By Ken Ables (@ka619sd)
San Diego State and Hawaii meet for the 36th time tonight in Honolulu. SDSU leads the series 22-11-2, and has won 16 of 20 games played since 1990. Some great moments in Aztec football have come in games versus the Rainbow Warriors. Here are four…
Marshall’s other 300-yard game
Every Aztec fan knows Marshall Faulk gained 386 yards vs. UOP as a Freshman in 1991. But did you know about his other 300-yard game? Hawaii was ranked #23 when they visited The Murph in November 1992. Marshall scored 4 TDs on runs of 68 yards, 17 yards and two for 2 yards and gained exactly 300 yards rushing. David Lowery threw three TD passes: 36 and 47 yards to DeAndre Maxwell and 42 yards to Darnay Scott. Lowery completed 21 of 31 for 345 yards in the Aztecs 52-28 victory. One side note: the Referee in that game was Mike Pereira, now famous as the rules analyst on Fox NFL broadcasts.
New Year’s Bowl win
Aztec fans want the team to win the MW and get a berth in one of the New Year’s Six bowl games. And when they do, it will be awesome. But it won’t be the first time the Aztecs will have played on New Year’s Day. In 1951 the Aztecs finished the regular season 9-0-1 and won their seventh conference championship. Their reward? A trip to Honolulu to play the University of Hawaii in the Pineapple Bowl on January 1, 1952. Looking for the first bowl win in program history, the Aztecs built a 14-6 lead at the half. Second half TDs by Preston Robinson, Don Jurk and Aztec Hall of Famer Art Preston led to a 34-13 Aztec victory. Coach Bill Schutte’s Aztecs finished the season 10-0-1 and completed the first undefeated season in Aztec history.
What a drag
Rashaad Penny had several amazing games as an Aztec running back and kick returner. In the Aztecs 28-7 win at Hawaii in 2017, Rashaad carried 30 times for a career-high 253 yards. But one carry stands out. On 2nd and 6, he took a handoff from Christian Chapman and ran to an opening on the left side of the line. A Hawaii defender reached out and grabbed his shirt at the Rainbow 40, but Rashaad didn’t go down, dragging the defender to 29 yard line.
‘Bows shut down and shut out
The Aztec Defense held Hawaii to 215 total yards in a 55-0 shutout at the Q in 2017. DJ Pumphrey carried 21 times for 112 yards, Rashaad Penny added 108 yards and 1 TD, and Juwan Washington rushed for 48 and a TD. David Wells and Quest Truxton caught TD passes from Christian Chapman, and Ron Smith and Damontae Kazee scored on pick-six interceptions. John Baron added two field goals. In the Aztecs D1 era, 55 points is the most scored in a shutout, and the 2nd largest margin of victory.
Kickoff tonight is at 8:00 Pacific Time. Watch it on FS1 or listen to Ted Leitner and Rich Ohrnberger on XTRA Sports 1360.
