The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: San Diego State @ Fresno State

The power shift in the West division became official on November 17, 2018 when the San Diego State Aztecs traveled to Fresno to take on the Bulldogs. For years, the Aztecs were the class of the division, but things changed when Jeff Tedford was named the head coach of Fresno State. For the second straight year, the Bulldogs were able to defeat the Aztecs to gain control of the division. Let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly moments of the West division showdown.

The Good:

Marcus McMaryion

This game wasn’t exactly an offensive clinic and we wouldn’t expect it from these two teams. But, MacMaryion was his normal efficient self. He did an excellent job utilizing his team’s biggest advantage, KeeSean Johnson, against the Aztec secondary. McMaryion finished the game completing 17 of 24 pass attempts for 267 yards and one touchdown. The Bulldog quarterback didn’t exactly spread the ball around, but he know how to exploit the biggest weakness of the Aztec’s defense. His pass to Jamire Jordan set the tone for the Bulldogs passing attack.

KeeSean Johnson

Easily the MVP of this game. The Bulldogs completed 17 passes on the day, and 10 of them were caught by Johnson. Johnson was a consistent weapon for McMaryion and had his way with the Aztec’s secondary. Johnson had 141 yards receiving and was a consistent target on third down.

Fred Trevillion

The lone bright spot for the Aztec offense, Tevillion showed why he was such an explosive weapon all season long. Trevillion finished the game with 4 catches for 189 yards, an average of 47.3 yards per reception. He had touchdown catches of 75 yards and 70 yards. Those two plays alone accounted for more than two-thirds of the Aztec passing yards.

Kyahva Tezino/Parker Baldwin

Tezino and Baldwin carried the load for the Aztec’s defense and kept the team within striking distance for the majority of the game. They combined for 29 tackles and kept the Bulldog’s rushing attack in check.

The Bad:

The Rushing Attacks

Both teams were ineffective running the ball for the majority of the game. The Bulldog defense shut down Juwan Washington and the Aztec rushing attack, holding the Aztecs to 64 yards on the ground in 27 attempts. The Bulldogs weren’t much better, as they finished the game with 123 yards on 43 attempts. Neither team managed three yards per carry. This game came down to who had the better quarterback, and it was easily McMaryion.

The Kicking Game

The field goal kickers struggled in this one. John Baron II missed his only attempt for the Aztecs, and Asa Fuller missed one of his two attempts for the Bulldogs.

The Ugly:

Christian Chapman/Ryan Agnew

It has been a common theme for the Aztec football squad for years now; quarterback play has kept them from being a great team. In this game, it was boom or bust for the San Diego State passing attack. Agnew and Chapman relied on the downfield speed of Trevillion to connect on their only two scores of the game. When the deep ball wasn’t there, the passing attack and the offense stalled.

That’s it for this edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” What are some moments that stood out to you? Stay tuned; next week I will be taking a look at the showdown between Utah State and Wyoming.