San Diego State’s defense leads Aztecs to win over defenseless San Jose State

San Diego State couldn’t have had much more going for it as Saturday night’s Mountain West game unfolded against San Jose State.

The Spartans were coming off a loss to last-place Nevada in which their defense gave up 55 points. San Jose State’s defensive coordinator was fired two days later.

At least San Jose State still had quarterback Walker Eget, who ranked second in the nation with 301.5 passing yards per game. But Eget left with a knee injury with 2 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter.

That left the Spartans with true freshman quarterback Tama Amisone gamely guiding the offense. Amisone had thrown a total of 14 passes this season when he stepped behind center against the Aztecs. The Hawaii native made a couple of good throws and got outside for a few good runs (leading San Jose State in rushing with 75 yards), but Amisone (15-for-27, 104 yards, INT) was overmatched against the conference’s top-ranked defense.

The result was predictable: SDSU 25, San Jose State 3.

The win was essential for the Aztecs (9-2, 6-1 MW) to maintain their one-game lead in the conference with one week to play. Bunched behind them are three teams with 5-2 records — Boise State, New Mexico and UNLV.

SDSU closes out the regular season Friday at New Mexico.

And it comes down to this: Beat the Lobos and SDSU wins the regular season title and hosts the Dec. 5 Mountain West championship game. Lose and, well, it becomes substantially more complicated, with the likelihood of a multi-team tie for first place and four computer-based polls spitting out rankings to be averaged in order to determine the title game participants and site.

An announced crowd of 22,595 (15,165 turnstile) at Snapdragon Stadium watched the Aztecs complete their home schedule with a 6-0 record. It is the program’s first undefeated home season since 1996.

SDSU seized control the way it has so many other times this season — with its defense.

Three plays into the game, Aztecs safety Dwayne McDougle stepped in front of a short sideline pass by Eget and returned the interception to the San Jose State 20-yard line.

SDSU ran six straight running plays, five of them on rushes by running back Lucky Sutton (20 carries, 79 yards, TD), before Sutton scored on a 1-yard run.

Linebacker Brady Anderson, in on the extra point attempt, took a direct snap and rushed to the left cone to add a two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead fewer than four minutes into the game. Anderson, who was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he spiked the ball on a similar play earlier this season, acted like he’d been there before on this occasion.

San Jose State (3-8, 2-5) missed a field goal attempt on its next possession. The Aztecs took over and promptly missed a golden opportunity for a touchdown when wide-open wide receiver Nathan Acevedo flat-out dropped a pass from quarterback Jayden Denegal (8-for-16, 81 yards) at the Spartans’ 12-yard line.

A San Jose State cornerback had slipped on the play, leaving Acevedo open by 15 yards. He could have walked into the end zone. The Aztecs ended up punting.

Eget was injured on the next series, limping off the field after being tackled in the backfield.

SDSU then added a 35-yard field goal by Gabe Plascencia for an 11-0 lead with eight seconds remaining in the opening period.

Amisone actually led the Spartans to a field goal on their next drive, closing the deficit to 11-3 five minutes into the second quarter.

San Jose State also positioned itself for another field goal the next time it had the ball. The drive was aided by a pass interference call against McDougle, who added injury to insult when he hurt his knee on the play. He left the game, but was able to return.

San Jose State did nothing with its good fortune, missing a 39-yard field goal.

With just more than three minutes remaining before halftime, the Aztecs put together their best drive of the game.

They moved 78 yards downfield in nine plays — most of it coming on a beautifully thrown 52-yard pass from Denegal to wide receiver Donovan Brown — before calling a timeout when faced with a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line and 0:03 showing on the clock.

Actually, the ball was about a foot from the goal line. SDSU coach Sean Lewis kept the offense on the field, center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli snapped the ball and Denegal followed him over the goal line for the touchdown and an 18-3 halftime lead.

It was an insurmountable lead in this instance.

San Jose State’s drives in the second half ended this way: on downs, punt, interception, on downs.

The interception was a thing of beauty. SDSU cornerback Chris Johnson blanketed San Jose State wide receiver Kyri Shoels deep downfield. The players came together just as Aminsone’s pass arrived. They spun with the ball trapped between them. Johnson, with some sleight of hand, had it cradled in his stomach as he hit the ground.

SDSU closed out the scoring on running back Christian Washington’s 8-yard run with two minutes remaining in the game. Washington carried five times, accounting for all 45 yards on the five-play drive.