Pass Interference was not called on this play despite the Washington State player clearly making contact with the receiver while the ball was in the air. (Credit: PJ Panebianco/ EVT Sports
SDSU, coming off a bye week after back-to-back wins against conference opponents, played a great Washington Stat team on Homecoming.
The contest was the first of six straight to end the Aztecs’ season.
On a sloppy Bashor Field, the affair was a rollercoaster of emotion. Numerous players went down with injuries, including Danny O’Neil, who exited the game for two series. Washington State scored on its opening possession, one of two touchdowns before the half. SDSU punched in a touchdown before intermission to close the gap to two at intermission.
In the third, Jordan Napier took a double reverse and threw a touchdown to Nate Bennett for the Aztecs’ first lead of the night. After another score gave the Aztecs a 12-point advantage, things started to unwind. O’Neil threw an interception inside enemy territory, and SDSU gave up 15 points in the final quarter and lost 29-26.
On the Aztec’s second drive of the game, after going down 7-0, the offense stalled on its own 44-yard line. On 4th and 4, Lewis elected to run a fake punt with Ja’Shaun Poke, which was good for a first down. The drive ended with a field goal. (PJ Panebianco/EVT)
Jordan Napier uses his helmet to secure a 31-yard reception on a crucial 3rd and 9 conversion to advance into Cougar territory late in the game with a four-point lead. Napier has made big plays on downfield shots and 50/50 balls all season. (Don De Mars/EVT)
Mekhi Shaw started due to Louis Brown IV not dressing because he missed a team meeting. Shaw took advantage of his opportunity to prove why he deserves more playing time. He caught three passes for 35 yards. His most important on the night was a slant on the touchdown drive before halftime. Here, he contributes to the run game by making an open-field block for Marquez Cooper. (Don De Mars/EVT)
Trey White battles through a double team. The nation’s sack leader recorded a half sack in the game to stay on top of the leaderboard with 11.5. Antwaun Powell-Ryland of Virginia Tech is close behind with 11. White has been a key piece of the defense all season and is constantly in the backfield hunting quarterbacks. (Don De Mars/EVT)
Danny O’Neil scrambles for extra yards. As a true freshman quarterback, O’Neil has shown signs of greatness and made some mistakes, but one unwavering thing is his toughness. He injured his knee earlier in the season, which caused him to miss a game against Cal. Saturday night, he left the game for several drives against Washington State but returned and led his team on multiple scoring drives. (Don De Mars/EVT)
Tano Letuli, who despite missing the last two games with an injury, chose to play against Washington State with a club on his hand. He was the only player on the field Saturday to record double-digit tackles. Postgame, Lewis praised his toughness and the fact that he is the quarterback of the defense. (Don De Mars/EVT)
Jordan Napier took a double reverse that was a run-pass option and threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Nate Bennett, giving the Aztecs the lead for the first time in the game. Lewis said, despite fans and media being surprised by the play, he knew of Napier’s ability to throw the football from the offseason and that those plays are made weekly at practices. (Don De Mars/EVT)
Chase Fisher (CEO of Blenders Eyewear) and Kyahva Tezino (LB 2016-2019) were both Honorary Warriors for the game. Fisher partnered with the football team to create a line of “Be the A1pha” Shades to support the Aztec Link NIL. Tezino was instrumental to the defense during his time on the Mesa and helped win many games for the Red and Black with his tough style of play. (Don De Mars/EVT)
Jeff Sobol gets his guys fired up after a big play. Sobol, who is the team’s strength and conditioning coach, also plays a significant role on the sidelines on gameday. He always brings immense energy when big plays are made and is often seen waving a towel and celebrating with players. He is also very concerned for his players’ well-being, and he was by their side when one was down on the field with an injury. (PJ Panebianco/EVT)
Johnny is born and raised in San Diego and a diehard fan of all his hometown teams. He is an avid collector of sports memorabilia that help paint a picture of the history of sports in San Diego. He spends a lot of his time attending sports games across San Diego county and enjoys studying the history and spreading knowledge of San Diego’s diverse sports.
