2021 San Diego State Aztecs football team

American college football season

2021 San Diego State Aztecs football
MW West Division champion
Frisco Bowl champion
Frisco Bowl, W 38–24 vs. UTSA
ConferenceMountain West Conference
DivisionWest Division
Ranking
APNo. 25
Record12–2 (7–1 MW)
Head coach
  • Brady Hoke (4th overall, 2nd straight season)
Offensive coordinatorJeff Hecklinski (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorKurt Mattix (2nd season)
Home stadiumDignity Health Sports Park
Seasons
← 2020
2022 →
2021 Mountain West Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mountain Division
No. 24 Utah State xy$   6 – 2     11 – 3  
Air Force x   6 – 2     10 – 3  
Boise State   5 – 3     7 – 5  
Wyoming   2 – 6     7 – 6  
Colorado State   2 – 6     3 – 9  
New Mexico   1 – 7     3 – 9  
West Division
No. 25 San Diego State xy   7 – 1     12 – 2  
Fresno State   6 – 2     10 – 3  
Nevada   5 – 3     8 – 5  
Hawaii   3 – 5     6 – 7  
San Jose State   3 – 5     5 – 7  
UNLV   2 – 6     2 – 10  
Championship: Utah State 46, San Diego State 13
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 San Diego State Aztecs football team represented San Diego State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aztecs were led by head coach Brady Hoke in the second season of his second stint as head coach and played their home games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. They competed as members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 47:30 p.m.New Mexico State*CBSSNW 28–1010,116
September 117:00 p.m.at Arizona*P12NW 38–1439,097
September 184:00 p.m.Utah*
  • Dignity Health Sports Park
  • Carson, CA
CBSSNW 33–31 3OT11,090
September 2512:30 p.m.Towson*
  • Dignity Health Sports Park
  • Carson, CA
StadiumW 48–217,619
October 96:00 p.m.New MexicoNo. 25
  • Dignity Health Sports Park
  • Carson, CA
FS1W 31–78,387
October 157:30 p.m.at San Jose StateNo. 24CBSSNW 19–13 2OT17,177
October 234:00 p.m.at Air ForceNo. 22CBSSNW 20–1423,887
October 307:30 p.m.Fresno StateNo. 21
  • Dignity Health Sports Park
  • Carson, CA (rivalry)
CBSSNL 20–3011,034
November 68:00 p.m.at HawaiiNo. 24FS1W 17–106,239
November 137:30 p.m.NevadaNo. 22
  • Dignity Health Sports Park
  • Carson, CA
CBSSNW 23–2111,821
November 198:30 p.m.at UNLVNo. 19CBSSNW 28–2016,713
November 269:00 a.m.Boise StateNo. 21
  • Dignity Health Sports Park
  • Carson, CA
CBSW 27–1611,886
December 412:00 p.m.Utah StateNo. 19
FOXL 13–4613,445
December 214:30 p.m.vs. UTSA*No. 24
ESPNW 38–2415,801

[1][2]

Game summaries

New Mexico State

New Mexico State Aggies at San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34Total
New Mexico State 3 7 0010
San Diego State 0 0 21728

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: September 4, 2021
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 10,116
  • Referee: Baron Stephen
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analysis), Lindsay Rhodes (sidelines), and Deb Boulac (producer)
  • Aztec Football Tops New Mexico State, 28–10,[3] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • NMSU – Ethan Albertson 31 Yd Field Goal, 7:26. Aggies 3–0
Second quarter
  • NMSU – Dominic Gicinto 8 Yd pass from Jonah Johnson (Ethan Albertson Kick), 10:42. Aggies 10–0
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 23 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 13:43. Aggies 10–7
  • SDSU – Jordon Brookshire 18 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 3:01. Aztecs 14–10
  • SDSU – Andrew Aleki 25 Yd Interception Return (Matt Araiza Kick), 2:45. Aztecs 21–10
Fourth quarter
  • SDSU – Jordan Byrd 43 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 14L19. Aztecs 28–10
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –31.5
  • Over/Under: 50.5

