Fresno State safety Derron Smith grabs San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey during the Bulldogs’ 24-13 victory over the Aztecs Friday at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Darlene Wendels/The Collegian
Back-to-back interceptions late in the game from Donovan Lewis and Jamal Ellis allowed the Fresno State football team to seal the 24-13 victory over the San Diego State Aztecs Friday night.
The win gives Fresno State its third straight victory over the Aztecs in the battle for the Oil Can.
“I thought we had a tough football game tonight,” Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter said. “Our guys had a really gritty performance out there. We knew going in that we were going to be playing a very tough San Diego State team that was very well coached, and they played like it tonight.
“Our guys know that every time we play San Diego State, it is going to be a fight. They were into it, our guys were into it, and I am just really pleased at the way that we continue to make plays to win football games.”
For the first time this season, Fresno State was able to get on the board in the first quarter. The ‘Dogs drove the field early in the first but settled for a Kody Kroening 37-yard field goal to go up 3-0. Later in the quarter, the Bulldogs scored when Brandon Connette came in on a short yardage situation to punch it in from a yard out to give his team the 10-0 advantage.
The Aztecs would get just three points in the first half from a Donald Hageman 24-yard field goal to trail 10-3 going into the locker room.
Things would get interesting as SDSU would get within four points of the Bulldogs after another field goal midway through the third. However, the Bulldgos responded with a Josh Quezada 2-yard touchdown run later in the quarter to lead 17-6.
Again, the Aztecs would fight back and shorten Fresno State’s lead to four after true freshman quarterback Nick Bawden connected with fullback Adam Roberts for a 5-yard score to make it 17-13.
Fresno State running back Marteze Waller ran five yards for a touchdown late in the game.
Bawden made the start at quarterback this week for the Aztecs, taking over for regular starter Quinn Kaehler, who suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s game.
The Bulldogs limited Bawden all night, allowing the freshman to complete just nine out of 24 passes for 84 yards. It marked the best defensive performance of the year for the Bulldogs, as they allowed just 13 points.
Senior safety Derron Smith feels that despite struggling early in the season, the defense is making strides in terms of getting back on track.
“I think so ” Smith said regarding whether or not it was their best performance of the year. “Obviously we struggled in the first three games. But we knew the mistakes that we made and what we needed to correct and fix. We went back to the drawing board and practice everyday trying to get better and better. It’s starting to pay off and show on the field now.”
For the Bulldogs, Burrell completed 13 of 25 passes for 142 yards and led the Bulldogs in rushing, racking up an additional 142 yards on the ground.
SDSU running back Donnel Pumphrey finished with 96 yards on 24 carries.
“Our team was maligned after the first three games, and rightly so, but our guys proved that we are capable of accomplishing our No. 1 goal,” DeRuyter said. “And that is winning the Mountain West Conference.”