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The San Diego State Aztecs (3-3, 2-1 Mountain West) beat the New Mexico Lobos (2-4, 0-2 Mountain West) 24-14 Friday night in Albuquerque. SDSU turned the tables on the Lobos: UNM entered the game averaging 322.4 rushing yards per game. But tonight, the Aztec running backs gained 397 yards and the Lobo backs gained just 152 yards.
SDSU true freshman quarterback Nick Bawden started his second straight game tonight, but he only completed four of 13 passes for 63 yards. To be fair, SDSU wide receivers didn't help the freshman out at all and dropped several catchable passes.
The injured quarterback Quinn Kaehler was healthy enough to travel with the team, and he replaced Bawden in the third quarter. He tossed three passes: one pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage, one was intercepted and one was completed for 10 yards.
SDSU won tonight because of its defense, which held the Lobos' offense to just 14 points and 263 total yards, and running backs Donnel Pumphrey and Chase Price. Pumphrey set a career high with 246 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, including a 93-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Price also set a career high with 141 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
But it sure seemed like the Aztecs tried everything they could to lose the game in the fourth quarter. SDSU turned the ball over four consecutive times in its first four possessions of the fourth quarter.
That's a lot of fours.
At least one Aztec didn't hog all the turnover glory. Wide receiver Chase Favreau (who used to be a quarterback) tossed a pick on a trick play, Kaehler threw an interception of his own, and both Pumphrey and Price shared the ball with their Lobo friends.
The SDSU defense bailed the offense out every time, though, and caused UNM to actually lose 4 yards in that four-possession span.