The San Diego Aztecs and Wyoming clashed at 7220 feet this afternoon, with the Aztecs besting the Pokes 27-24.
Amidst the Aztecs departure from the Mountain West and the struggling record of both teams, the Cowboys and Aztecs came into the contest 1-4 and 2-3 respectively, but both with 1-0 conference records. In what could be one of the last San Diego trips to War Memorial stadium, the Aztecs got the final say.
The contest was shaping up to be a defensive battle early on, with the Pokes front shutting down the SDSU run game and forcing 3-and-outs. An Evan Svoboda interception on Wyoming’s second possession however would set up the Aztecs on the Wyoming 10-yard line and despite another defensive stand, the Aztecs knocked an early field goal through the uprights to open the scoring.
On their responding drive, the Pokes would electrify the watching masses when a flea flicker left WR Jaylen Sargent standing alone down the field. The entire stadium gasped as Svoboda launched the ball to the waiting Sargent who reeled it in and streaked into the endzone for a 70 yard TD.
After the huge TD, the Pokes defense got right back to work, forcing two more punts and shutting down both sides of SDSU’s offense. The jubilation wore off quickly however as another Svoboda interception, this time a pick-six, gave the Aztecs a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, despite the strong play from a short-handed Cowboys defense.
Despite the big pass to Sargent, Svoboda was only 2/6 with two interceptions in the first period, with Sam Scott only picking up 15 yards on the ground.
After the offensive hiccups, Wyoming started to pull out all the stops, and attempted another flea flicker, but it would ultimately be incomplete. Appearing to stall in their own territory, the Pokes lined up for another punt on 4th and 6.
The Cowboy trickery would continue however, and the redshirt freshman DT Jayden Williams would rip off a 17 yard run on a fake punt to give the offense new life in enemy territory. Sam Scott plowed ahead for 27 yards to set up the Pokes on the goaline, and he bashed his way into the endzone to make it a 14-10 game, putting the Pokes back on top.
In rapid fashion, the Aztecs implemented a more intense passing offense to drive the ball on the Pokes defense. SDSU QB Danny O’Neil was 3/3 for 62 yards passing, and RB Cooper Marquez pounded the ball in to regain a 3 point lead with 5 minutes left in the half.
After another Pokes punt, SDSU began driving before halftime. The Poke defense took a stand however, and a deflected pass was intercepted by Conner Shay, putting the Cowboys at the SDSU 34 yard line. A holding penalty and sack stalled Svoboda and company however, forcing a long 50 yard field goal which John Hoyland missed wide right as the clock expired.
The first half stats of each team were as close as they come, with nearly identical total yards, pass yards, first downs, time of possession, and total plays. The two Svoboda interceptions to the one of SDSU’s O’Neil was one of the main discrepancies. Both squads were fairly evenly matched in the first half, but SDSU maintained a narrow 3 point lead.
Out of the gate, Jay Sawvel trusted his young QB to command the offense, despite the early troubles. Svoboda threw 9 pass attempts, only completing 3 for 32 yards on the opening drive, but it was enough to set up Hoyland to drill a 42 yard game tying field goal.
After a SDSU punt, Wyoming was pinned on their own 2 yard line. Once again, Evan Svoboda was in the game plan, and he took a 35 yard shot down field to Will Pelissier on the first play, but the pass fell incomplete. Sam Scott scampered for 15 yards on the next two plays to earn the offense some breathing room as the third quarter headed into its final 5 minutes. Svoboda dropped back three more times and only earned 3 yards, and the Pokes punted it away.
Sebastian Harsh proved to be a problem for the Aztecs offense, and after recording his 3rd tackle for loss, the Pokes got the ball back on another SDSU punt. After a critical catch by Gyllenborg, the Cowboys sat at their 49 yard line as the final quarter began.
Svoboda would then take matters into his own hands, running for a 51 yard TD on the first play of the fourth quarter, making it 24-17 Cowboys. Just 5 plays later however, Danny O’Neil exploited the Cowboys’ secondary for 80 yards through the air, connecting with WR Jordan Napier for the tying score.
The Pokes got the ball back and put a small drive together, but would ultimately punt it back to the Aztecs with 11 minutes left. Once again, the Aztecs targeted the Pokes corners, and O’Neil tossed it to Nate Bennet for 41 yards, setting their offense up in Wyoming territory. A pass interference and 26 yard run later, the Aztecs were knocking on the doorstep. The Cowboys held strong, and SDSU settled for a short field goal to go up 27-24.
7 minutes remained, but that would be the final score, and the Pokes couldn’t get mobilized on offense in any capacity. While they got the ball back late, their attempt would ultimately fall short, dropping the contest to the visiting Aztecs.
The Cowboys look to salvage their season on the road next week when they take on San Jose State.
