Though San Diego State played BYU close Saturday, they failed to score in the second half, falling to the Cougars 28-14 to close out the regular season at 4-4.
BYU, ranked No. 14 nationally, improved to 10-1.
The Aztecs led BYU after the first quarter, but the highlights for SDSU pretty much ended there.
The Cougars struck first, to lead 7-0, but San Diego State pulled even on a Kaegun Williams 25-yard run. Elijah Kothe then scored on a 15-yard catch from Jordan Brookshire to give his team a 14-7 lead.
Kaegun Williams with the great second effort and the Aztecs have tied it here in Provo. Watch on ESPN2. pic.twitter.com/fFtyp9jHlC
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) December 13, 2020
The Aztec quarterback completed 21 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown, but with the game on the line late, he twice failed to convert, forcing the Aztecs to give up the ball on downs.
On one of those drives, in the fourth quarter, SDSU ate up eight minutes on the clock, only to come up empty as Brookshire slipped and fell on fourth and goal.
Turnovers and penalties also hurt San Diego State.
Brookshire threw a second-quarter interception, and following a 15-yard penalty, BYU had the ball at their 46-yard line. Five plays later BYU quarterback Zach Wilson tied the game on a short pass.
Elijah Kothe. What. A. Catch. Watch on ESPN2. #sctop10 pic.twitter.com/yd3MdWi0NR
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) December 13, 2020
Then in the third quarter, with BYU up 17-14, the Aztecs got a first down at the BYU 10, only to have Williams fumble on a two-yard run. After a 13-play drive, the Cougars added a field goal to increase their lead to six.
“For sure we could have gotten points if we had just taken care of the ball,” head coach Brady Hoke said in the post-game news conference.
Williams ran for 92 yards for the Aztecs, while the injured Greg Bell returned to gain a total of 110 yards. On defense, Michael Shawcroft forced a fumble, and Tariq Thompson recovered it, leading to Kothe’s early touchdown.
BYU’s Wilson threw for 303 yards, with three touchdowns.
The Aztecs closed out Mountain West conference play last week with a 4-2 record, and hold on to slim hopes that a bowl bid could be forthcoming.
With their weekend wins, San Jose State and Boise State earned spots in the MW championship game on Dec. 19.
– Staff reports