Statistics NMSU SDSU
First downs 21 17
Plays–yards 82–374 61–339
Rushes–yards 26–48 42–263
Passing yards 326 76
Passing: comp–att–int 34–56–3 6–19–1
Time of possession 33:42 26:18
Team Category Player Statistics
NMSU Passing Jonah Johnson 34-56, 326 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing O'Maury Samuels 6 CAR, 35 YDS
Receiving Terrell Warner 10 REC, 79 YDS
SDSU Passing Jordon Brookshire 6-19, 76 YDS, 1 INT
Rushing Greg Bell 21 CAR, 161 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Kobe Smith 1 REC, 24 YDS

At Arizona

San Diego State Aztecs at Arizona Wildcats
Period 1 2 34Total
San Diego State 21 14 3038
Arizona 7 0 0714

at Arizona Stadium • Tucson, Arizona

  • Date: September 11, 2021
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny
  • Game attendance: 39,097
  • Referee: Mike Cuttone
  • TV announcers (P12N): Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analysis), and Michael Molinari (producer)
  • Bear Down,[4] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 55 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 13:22. Aztecs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:38.
  • SDSU – Jordon Brookshire 3 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 9:12. Aztecs 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 96 yards, 3:08.
  • SDSU – Tyrell Shavers 27 Yd Return of Blocked Punt (Matt Araiza Kick), 7:07. Aztecs 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 2:05.
  • ARIZ – Stanley Berryhill 43 Yd pass from Gunner Cruz (Tyler Loop Kick), 5:50. Aztecs 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:17.
Second quarter
  • SDSU – Daniel Bellinger 25 Yd pass from Jordon Brookshire (Matt Araiza Kick), 12:29. Aztecs 28–7. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:35.
  • SDSU – Ethan Dedeaux 40 Yd pass from Jordon Brookshire (Matt Araiza Kick), 1:52. Aztecs 35–7. Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 32 Yd Field Goal, 5:13. Aztecs 38–7. Drive: 6 plays, 6 yards, 3:22.
Fourth quarter
  • ARIZ – Tayvian Cunningham 7 Yd pass from Will Plummer (Tyler Loop Kick), 8:24. Aztecs 38–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 2:52.
Odds
  • Line: ARIZ –1.5
  • Over/Under: 46.5
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 53.1%

Statistics SDSU ARIZ
First downs 21 9
Plays–yards 70–454 56–230
Rushes–yards 55–271 20–51
Passing yards 183 179
Passing: comp–att–int 10–15–0 18–36–1
Time of possession 37:34 22:26
Team Category Player Statistics
SDSU Passing Jordon Brookshire 10-14, 183 YDS, 2 TD
Rushing Greg Bell 17 CAR, 125 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Daniel Bellinger 3 REC, 113 YDS, 1 TD
ARIZ Passing Will Plummer 8-17, 109 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing Stanley Berryhill 2 CAR, 26 YDS
Receiving Tayvian Cunningham 5 REC, 81 YDS, 1 TD

Utah

Utah Utes at San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34OT2OT3OTTotal
Utah 7 3 01470031
San Diego State 3 7 14070233

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: September 18, 2021
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 69 °F (21 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,090
  • Referee: Jim Wharrie
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analysis), Amanda Guerra (sidelines), and Giancarlo Gennarini (producer)
  • Leading the Pac,[5] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • UTAH – Britain Covey 80 Yd Punt Return (Jadon Redding Kick), 8:02. Utes 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, -2 yards, 1:48.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 51 Yd Field Goal, 1:54. Utes 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 3:20.
Second quarter
  • UTAH – Jadon Redding 43 Yd Field Goal, 7:51. Utes 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 5:02.
  • SDSU – Jordan Byrd 100 Yd Kickoff Return (Matt Araiza Kick), 7:38. Tie 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:39.
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 7 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 11:24. Aztecs 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 3:31.
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 7 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 10:42. Aztecs 24–10. Drive: 1 play, 7 yards, 0:04.
Fourth quarter
  • UTAH – Britain Covey 2 Yd pass from Cameron Rising (Jadon Redding PAT failed), 4:17. Aztecs 24–16. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 2:16.
  • UTAH – Theo Howard 4 Yd pass from Cameron Rising (Cameron Rising Pass to Solomon Enis for Two-Point Conversion), 0:16. Tie 24–24. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 2:20.
First overtime
  • SDSU – Jay Rudolph 2 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick). Aztecs 31–24.
  • UTAH – Jaylen Dixon 25 Yd pass from Cameron Rising (Jadon Redding Kick). Tie 31–31.
Second overtime
  • No scoring
Third overtime
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews Pass to Lucas Johnson for Two-Point Conversion. Aztecs 33–31. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards.
Odds
  • Line: UTAH –8.0
  • Over/Under: 42.5
  • ESPN FPI: UTAH 59.8%

