness that suggests, above his clear arm talent, that he is playing the worst football of his career. 

Growing pains are part of the journey for any young athlete. The nature of the position just makes O’Neil’s public. His counterpart in Saturday’s game, John Mateer, has started only eight games. While his numbers have been stellar overall, he has had mixed results as well.

In two contests this season, he failed to complete 50% of his passes. Mateer also had a stretch of five straight games with an interception. 

Unlike O’Neil, Mateer benefited from watching and learning for two years before starting this season. This allowed Washington State to give him more responsibility in their game plan. 

Saturday was O’Neil’s first chance to be the centerpiece of the offense. It went much like the rest of his season. He showed more potential than production. Working through contests like Washington State is the only way to change that.

“I think we’ve learned a lot about Danny through these first seven games,” Lewis said. “I don’t think anyone can ever question his toughness and his resolve and his willingness to compete and step into the arena.”

Player of the Game: Tano Letuli

After missing two games with an injury, Tano Letuli competed against Washington State with a club on his right hand. On Monday, Lewis said linebacker was the hardest position to play with one hand. Letuli’s play suggested otherwise.

He was the only player on either team to reach double digits in tackles. With all the misdirection Washington State used, Letuli usually made the right reads. Among SDSU defenders, he was one of the few who attacked.

“His leadership, he’s the quarterback of our defense,” Lewis said. “He does an unbelievable job of communicating, driving, making sure that we’re set and we’re ready to play. His relentlessness, and his pursuit, and his effort that he plays with give him a chance to fill the stat sheet each and every single week.” 

Unsung Hero: Jeff Sobol

Postgame, Letuli said the field conditions were sandy and caused issues. He said both teams played on it, so it was not an excuse.

Lewis said the surface looked worse from a distance than up close. He praised the grounds crew for their work getting the field ready to play. 

Inspecting the north end zone after the game, it looked like a shallow sand pit painted red. When asked if the field contributed to the rash of injuries that occurred Saturday, Lewis insisted it did not but credited them to the game’s physical nature.

Whatever the cause, athletes from both sides struggled to stay healthy. Lewis spent more time standing over injured players on the field than anyone wants to see.

Next to Lewis in those moments, as the athletic trainers tended to the ailing Aztec, was head of football performance Jeff Sobol. Among the most boisterous people on SDSU’s sideline, the hulking strength and conditioning coach is often seen leaping and screaming in celebration.

Saturday, a different side of someone new to San Diego came out. Sobol’s soft side shone through in some dark moments. He accompanied Lewis to tend to the injured athletes, showing the relationship he has forged with this team.

“From the beginning of winter conditioning, coach Sobol and his staff have spent the most time with our guys,” Lewis explained. “That time on task leads to a very, very strong bond. The test and the challenge that we do to build our guys up in the weight room and to form our culture and to create those connections, obviously coach Sobol is at the head of that.”

“He’s very close with all of these guys, so he’s there for them to love and support them the same way all great guardians would do. We’re here looking after these guys’ careers, their experiences, and we promised their families that we’re going to take care of them.”

Unsung Hero: Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson

Three Aztecs, Louis Brown IV, Jude Wolfe, and AJ Duffy, missed the Washington State game for violating team rules in separate instances. Lewis said the suspensions were his decision. Even without Brown and Wolfe, Lewis did not change the game plan much, but SDSU was more spread out than it was in previous games.

Contrasting the youthful indiscretions of his teammates, Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson’s maturity stood out. Less than two years removed from high school, Tupou’atu-Johnson showed that positives and negatives are happening in Lewis’ locker room.

Tupou’ata-Johnson spelled O’Neil for two series. He was better at the read/option than the starter at any point this season. The signal caller completed 4 of 5 passes for 41 yards. Most importantly, he drove the team down the field on both drives he led. 

After this success, he was pulled. Instead of sulking, Tupou’ata-Johnson was the first Aztec off the sideline to celebrate the touchdown drive O’Neil led on his return.

“We believe that we’re better together,” Lewis said when asked about Tupou’ata-Johnson’s example. “I, kind of, have an obsession with wolves. They’re my spirit animal, a little bit. There’s that old mantra that ‘the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.’” 

“Being able to lean on one another, having that connection, having that bond, like any good unit, any good team, any good family. The brotherhood and the bond that’s in there, regardless of who’s making the plays and who’s getting the glory, we can all celebrate that together. So, that’s the standard, and that’s the culture that we’re going to have, and we’re going to continue to build.”

Quick Takes:

• The student section was sparse compared to other games, but the future scholars still utilized the overflow section.
• Trey White earned only half a sack on the night, raising his total to 11.5, which still leads the nation. Virginia Tech’s Antwaun Powell-Ryland is second with 11.
• There were numerous visiting fans from Washington State. It could be the start of a great rivalry. They were louder than SDSU’s fans. 
• Krishna Clay continues to be an unsung hero. It was funny to see him wear jersey no. 38 instead of his no. 40. Every time he entered the game, the ref introduced him by reminding the crowd of the number change. 
• Freshman Owen Chambliss is going through some freshman struggles, but once his reaction catches up to his athleticism, watch out. 
• DJ Herman was very good on Saturday. He excelled at getting downhill instead of waiting for Washington State to dictate the encounters.
• Tyler Mchanan should be applauded for returning after leaving from injury. Saipale Fuimaono was solid as a reserve and showed versatility by playing right guard and tackle.
• As SDSU looks to line up its NIL deals for 2025, Chris Johnson might be the highest player on the list. Depending on his top-end speed, the NFL is a real possibility.
• The refs blew a pass interference call late in the game. It was a terrible miss. O’Neil, though, has to do better with that pass. It should have been a touchdown throw. O’Neil did well to avoid the rush, but with Michael Harrison a step ahead of a linebacker, that pass should have been in the end zone instead of a jump ball. 
• As bad as the field was, what will it be like when San Diego FC begins play?
• The corners need to challenge themselves more. Giving up multiple eight-yard gains is the same as giving up one 30-yard completion. 
• Among the injuries, the one to Darrion Dalton was a gut punch. He has had bad luck in his career to this point.
• Is there a more exciting player than Jordan Napier? He threw a touchdown and caught a bobbled pass for a huge gain. 

Paul Garrison

My earliest sport’s memory involve tailgating at the Murph, running down the circular exit ramps, and seeing the Padres, Chargers and Aztecs play. As a second generation Aztec, I am passionate about all things SDSU. Other interests include raising my four children, being a great husband and teaching high school.