San Diego College Football Recap (Sept. 5)
Mental toughness was the defining characteristic at Merrill Douglas Stadium as the San Diego Mesa Olympians (2-0) secured a thrilling walk-off victory over Mt. San Antonio (1-1).
Quarterback Diesel Taylor, who threw for 272 yards on the evening, moved the chains with precision, repeatedly finding receiver Colin McCann. McCann’s 141 receiving yards on eight catches acted as the essential catalyst, providing the yardage necessary to move into scoring range. With the game on the line, kicker Lorenzo Flores displayed ice-water veins, drilling a 42-yard field goal at the buzzer to seal the win.
San Diego State Crushes Portland State in Season Opener, 53-20
The "Aztec Fast" philosophy reached its highest gear yet at Snapdragon Stadium, as the San Diego State Aztecs (1-0) dismantled Portland State (0-2) Saturday night. Head Coach Sean Lewis’s vision was realized through total dominance across all three phases, scoring the most points by any football team in the stadium's history. After two field goals by Helix alum Joshua Hossmann Lees gave the Vikings an early 6-0 lead, the Aztecs leaned on a relentless pace.
The victory was anchored by a devastating ground game that churned out 237 rushing yards. Cathedral Catholic alum Lucky Sutton acted as the primary engine putting up three rushing touchdowns (1, 13, and 5 yards).
The Aztecs' special teams units were equally productive, providing the aggressive "third-phase" spark that neutralized any hope of a Viking comeback. Jaylon Hawkins electrified the crowd with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown, while the punt-block unit got to the ball twice. Jelani McLaughlin’s block set the Aztecs up at the one-yard line for Sutton’s first score, and Oberhiri Eyafe’s later block handed the offense a short field at the PSU 30, which Sutton again converted into six points.
Next week the Aztecs visit the Rose Bowl to face UCLA.
