DiLeva's career long 53 yarder with 57 seconds left keeps the Old Oil Can in San Diego, 26-23 over Fresno State
San Diego State lost its starting quarterback in the second quarter, blew a 13 point lead, and still beat Fresno State on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. Cooper DiLeva's fourth field goal of the game, a career long 53 yarder in the final minute, settled the Old Oil Can rivalry, 26-23.
SAN DIEGO: The Old Oil Can stays in San Diego. Cooper DiLeva kicked a career long 53 yard field goal with 57 seconds left on Saturday night, lifting San Diego State to a 26-23 win over Fresno State at Snapdragon Stadium in a rivalry game the Aztecs led 13-0, trailed in the third quarter, and had to win twice.
The kick was DiLeva's fourth field goal of the night on five attempts, after first half makes of 32, 30 and 40 yards and a 43 yard miss in the third quarter. It capped a 10 play, 40 yard drive in 3:38 led by freshman quarterback Stone Saunders, who replaced injured starter Jayden Denegal in the second quarter. The drive turned on third and 10, when Saunders found Jordan Napier for a 26 yard gain that moved the Aztecs into Fresno State territory.
The win moved San Diego State to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12, a week after a 66-14 loss at Oregon State. Fresno State fell to 4-3 and 1-2 in conference play.
A starter lost, a freshman tested
Denegal had started fast before he went down. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 112 yards, including a 52 yard touchdown pass to Jaylon Hawkins late in the first quarter that made it 10-0. In the second quarter he was hit by Fresno State defensive tackle Deijon Laffitte as he threw, hurt his right leg, and did not return.
"Well, we gotta re-evaluate here at halftime," head coach Sean Lewis said in his halftime television interview. "X-rays were negative, from what I heard, so we'll see how it works out when he comes out for the second half." Denegal never came back out, and the Aztecs finished the night with Saunders, who had just returned from a broken collarbone.
Saunders's first play was a disaster he did not create. The pistol snap hit motioning tight end Kime Fangupo, Fresno State's Dylan Hampsten recovered at the San Diego State 38, and five plays later Bryson Donelson scored on a 4 yard run that cut the lead to 13-10. Saunders settled from there, finishing 6 of 11 for 61 yards, with the Napier completion the biggest throw of his night.
The ground game carried the rest. Lucky Sutton returned from a two game absence and rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries. His 67 yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter, with the Aztecs backed up near their own goal line, flipped the field and set up Bert Emanuel Jr.'s 7 yard touchdown pass to Napier out of a wildcat look, which put San Diego State back in front 23-17. Javion Kinnard added 77 rushing yards, and the Aztecs ran for 204 yards as a team.
Six sacks and a missed extra point
Fresno State's comeback was real. Manaki Watanabe put the Bulldogs on the board with a 51 yard field goal in the second quarter, Julius Gillick scored on a 7 yard run in the third to give Fresno State its first lead at 17-16, and after the Emanuel touchdown the Bulldogs drove 75 yards in 11 plays to tie the game on Gillick's second touchdown, a 2 yard run. The extra point would have given Fresno State the lead. Watanabe's kick hit the right upright and stayed out, and the game stayed tied at 23-23.
That left Saunders and DiLeva their opening, and the defense closed the door. San Diego State sacked Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal six times, a season high, with edge rusher Kai Wallin recording three of them. Wallin sacked Mandal again on the first snap of the Bulldogs' final possession, and two incompletions later the game was over. Linebacker Tano Letuli led the Aztecs with 11 tackles and a sack, and the defense held Fresno State to 276 total yards and 4 of 13 on third down, after allowing 651 yards at Oregon State a week earlier. San Diego State outgained the Bulldogs 384 to 276.
The Aztecs travel to Fort Collins next weekend to play Colorado State. The first question of the week is Denegal's leg, and whether the starter who threw for 112 yards in a half on Saturday can take back a job his freshman backup just kept alive.
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