The San Diego State Aztecs (3-9, 2-5) lost their final game of the season, 31-20, to the Air Force Falcons (5-7, 3-4) in front of the smallest crowd of the season at Snapdragon Stadium (18,045). The Aztecs finish the season on a six-game losing streak after a 3-3 start. 

“We didn’t do enough in all three phases, and obviously that starts with me as a leader,” said head coach Sean Lewis postgame. “We’ll get that right. We’ll get that rectified and we’ll consistently be bringing championships back home. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.”

The Falcons offense dominated in the trenches, rushing for 276 yards led by Dylan Carson’s 125. Their two biggest plays of the night, though, came on their only two pass attempts (52, 76). One was for a score and the other was stopped at the one leading to a score on the next play. 

Quentin Hayes added 38 rushing yards and a touchdown from the quarterback position. Kade Frew chipped in 77. 

Danny O’Neil (24/32, 230 yds, 1 TD) completed his first season as a collegiate QB, starting 11 games as a true freshman. He spread the ball around with eight players hauling in at least two receptions, led by Ja’Shaun Poke’s five (56 yds). Louis Brown (3 rec, 60 yds) had the biggest reception of the night on a 36-yard catch down the right sideline in the second half.

Marquez Cooper added 94 rushing yards (24 car) and two more rushing touchdowns to add to his impressive collegiate career. His best play of the night came as a receiver, hauling in a one-handed catch in the end zone while tightly covered for his second career receiving score. 

“Danny did a great job just trusting me even though the (defender) was all over me to give me the opportunity to make a play,” said Cooper postgame about the catch. “To finish with a catch like that, you ask (QB coach Matt Johnson), he would say I have no hands, so to prove to him that I have hands like that was awesome for my last game.”

Cooper’s three scores was the most by an Aztec at Snapdragon Stadium in its short history. 

Kyle Moretti led the Aztecs with ten tackles, followed by Trey White (nine) and fellow LB Tano Letuli (eight). Letuli and Darrion Dalton recorded the only TFL’s on the night for the Aztecs. 

Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner was all over the field for the Falcons, tied with Camby Goff for the team-high of ten tackles, and led the Falcons with four TFLs. Blake Fletcher added eight tackles and two sacks. 

The game turned in the third quarter when the Aztecs offense drove into Falcons’ territory but failed to convert fourth down attempts, and the Falcons scored touchdowns on the ensuing drives to extend a 17-14 lead to 31-14. 

For the second straight week, the Aztecs failed to convert a 4th and 1 opportunity inside the opponent’s ten-yard line. Tonight, a shotgun handoff to Cooper from the six lost six yards as the Air Force defense met him in the backfield with no chance to advance forward or pitch the ball to Jordan Napier, who was coming around for a possible reverse. The attempt was in lieu of a short field goal that would have tied the game at 17. 

Earlier in the game, the Aztecs utilized a jumbo package at the goal line with a sixth offensive linemen and three backs in the backfield to score a touchdown but decided not to use it on that pivotal play. 

“We had some other tendencies that were stacked throughout the course of the year, and we wanted to keep the ball in Coop’s hands in that situation,” Lewis responded. “We lost the back side C-gap, and unfortunately, that didn’t go our way.”

Air Force’s offense picked up the momentum from its defense and only needed four plays to drive 88 yards. Hayes dropped back for his only pass attempt of the game and found Cade Harris wide open down the middle of the field for a 76-yard touchdown. The back-breaking play put the Aztecs in a ten-point deficit again. 

The second denied fourth down attempt was from Air Force 38, with five yards needed for the first down. O’Neil dropped back to pass but found nowhere to go with it and scrambled to his left toward the first down marker on the sideline. But Grant Uyl beat him to the sideline and dropped him one yard short of the sticks for a turnover on downs. 

Carson’s second touchdown rush of the night (14-yarder) gave the Falcons a 17-point lead and put the game away late in the third quarter.

Cooper’s dazzling touchdown catch finished the scoring on the night after a failed two-point attempt from a funky formation. 

When asked postgame why the need to go for two points instead of kicking the extra point to make it a ten-point game, Lewis rationalized it by playing for the win. 

“You score the two points which we had the premium look for,” Lewis explained. “Now it’s nine. So either way, it’s 11, or it’s 10, it’s a two-possession game. You make it a nine-point game, now within those two possessions, you can kick the field goal and get a touchdown and you win. We’re going to play for the win.”

The Falcons took the opening drive down to the field and scored on a one-yard dive by Carson. The big play of the drive was a 52-yard pass from Brandon Engel to Jared Roznos on a halfback pass that fooled Chris Johnson and left Roznos wide open. Johnson recovered in time to keep Roznos out of the end zone before Carson’s scoring play. 

“They ran the ball really well,” said Lewis when asked why Air Force’s passes are so effective. “(Then) you get eyes in the backfield, and it leads to explosives over the top.”

The Aztecs answered with a long touchdown drive of their own, capped off by Cooper’s 7-yard run. O’Neil was perfect on the drive, completing all six pass attempts for 64 yards. It was the first time this season the Aztecs scored on their opening drive. 

Hayes ran it in from one yard out to put the Falcons back up by seven near the end of the first quarter. Matthew Dapore’s 45-yard field goal gave the Falcons a ten-point lead halfway through the second quarter. 

Cooper’s second touchdown run of the night from two yards out cut the Aztecs’ deficit to three (17-14) at the half. 

The team honored the following 24 seniors in a pregame ceremony. 

• RB Jaylon Armstead
• WR Ja’Shaun Poke
• S William Nimmo Jr
• S JD Coffey III
• CB Bryce Phillips
• S Deshawn McCuin
• TE Jude Wolfe
• DL Marlem Louis
• CB Arnold Escano
• LS Ryan Wintermeyer
• LB Cody Moon
• RT Nate Williams
• WR Mekhi Shaw
• WR Nate Bennett
• K Nick Lopez
• P Tyler Pastula
• DL Tupu Alualu
• TE Michael Harrison
• RB Marquez Cooper
• LB Kyle Moretti
• RB Nick Gardinera
• CB Josh Goynes
• DL Keion Mitchell
• LG Myles Murao

“I’m proud of their efforts and everything they have given to the program,” said Lewis about his seniors. “They’ll be Aztecs for life. Extremely proud of their efforts and wish we could’ve had a joyous locker room with them to celebrate all of their efforts.”

Three seniors were not recognized. RB Kenan Christon, who participated in senior night festivities last season and elected to return for a final season, was not recognized. Christon was injured in fall camp and has not played this year, opening a possibility for a medical redshirt and another year of eligibility if he so chooses. Brayden Bryant and Xavier Hamlett were also not recognized during the pregame ceremony. 

The program now turns to next season as National Signing Day is Wednesday for high school seniors, and the transfer portal opens on December 9. 

Andre Haghverdian

Avid sports fan and historian of basketball, baseball, football and soccer. UC San Diego and San Diego State alumni living in America’s Finest City. Diverse team following across multiple sports leagues, but Aztecs come first in college athletics.