In a dominant final showing at Snapdragon Stadium, 1st place San Diego State flexed both offensive and defensive might to convincingly take down the San José State Spartans 25–3 on senior night. From the very outset the Aztecs set the tone, and by the final whistle, they had effectively taken control of both the margin and the momentum in their 2025 campaign.
The Aztecs victory was fueled by a dominant ground game once again led by RB back Lucky Sutton. Always the workhorse, Sutton totaled 79 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown, providing the early spark the Aztecs needed.
RB Christian Washington was also very effective on the ground gaining 70 yards on 10 carries. With the game firmly tilted in their favor, Washington brought the clincher with a late rushing touchdown that sealed the outcome.
QB Jayden Denegal completed 8-of-16 passes for 81 yards and tacked on a rushing touchdown himself, demonstrating that SDSU was willing to mix its attack. It was improvement from last week from a passing offense that is piecing together what they can after both starting wide receivers Jordan Napier and Jacob Bostick suffered season ending injuries.
On SDSU most electric drive, Denegal connected with wide receiver Donovan Brown for a 52-yard gain, then ran it in himself on fourth-and-goal to push the lead to 18–3 just before halftime. From that point the Aztecs’ defense tightened up, the Spartans’ rhythm never recovered, and SDSU closed out the game in control.
In terms of the defensive performance, Dwayne McDougle made an immediate impact by intercepting a pass on San José State’s third play and returning it 25 yards to set up the Aztecs’ first score.
It was indeed the critical turning point of the game. McDougle’s interception set up that early touchdown, pivoting momentum squarely in SDSU’s favor. From that moment the Aztecs kept control—San José State’s offensive threats were blunted, including the injury to their starting quarterback Walker Eget, who left the game late in the first quarter and struggled before the exit.
The Aztecs defense almost pitched a shutout the rest of the way. Totaling 4 sacks, 2 by Ryan Henderson and 1 by Niles King. But the defensive performance of the night has to be given credit to CB Chris Johnson.
His night of 1 sack and 1 incredible interception where he physically ripped the ball out of the arms of the Spartan receiver. Johnson’s senior night performance really punctuated a stellar career in the red & black where he is now regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in t his years draft class.
With the win, San Diego State improved to 9–2 overall and 6–1 in the Mountain West Conference, positioning themselves to clinch the regular-season conference title with one more victory. The 6-0 home record is the first time SDSU has remained undefeated at home since the 1996 season where names like QB Billy Blanton, RB George Jones, WR Az Hakim, DB Rico Curtis were leading the Aztecs.
This result carries big significance for the Aztecs moving forward: it reinforces their contention for the conference crown, bolsters their bowl game positioning and adds further confidence that they can win the big games.SDSU has a real shot at finishing the season on top of the Mountain West and heading into the bowl season with strong momentum.
The Aztecs didn’t merely win tonight—they made a statement. Their offense, while not explosive, executed efficiently; their defense delivered at the key moments; and the combined effort leaves little doubt that they’re locked in for the stretch run.
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