Statistics UTAH SDSU
First downs 21 12
Plays–yards 89–327 64–248
Rushes–yards 31–70 45–204
Passing yards 257 44
Passing: comp–att–int 33–58–1 10–19–0
Time of possession 30:19 29:41
Team Category Player Statistics
UTAH Passing Cameron Rising 19-32, 153 YDS, 3 TD
Rushing Micah Bernard 17 CAR, 47 YDS
Receiving Brant Kuithe 7 REC, 58 YDS
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 10-19, 44 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing Greg Bell 33 CAR, 119 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving Daniel Bellinger 1 REC, 15 YDS

Towson

Towson Tigers at San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34Total
Towson 7 7 0721
San Diego State 7 14 24348

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: September 25, 2021
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Hazy, 76 °F (24 °C)
  • Game attendance: 7,619
  • Referee: Christian Watson
  • TV announcers (Stadium): Ari Wolfe (play-by-play), Jordan Palmer (analysis), and Andy Bock (producer)
  • Aztecs Cruise Past Towson, 48–21,[6] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • TOW – Jerry Howard Jr. 19 Yd pass from Chris Ferguson (Keegan Vaughan Kick), 5:36. Tigers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:19.
  • SDSU – Kaegun Williams 8 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 0:14. Tie 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:04.
Second quarter
  • SDSU – Jordan Byrd 12 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 7:56. Aztecs 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:53.
  • SDSU – Elijah Kothe 16 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 4:03. Aztecs 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:45.
  • TOW – Caleb Smith 4 Yd pass from Chris Ferguson (Keegan Vaughan Kick), 0:06. Aztecs 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Trenton Thompson 11 Yd Return of Blocked Punt (Matt Araiza Kick), 14:02. Aztecs 28–14. Drive: 3 plays, -1 yard, 0:58.
  • SDSU – Jordan Byrd 55 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 10:43. Aztecs 35–14. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:06.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 48 Yd Field Goal, 6:39. Aztecs 38–14. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:02.
  • SDSU – Chance Bell 1 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 4:25. Aztecs 45–14. Drive: 4 plays, 64 yards, 1:15.
Fourth quarter
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 36 Yd Field Goal, 7:44. Aztecs 48–14. Drive: 17 plays, 64 yards, 10:31.
  • TOW – Daniel Thompson IV 9 Yd pass from Chris Ferguson (Keegan Vaughan Kick), 5:59. Aztecs 48–21. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:32.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –23.0
  • Over/Under: 41.0
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 94.8%

Statistics TOW SDSU
First downs 12 24
Plays–yards 56–228 73–450
Rushes–yards 20–15 47–281
Passing yards 213 169
Passing: comp–att–int 19–36–1 17–26–1
Time of possession 21:50 38:10
Team Category Player Statistics
TOW Passing Chris Ferguson 19-35, 213 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Jerry Howard Jr. 12 CAR, 19 YDS
Receiving Caleb Smith 9 REC, 65 YDS, 1 TD
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 16-25, 149 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Chance Bell 7 CAR, 79 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Brionne Penny 4 REC, 55 YDS

New Mexico

New Mexico Lobos at No. 25 San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34Total
New Mexico 0 0 707
No. 25 San Diego State 7 10 7731

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: October 9, 2021
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 69 °F (21 °C)
  • Game attendance: 8,387
  • Referee: Timothy Davis
  • TV announcers (FS1): Alex Faust (play-by-play), Petros Papadakis (analysis), and Brad Weimer (producer)
  • No. 25 Aztecs Roll Past New Mexico, 31–7,[7] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 1 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 11:21. Aztecs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:01.
Second quarter
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 40 Yd Field Goal, 14:57. Aztecs 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 3:11.
  • SDSU – Jordon Brookshire 1 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 4:35. Aztecs 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:29.
Third quarter
  • UNM – Ray Leutele 15 Yd Fumble Return (Andrew Shelley Kick), 4:41. Aztecs 17–7. Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:42.
  • SDSU – Jordon Brookshire 11 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 2:35. Aztecs 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:59.
Fourth quarter
  • SDSU – Chance Bell 8 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 13:05. Aztecs 31–7. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:52.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –19.5
  • Over/Under: 42.5
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 96.9%

Statistics UNM SDSU
First downs 12 19
Plays–yards 61–193 68–336
Rushes–yards 34–66 43–203
Passing yards 127 133
Passing: comp–att–int 13–27–1 12–25–0
Time of possession 28:59 31:01
Team Category Player Statistics
UNM Passing Terry Wilson 13-25, 127 YDS, 1 INT
Rushing Aaron Dumas 11 CAR, 77 YDS
Receiving Luke Wysong 4 REC, 51 YDS
SDSU Passing Jordon Brookshire 11-24, 130 YDS
Rushing Greg Bell 21 CAR, 111 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Tyrell Shavers 2 REC, 39 YDS

At San Jose State

No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs at San Jose State Spartans
Period 1 2 34OT2OTTotal
No. 24 San Diego State 0 6 007619
San Jose State 0 3 037013

at CEFCU Stadium • San Jose, California

  • Date: October 15, 2021
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 17,177
  • Referee: Mike Cuttone
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analysis), Amanda Guerra (sidelines), and Giancarlo Gennarini (producer)
  • 6–0,[8] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • No scoring
Second quarter
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 53 Yd Field Goal, 11:16. Aztecs 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 1:58.
  • SJSU – Matt Mercurio 32 Yd Field Goal, 8:17. Tie 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:59.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 26 Yd Field Goal, 0:54. Aztecs 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 3:30.
Third quarter
  • No scoring
Fourth quarter
  • SJSU – Matt Mercurio 48 Yd Field Goal, 14:49. Tie 6–6. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:16.
First overtime
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 14 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick). Aztecs 13–6.
  • SJSU – Tyler Nevens 1 Yd Run (Matt Mercurio Kick). Tie 13–13.
Second overtime
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 24 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson. Aztecs 19–13.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –9.5
  • Over/Under: 41.0
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 78.0%

Statistics SDSU SJSU
First downs 17 18
Plays–yards 66–240 77–345
Rushes–yards 36–70 42–117
Passing yards 170 228
Passing: comp–att–int 15–30–0 16–35–1
Time of possession 27:39 32:21
Team Category Player Statistics
SDSU Passing Jordon Brookshire 13-27, 132 YDS
Rushing Greg Bell 18 CAR, 43 YDS
Receiving Jesse Matthews 4 REC, 54 YDS, 2 TD
SJSU Passing Nick Nash 16-34, 228 YDS, 1 INT
Rushing Tyler Nevens 28 CAR, 74 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Derrick Deese Jr. 6 REC, 113 YDS

At Air Force

No. 22 San Diego State Aztecs at Air Force Falcons
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 22 San Diego State 3 10 7020
Air Force 0 0 7714

at Falcon Stadium • Colorado Springs, Colorado

  • Date: October 23, 2021
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny
  • Game attendance: 23,887
  • Referee: Derek Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analysis), Jenny Dell (sidelines), and Scott Brandwein (producer)
  • Aztecs Improve to 7–0,[9] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 22 Yd Field Goal, 12:26. Aztecs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:42.
Second quarter
  • SDSU – Kaegun Williams 1 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 8:42. Aztecs 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 5:45.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 51 Yd Field Goal, 1:54. Aztecs 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 4:27.
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Chance Bell 3 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 11:05. Aztecs 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:48.
  • AFA – Dalton King 13 Yd pass from Warren Bryan (Matthew Dapore Kick), 1:07. Aztecs 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:57.
Fourth quarter
  • AFA – Dane Kinamon 3 Yd Run (Matthew Dapore Kick), 3:59. Aztecs 20–14. Drive: 15 plays, 89 yards, 6:33.
Odds
  • Line: AFA –3.0
  • Over/Under: 39.0
  • ESPN FPI: AFA 53.8%

Statistics SDSU AFA
First downs 10 15
Plays–yards 52–229 63–259
Rushes–yards 39–157 48–192
Passing yards 72 67
Passing: comp–att–int 11–13–0 5–15–1
Time of possession 31:15 28:45
Team Category Player Statistics
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 11-13, 72 YDS
Rushing Chance Bell 8 CAR, 50 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Elijah Kothe 3 REC, 25 YDS
AFA Passing Warren Bryan 3-7, 58 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing Haaziq Daniels 9 CAR, 50 YDS
Receiving Jake Spiewak 1 REC, 31 YDS

Fresno State

60th Battle for the Old Oil Can: Fresno State Bulldogs at No. 21 San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34Total
Fresno State 7 13 3730
No. 21 San Diego State 0 7 6720

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: October 30, 2021
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,034
  • Referee: Steve Baron
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analysis), Amanda Guerra (sidelines), and Carlos Gennarini (producer)
  • San Diego State Suffers First Loss,[10] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • FRES – Jordan Mims 13 Yd Run (Cesar Silva Kick), 3:53. Bulldogs 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 6:51.
Second quarter
  • FRES – Keric Wheatfall 16 Yd pass from Jake Haener (Cesar Silva Kick), 14:17. Bulldogs 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 1:38.
  • FRES – Cesar Silva 49 Yd Field Goal, 9:04. Bulldogs 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:49.
  • FRES – Cesar Silva 27 Yd Field Goal, 4:32. Bulldogs 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:48.
  • SDSU – Tyrell Shavers 19 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 2:15. Bulldogs 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 2:12.
Third quarter
  • FRES – Cesar Silva 42 Yd Field Goal, 4:00. Bulldogs 23–7. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:24.
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 3 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed), 0:13. Bulldogs 23–13. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:38.
Fourth quarter
  • FRES – Jordan Mims 15 Yd Run (Cesar Silva Kick), 4:28. Bulldogs 30–13. Drive: 2 plays, 31 yards, 0:46.
  • SDSU – William Haskell 7 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 1:06. Bulldogs 30–20. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:22.
Odds
  • Line: FRES –2.0
  • Over/Under: 44.0
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 55.5%

Statistics FRES SDSU
First downs 24 23
Plays–yards 77–485 71–412
Rushes–yards 34–179 33–165
Passing yards 306 247
Passing: comp–att–int 25–43–0 17–38–2
Time of possession 32:58 27:02
Team Category Player Statistics
FRES Passing Jake Haener 25-42, 306 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing Jordan Mims 29 CAR, 186 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving Josh Kelly 5 REC, 107 YDS
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 14-31, 220 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Greg Bell 15 CAR, 63 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Elijah Kothe 4 REC, 105 YDS

At Hawai'i

No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs at Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 24 San Diego State 7 7 0317
Hawai'i 7 0 0310

at Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu

  • Date: November 6, 2021
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Temperature: 84 °F (29 °C) • Wind: ENE 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) • Weather: Humidity -53%
  • Game attendance: 6,239
  • Referee: C. Watson
  • TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play-by-play), Robert Smith (analysis), and Zac Kinman (producer)
  • Aztecs Win in Paradise,[11] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 5 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 6:27. Aztecs 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:59.
  • HAW – Calvin Turner 19 Yd pass from Chevan Cordeiro (Matthew Shipley Kick), 2:21. Tie 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 19 yards, 0:06.
Second quarter
  • SDSU – Jack Browning 13 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 9:43. Aztecs 14–7. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 7:33.
Third quarter
  • No scoring
Fourth quarter
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 39 Yd Field Goal, 7:41. Aztecs 17–7. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, 8:26.
  • HAW – Matthew Shipley 22 Yd Field Goal, 3:00. Aztecs 17–10. Drive: 15 plays, 70 yards, 4:41.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –7.0
  • Over/Under: 45.5
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 70.7%

Statistics SDSU HAW
First downs 15 16
Plays–yards 59–227 65–260
Rushes–yards 43–128 30–85
Passing yards 99 175
Passing: comp–att–int 12–16–0 19–35–1
Time of possession 34:07 25:53
Team Category Player Statistics
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 12-16, 99 YDS
Rushing Greg Bell 24 CAR, 77 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Daniel Bellinger 5 REC, 41 YDS
HAW Passing Chevan Cordeiro 19-34, 175 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Dedrick Parson 11 CAR, 51 YDS
Receiving Dedrick Parson 5 REC, 38 YDS

Nevada

Nevada Wolf Pack at No. 22 San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34Total
Nevada 0 7 7721
No. 22 San Diego State 7 3 7623

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: November 13, 2021
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Clear, 65 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,821
  • Referee: Timothy Davis
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analysis), Jenny Dell (sidelines), and Deb Boulac (producer)
  • California Grit,[12] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • SDSU – Daniel Bellinger 2 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 3:42. Aztecs 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 99 yards, 5:39.
Second quarter
  • NEV – Tory Horton 28 Yd pass from Carson Strong (Brandon Talton Kick), 14:55. Tie 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:41.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 48 Yd Field Goal, 9:35. Aztecs 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 5:11.
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Chance Bell 5 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 9:31. Aztecs 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:25.
  • NEV – Romeo Doubs 5 Yd pass from Carson Strong (Brandon Talton Kick), 2:20. Aztecs 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:46.
Fourth quarter
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 39 Yd Field Goal, 11:58. Aztecs 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 2:48.
  • NEV – Romeo Doubs 54 Yd pass from Carson Strong (Brandon Talton Kick), 9:57. Wolf Pack 21–20. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:01.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 35 Yd Field Goal, 1:21. Aztecs 23–20. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 3:12.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –2.5
  • Over/Under: 45.0
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 53.5%

Statistics NEV SDSU
First downs 19 20
Plays–yards 63–358 73–362
Rushes–yards 15–8 39–186
Passing yards 350 176
Passing: comp–att–int 34–48–0 21–34–0
Time of possession 26:32 33:28
Team Category Player Statistics
NEV Passing Carson Strong 34-48, 350 YDS, 3 TD
Rushing Toa Taua 9 CAR, 31 YDS
Receiving Romeo Doubs 9 REC, 127 YDS, 2 TD
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 21-34, 176 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing Greg Bell 16 CAR, 104 YDS
Receiving Elijah Kothe 6 REC, 71 YDS

At UNLV

No. 19 San Diego State Aztecs at UNLV Rebels
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 19 San Diego State 7 14 0728
UNLV 3 7 10020

at Allegiant Stadium • Paradise, Nevada

  • Date: November 19, 2021
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Indoor
  • Game attendance: 16,713
  • Referee: Michael VanderVelde
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analysis), Jenny Dell (sidelines), and Scott Brandwein (producer)
  • Another 10–Win Season,[13] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • UNLV – Daniel Gutierrez 21 Yd Field Goal, 9:58. Rebels 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:02.
  • SDSU – Andrew Aleki 17 Yd Interception Return (Matt Araiza Kick), 5:15. Aztecs 7–3. Drive: 2 plays, -3 yards, 0:51.
Second quarter
  • UNLV – Zyell Griffin 43 Yd pass from Justin Rogers (Daniel Gutierrez Kick), 6:13. Rebels 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 92 yards, 2:41.
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 4 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 2:31. Aztecs 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:38.
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 24 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 0:05. Aztecs 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 0:44.
Third quarter
  • UNLV – Giovanni Fauolo Sr. 8 Yd pass from Justin Rogers (Daniel Gutierrez Kick), 8:24. Aztecs 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 94 yards, 4:18.
  • UNLV – Daniel Gutierrez 22 Yd Field Goal, 1:13. Aztecs 21–20. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:24.
Fourth quarter
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 7 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 3:33. Aztecs 28–20. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:55.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –11.0
  • Over/Under: 41.0
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 75.3%

Statistics SDSU UNLV
First downs 15 14
Plays–yards 57–290 60–394
Rushes–yards 32–98 26–22
Passing yards 192 372
Passing: comp–att–int 18–25–1 21–34–2
Time of possession 29:49 30:10
Team Category Player Statistics
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 18-24, 192 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Greg Bell 17 CAR, 58 YDS
Receiving Elijah Kothe 5 REC, 84 YDS
UNLV Passing Justin Rogers 15-21, 305 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Charles Williams 16 CAR, 35 YDS
Receiving Steve Jenkins 5 REC, 176 YDS

Boise State

Boise State Broncos at No. 21 San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34Total
Boise State 7 9 0016
No. 21 San Diego State 3 10 14027

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: November 26, 2021
  • Game time: 9:00 a.m. PST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,886
  • Referee: Steve Baron
  • TV announcers (CBS): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analysis), Sherree Burruss (sidelines), and Scott Brandwein (producer)
  • No. 21 Football Rallies Past Boise State, 27–16,[14] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • BSU – Kurt Rafdal 20 Yd pass from Hank Bachmeier (Jonah Dalmas Kick), 6:08. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:58.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 31 Yd Field Goal, 1:10. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 4:53.
Second quarter
  • BSU – Khalil Shakir 13 Yd pass from Hank Bachmeier (Jonah Dalmas PAT failed), 11:45. Broncos 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:13.
  • BSU – Jonah Dalmas 22 Yd Field Goal, 8:39. Broncos 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:16.
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 29 Yd pass from Jordon Brookshire (Matt Araiza Kick), 1:30. Broncos 16–10. Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 1:34.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 37 Yd Field Goal, 0:03. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 0:25.
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 2 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 9:26. Aztecs 20–16. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:34.
  • SDSU – Jordon Brookshire 16 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 7:46. Aztecs 27–16. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:36.
Fourth quarter
  • No scoring
Odds
  • Line: BSU –3.0
  • Over/Under: 44.0
  • ESPN FPI: BSU 59.4%

Statistics BSU SDSU
First downs 20 20
Plays–yards 77–319 74–408
Rushes–yards 35–91 38–118
Passing yards 228 290
Passing: comp–att–int 22–42–3 20–36–0
Time of possession 25:43 34:17
Team Category Player Statistics
BSU Passing Hank Bachmeier 21-40, 222 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing George Holani 20 CAR, 70 YDS
Receiving Khalil Shakir 6 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD
SDSU Passing Jordon Brookshire 11-15, 192 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing Jordon Brookshire 9 CAR, 46 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Jesse Matthews 9 REC, 133 YDS, 1 TD

Utah State

MW Championship Game: Utah State Aggies at No. 19 San Diego State Aztecs
Period 1 2 34Total
Utah State 0 14 151746
No. 19 San Diego State 0 3 3713

at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California

  • Date: December 4, 2021
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Hazy, 65 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 13,445
  • Referee: Michael Vandervelde
  • TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analysis), Bruce Feldman (sidelines), and Bo Garrett (producer)
  • Aztecs Fall to Utah State in MW Championship Game,[15] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • No scoring
Second quarter
  • USU – Derek Wright 5 Yd pass from Logan Bonner (Connor Coles Kick), 9:06. Aggies 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:29.
  • USU – Calvin Tyler Jr. 1 Yd Run (Connor Coles Kick), 4:57. Aggies 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 1:31.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 23 Yd Field Goal, 1:01. Aggies 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:56.
Third quarter
  • USU – Brandon Bowling 58 Yd pass from Logan Bonner (Connor Coles Kick), 13:09. Aggies 21–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:51.
  • USU – Team Safety, 11:38. Aggies 23–3. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 1:31.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 36 Yd Field Goal, 6:58. Aggies 23–6. Drive: 8 plays, 21 yards, 2:57.
  • USU – Brandon Bowling 18 Yd pass from Logan Bonner (Connor Coles PAT blocked), 1:54. Aggies 29–6. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 3:25.
Fourth quarter
  • USU – Connor Coles 20 Yd Field Goal, 13:40. Aggies 32–6. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 2:59.
  • USU – Justin McGriff 9 Yd pass from Logan Bonner (Connor Coles Kick), 10:21. Aggies 39–6. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:01.
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 5 Yd pass from Jalen Mayden (Matt Araiza Kick), 6:22. Aggies 39–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:59.
  • USU – Jordan Nathan 0 Yd Run (Connor Coles Kick), 3:58. