SAN DIEGO – San Diego State launched its 2025 football season with a commanding 42–0 win over Stony Brook at Snapdragon Stadium. The Aztecs looking to set a tone of dominance from the first whistle, delivered a complete performance on both sides of the ball.
Coach Sean Lewis’ team wasted no time asserting control in this first-ever matchup between the two programs. Their opening drive culminated in a 1-yard touchdown run by Lucky Sutton with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter. It capped off a 14-play, 75-yard drive that covered 9:30 in clock time.
A far cry from last season it took over the whole first half of football the team exploded on their way to 45 points in their opener vs FCS Texas A&M Commerce.
Quarterback Jayden Denegal, making his first start of the season, responded quickly with an aerial strike—a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Bostick—with just 37 seconds left in the first quarter, putting the Aztecs up 14–0.
By halftime, San Diego State had increased their lead to 20–0 thanks to Gabriel Plascencia‘s two field goals, coming from 42 and 35 yards out. The balanced offensive approach continued as the offense was dedicated to running the ball and chewing up yards. Lucky Sutton stacked up a career-high 100 rushing yards on 22 carries, scoring his second touchdown—a 2-yard run early in the third quarter that made it 28–0.
San Diego State added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter: Running back Christian Washington finished a 1-yard drive, and wide receiver Parker Threatt capped the scoring with a 5-yard run late in the game, sealing the 42–0 romp.
Overall it saw the Aztecs dominate in a total team performance:
- Total offense: SDSU outgained Stony Brook 453 yards to 95.
- Time of possession: Aztecs held the ball for 42:16 versus Stony Brook’s 21:23.
- First downs: SDSU earned 24 first downs compared to just 6 for the Seawolves.
- Rushing and passing: San Diego State amassed 226 rushing yards and 227 passing yards, while Stony Brook struggled for just 49 rushing and 46 passing yards.
While the scoring will capture most of the attention, not enough can be said about the defenses dominance over the Sea Wolves. All night long the Aztecs frustrated Stony Brook by bringing pressure to disrupt any chance they had at executing the playbook. First year defensive coordinator Rob Aurich had his boys locked in and playing together in a way unseen in quite some time.
Owen Chambliss and Tano Letuli led the team with 5 tackles a piece. Chambliss would notch a sack on the evening as the Aztecs also totaled 3. While there were no interceptions or turnovers, the defense was consistent enough and sure tackled all night long.
The Game Changed When …
If there was a turning point that flipped the energy fully in SDSU’s favor, it was the first quarter’s rapid-fire execution. The Aztecs’ opening drive displayed offensive precision and physicality. But it was the immediate follow-up score by Denegal to Bostick to make it 14–0 before the quarter ended that essentially put the game out of reach.
The pass was a terrific reading of the defense by Denegal and doing so in the red zone where the spaces are tighter and the margin for error is heightened. That sequence allowed SDSU to establish both confidence and unsettle the Seawolves for the rest of the night.
San Diego State’s 42–0 season-opening win over Stony Brook was a masterclass in balanced football: a dominant ground game, a steady aerial attack, clutch special teams, and a relentless defense. Granted it was an FCS team that they should have beaten in this manner. But with all things considered, these signs point toward a much-improved Aztecs squad ready to leave last season’s struggles behind, especially with this emphatic opener in front of the home crowd.
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One Response
The thing that stood out to me is that they handily beat a team they were supposed to beat. Squeaking out wins against inferior opponents has been the story in the past but this time they did it right.