In the 64th football matchup between the San Diego State Aztecs and the Fresno State Bulldogs, and the 14th game in the battle for the Old Oil Can, the men in black and red pulled off a thrilling 26-23 win over their hated canine rivals from the Central Valley in what was a must-win game for both teams coming off infuriating losses. With this victory, the Aztec Warriors have extended their all-time series lead to 33-27.
In this article, I’ll cover the good, the bad, and where the San Diego State Aztecs football program goes from here in my final reflection.
The Good
This was by far the best overall start to a game this season for the Aztecs, as they scored 16 first-half points and led 13-0 at one point. In that first half, the offense outgained the Bulldogs 201 to 119, but the biggest gap was in the passing game: the Aztecs had 119 passing yards at halftime compared to the Bulldogs’ 34.
The game began with the Bulldogs getting the ball first, going 3 plays for -9 yards. The Aztecs defense forced a three-and-out when senior Aztecs linebacker and captain Tano Letuli sacked junior Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Mandal for a 10-yard loss.
The Aztecs offense punted on their first drive, going 5 plays for 15 yards. On the ensuing drive, the Bulldogs offense moved the ball, going 4 plays for 22 yards, and Jayden Mandal found junior tight end Brock Lium for a short catch-and-gain before senior linebacker Sione Hala stripped the ball and senior cornerback Jelani Whitmore recovered.
The Aztecs defense forced another punt as the Bulldogs offense could muster only 9 yards on 4 plays on 2nd and 11 of that same drive. Senior edge rusher Kai Wallin sacked Jayden Mandal for a 7-yard loss, forcing a 3rd-and-18.
Still in the first quarter, the Aztecs best first-half drive began. It had a rough start with a five-yard false start penalty called on interior offensive lineman Kalan Ellis before senior quarterback Jayden Denegal would complete a four-yard pass to senior wide receiver Nathan Acevedo for 4 yards at the 3:58 mark, a 12-yard completion to redshirt freshman wide receiver Jaylon Hawkins at the 3:24 mark, a 3-yard Javion Kinnard run at the 3:03 mark followed by a 9-yard run.
At this point, the Aztecs offense had gone 5 plays for 23 yards, gaining momentum and moving the ball efficiently through short passes and the run game.
However, on the next play, Jayden Denegal dropped back, facing heavy pressure from the Bulldogs’ defensive line, and found Jaylon Hawkins wide open for a 52-yard field-goal-range pass, extending the Aztecs’ lead to10-0 following the extra point.
Jayden Denegal had his best game of the season as the Apple Valley, California native completed 7 of 10 passes for 112 yards and the touchdown. It’s hard to overstate how well Denegal played. Whatever work he did with Sean Lewis and Matt Johnson, Denegal executed and took advantage of what the defense gave him. It was exhilarating to see him so fired up and aggressive in making plays it certainly rubbed off on the rest of the team.
That early 13-0 lead doesn’t happen without JD; however, when all was going well, the QB took a backfield hit that rolled his right ankle and kept him out for the rest of the game. More will come out on the severity of Denegal’s injury and progress, but the Aztec faithful and I wish him a speedy recovery.
Jaylon Hawkins had another spectacular game, catching 6 for 84 yards and one touchdown, bringing his total to 5 for the season.
Overall, the Aztecs offense delivered its best performance all game, totaling 384 yards: 180 passing and 204 on the run on 40 rushing attempts, for 5.1 yards per carry. The Aztecs’ offensive line more than redeemed itself on the run and pass, allowing only one sack.
In their first games back in the lineup together, Lucky Sutton rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries and 6.1 yards per carry, while Javion Kinnard rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries and 5.5 yards per carry.
Junior wide receiver Jordan Napier made an impact with 3 receptions for 55 yards, scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 7-yard short pass from Bert Emanuel Jr. on 3rd and Goal at the 12:00 mark of the fourth quarter.
Bert Emanuel Jr. caught 2 passes for 34 yards, with his biggest play coming on the same drive at the 13:23 mark when he caught a short pass from freshman quarterback Stone Saunders and turned it into a 24-yard gain. This play set the Aztecs up on 2nd and goal at the Bulldogs 2-yard line.
Stone Saunders went 6-for-11 for 61 yards, including a big play on the game-winning field-goal drive with just over two minutes left. On 3rd and 10 at the Aztecs 37-yard line, Saunders found Jordan Napier past the sticks before the wide receiver broke two tackles for a 26-yard gain before being stopped at the Bulldogs ‘ 37-yard line.
The Aztec defense held the Bulldogs offense, which averaged 384.3 total yards per game, to 276 total yards, 141 passing yards, and 135 rushing yards on 40 carries, for 3.4 yards per carry. On third down, the Sack Diego State Aztecs defense went 4-13, racking up 6 sacks and 7 tackles for loss and setting the tone from start to finish.
Jayden Mandal was limited to 13/25 passing for 141 yards and no touchdowns, as he couldn’t get the ball to senior wide receiver Josiah Freeman, who was limited to 3 receptions for 49 yards, or junior wide receiver Ezekiel Avit, who had 3 receptions for 43 yards.
The Aztecs defense ensured no single Bulldog ball carrier could go off, limiting sophomore Bryson Donelson to 62 on 13 carries for a touchdown, senior Rayshon Luke to 47 on 10 carries, and redshirt freshman Julius Gillick to 25on 6 carries and two touchdowns.
Kai Wallin led the effort on the defensive line, recording 3 sacks and 3 solo tackles for loss. His biggest play came on the first play of the last Bulldogs drive, as they desperately tried to get the ball downfield and tie the game with a field goal.
Wallin worked his way to the backfield and sacked Mandal for a 6-yard loss, ending the drive before it even began. Senior defensive lineman Malachi Finau recorded 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack. Junior edge rusher Djibril Rahman added a solo tackle, a sack, and a tackle for loss.
Tano Letuli led all players with 11 total tackles, 7 solo, plus a tackle for loss and the aforementioned sack on the first drive. His linebacking partner, senior Sione Hala, recorded 7 total tackles, 6 solo.
Senior safety Josiah Cox led all Aztecs defensive backs with 8 total tackles, 5 solo, followed by senior safety Josh Hunter with 6 total tackles, 1 solo, and Jelani Whitmore with 7 total tackles, 4 solo, and his fumble recovery. Sophomore cornerback Mike Lindsay recorded 3 total tackles, 2 solo, and a tackle for loss.
Credit goes to Demetrius Sumler, defensive pass game Coordinator C.J. McGorisk, linebackers coach Scott White, edge rush coach Colin Ferrell, and the rest of the defensive coaching staff for preparing the unit and answering the call in the biggest moment of the season.
Senior kicker Cooper Dileva was called upon often, going 4 of 5 on field goals and 2/2 on extra points, scoring 14 of the team’s points. His most important and impressive kick was a 53-yard make with less than a minute to go, capping a 10-play, 40-yard drive and the eventual win. Dileva not only showed poise to surpass his season-high at that point but also shook off the adversity of his earlier miss, redeemed himself, and cemented his place as the winner and hero of the day.
Senior Aztecs punter Tashi Dorje landed two of his three punts inside the Bulldogs 20-yard line, with his longest kick going 60 yards and giving the defense perfect field position to execute.
The Bad
I’ll be honest it’s hard to nitpick the Aztecs performance when, on the surface, they played well in all phases. Truth be told, many of those issues could be attributed to the team adjusting to a sudden quarterback change from the usual senior starter to a freshman coming off an injury, but of course, I wouldn’t leave out the bad.
As I mentioned earlier, San Diego State led 13-0 early in the second quarter and 23-17 in the fourth, yet Fresno State fought back to take the lead and tie the game both times.
A large part of the Bulldogs comeback was the Aztecs inability to score touchdowns in the red zone. On their four red zone trips, the Aztecs offense scored one touchdown and two field goals. To close games, the team will need to improve red zone playcalling, hold leads, and keep their foot on the gas moving forward.
The Aztecs only turnover of the game came at the 6:34 mark in the second quarter on Stone Saunders’s first play of the game. Junior center Isaac Lucas snapped the ball too early before it reached sophomore tight end Kime Fanpugo, who was in motion. Junior edge rusher Dylan Hampsten recovered the ball.
The Bulldogs offense capitalized on the turnover, going on a 5-play, 38-yard drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown from Bryson Donelson, shifting momentum toward the Bulldogs.
The turnover was a matter of preparedness and communication as the Aztecs offense settled in with a new quarterback, and I wouldn’t harp on it as an Aztecs fan. As the weeks go on and Saunders gets more reps, his chemistry with the offense will be much smoother.
The Aztecs committed five penalties for 35 yards. Of the five penalties, four were false starts on the offensive line. The only defensive penalty, and the most egregious one, occurred with less than two minutes in the fourth quarter at the Bulldogs 47-yard line when Djibril Rahman sacked Jayden Mandal for a 9-yard loss, forcing a punt, before the play was turned into a free 15 yards for the Bulldogs offense when Rahman, for reasons only known to him, decided to enact a gun celebration.
Rightfully so, the edge rusher received a talking-to from Coach Lewis, and ultimately the Aztecs defense would force a punt a few plays later. For the offensive line, communication, discipline, and awareness have to improve at the snap. In all phases, five penalties cannot happen again.
Final Reflection
After the nightmare that was the Oregon State game, San Diego State beating Fresno State and keeping the Oil Can home is about as strong a response as we Aztec fans could ask for. I can’t help but feel euphoric after what I saw this past Saturday night.
Unlike the Texas State win that required a miraculous second half, San Diego State imposed their will from the start and set the tone early, something the team hasn’t done in a long time. I felt like I was watching the team I expected to see going into the season, and I hope that going forward that team continues to show up on Saturdays and play complete games.
In sports and in life, things take time to work and come together, and perhaps that’s the case for the Aztecs football in 2026 maybe seven games in, the guys could spark a run and win some more games. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me considering the roller coaster this season has been.
I don’t mean to make light of Jayden Denegal’s injury, but I am excited to see how the team handles the quarterback situation this week, with Stone Saunders continuing to get practice reps.
I commend Sean Lewis, the coaching staff, and the players who responded in the biggest moment of the season when the team was doubted and written off. These guys played for each other and demonstrated unity and resilience on the field, play after play. It’s no wonder the men in black and red overcame the odds stacked against them and reignited fans hopes, myself included.
Going forward, as the San Diego State Aztecs continue to get their guys back, they’ll be preparing for the Colorado State Rams, who are currently on a four-game losing streak. Nothing is guaranteed, and the work will have to be done, but I like the Aztecs offense’s chances against this Rams defense, one of the worst in FBS.
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