The Aztecs scored on nine of their 14 offensive possessions Saturday in San Diego State‘s first spring game under new head coach Sean Lewis.
At the Aztec FAST Showcase at Snapdragon Stadium, AJ Duffy completed 7 of 11 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson was 6-for-11 for 69 yards and a touchdown and Kyle Crum went 5 of 7 for 36 yards and a touchdown. Lucky Sutton added a 1-yard touchdown run for the Aztecs.
“Today was a fun day. It was awesome to be in Snapdragon for the first time,” Lewis said. “There’s a lot of work still to be done, but a great spring, a great start and we like where we’re at and where we’re headed.”
Lewis took over after Brady Hoke retired in November following a 4-8 campaign. Safety Dalesean Staley said “the energy that coach brings in brings everyone else up.”
“When you have that high energy, that good energy around you, good things are going to happen,” Staley added.
On SDSU’s opening drive, Duffy found a streaking Louis Brown IV down the right side of the field for a 36-yard touchdown strike, capping a drive that went 70 yards on seven plays. Brown finished the day with five catches for a game-high 79 yards.
After failing to convert on fourth-and-2, San Diego State struck again when Tupou’ata-Johnson found a wide-open Gabe Garretson in the end zone on a second-and-goal from the eight. The Aztecs went 75 yards on the drive on nine plays.
The big plays on the drive were a 35-yard pass from Tupou’ata-Johnson to Baylin Brooks and a key 13-yard pass from Tupou’ata-Johnson to Jordan Napier on third-and-7.
Shortly thereafter, SDSU put together its longest drive of the game. The 17-play, 66-yard effort culminated in a 26-yard field goal which three San Diego State kickers – Gabriel Plascencia, Abraham Montano and Tyler Pastula – made in succession.
Later, the Aztecs gained 54 yards on seven plays, including a gutsy 36-yard pass by Duffy to Jude Wolfe on fourth-and-13; Wolfe raced down the sideline for the score.
San Diego State scored on its next drive as well as Crum connected on a 9-yard pass to Napier in the end zone.
After a Danny O’Neil pass was intercepted by Jakson Berman, the Aztecs scored on a 42-yard field goal by Plascencia after starting on the defense’s 25-yard line, which they did the rest of the game.
SDSU cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown run by Sutton, and added a 43-yard field goal by Montano and a 35-yard field goal by Nick Lopez to conclude the scoring.
Napier matched Brown IV with five catches, while adding 46 yards and a touchdown. Brooks caught three passes for 40 yards.
Sutton led all rushers with 36 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.
Cody Moon led the defense with five tackles, while five others – Brady Anderson, Devaughn Celestine, Owen Chambliss, Chris Fewell and Dominic Oliver – added four apiece.
For Lewis, there was something to work on – he wants “to see a little bit more physicality across the board as we continue to develop our guys for summer conditioning.”
Brown sees the offense developing.
“Once we get some extra work in and connect, really dial in on what we’re doing with this offense, it’ll be a better connection,” the junior wide receiver said.
San Diego State’s season begins Aug. 31 at Snapdragon Stadium against Texas A&M-Commerce.
