When head coach Sean Lewis took over the San Diego State football team last year, the hype centered on the team’s “Aztecs fast” offense.

The hope was that it would lead to a turnaround for the program. That hype fizzled as the inconsistent team wound up with 3-9 record.

But on Saturday night at an energized Snapdragon Stadium, Lewis may have found a new team identity. Maybe call it “Aztecs blast” in honor of a defense that overwhelmed the Cal Golden Bears and produced a 34-0 victory for the Aztecs.

It’s the second shutout of the young season for the Aztecs, who beat Stony Brook 42-0 in their first game.

“How ‘bout them Aztecs?” said Lewis, kicking off his post-game press conference. “That’s a good team that played well on a good night. I’m really freaking proud of them.”

Cal came into the game with a 3-0 record to start the season while outscoring the opposition 96-32. They were favored by 14 points in one analysis.

But they were quickly dominated by a defense that sacked and intercepted its way to victory. The Aztecs scored touchdowns on both an interception return and a fumble return.

“We just trying to be the best defense we can be,” said safety Dwayne McDougle. “We want to be the number one defense.”

The Aztecs (2-1) received the ball first but had to punt after a short drive. That gave Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a true freshman, an opportunity to engineer a long drive with a nice mix of passing and running to move the Golden Bears to the edge of the end zone.

After the Aztecs stopped Cal at the 2-yard line, Cal head coach Justin Wilson decided to forego a chip shot field goal and went for it. But Sagapolutele’s pass into the end zone fell incomplete and the Aztecs took over deep in their own territory.

The Aztecs got the ball back, but couldn’t do much with it and wound up punting. The Golden Bears started a new drive, but the first quarter ended without any scoring. It continued that way thanks to Aztec edge Trey White, who sacked Sagapolutele for a loss, forcing Cal to punt the ball with about 13 minutes left in the half.

Then, for the first time in the game, Aztecs quarterback Jayden Denegal made his presence really felt, throwing an 80-yard pass to wide receiver Jordan Napier who ran it down the sideline. but stepped out of bounds at the 10-yard line.

The Aztecs wouldn’t let the big play go to waste as Napier took a short pass into the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Aztecs a 7-0 lead. Napier finished the game with 154 yards receiving.

Cal got the ball back, but the Aztecs defense again forced them a punt, this time led by defensive lineman August Salvati, who got a sack.

The Aztecs then drove for a 34-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead. It was Aztecs kicker Gabe Plascencia’s 15th straight field goal dating back to last year. He had been tied for the second longest streak in team history dating to at least the 1996 season.

The Golden Bears would rally on their next possession, driving to the SDSU 16-yard line. But consecutive false start penalties against Cal forced them into a 44-yard field goal attempt, which they missed.

With the ball again, the Aztecs drove 51 yards in nine plays to give Plascencia another chance. There were two seconds on the clock when he nailed a 40-yard field goal to give the Aztecs a 13-0 lead heading into halftime.

Cal got the ball first in the second half, but went nowhere. The Golden Bears punted, which gave the Aztecs great field position, on Cal’s 42-yard line. The Aztecs weren’t able to take advantage, but they downed a punt on Cal’s four-yard-line, pinning them deep in their own territory.

The Golden Bears were looking to maintain a long drive but running back Kendrick Raphael fumbled. It was picked up by McDougle who took it 35 yards for a touchdown, giving the Aztecs a 20-0 lead.

With the Golden Bears way behind and time running out, they turned to the passing game to try and make up ground quickly. And that led to the Aztecs’ big blow, as cornerback Chris Johnson intercepted a pass near the end zone and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown – the fifth longest interception in Aztecs history – for a 27-0 lead.

And they weren’t done yet as Sagapolutele was intercepted again on the next possession, this time by safety Dalesean Staley. The rout was on and chants of “overrated” from the student section rained down on Cal.

Running back Lucky Sutton added a 3-yard touchdown run later in the quarter, making it 34-0 Aztecs.

After the game, players hollered and celebrated with fans as they made their way back to the locker room from the field.

Napier said it was the loudest crowd he’d heard at Snapdragon.

“Moving forward we know we got a good squad, we got a good team,” he said. “Cal is one of the better teams on our schedule this year and we balled.”

NOTES: This was the Aztecs first shutout of a power conference team in 50 years … Cal and SDSU have met nine times since 1982, with Cal holding a 5-4 edge in the series. This was the first time Cal has played at Snapdragon Stadium, which was opened in 2022 … Attendance was announced at 31,369. The Aztecs tried to attract more fans by offering $15 tickets earlier in the week in honor of the 2015 Mountain West championship team … Former head coach Rocky Long and running back Donnel Pumphrey were recognized as Aztecs Warriors for the game. The Aztecs also gave away 4,000 tickets at community engagement events throughout the region, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune … Up next is an afternoon road game at Northern Illinois on Sept. 27. The game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.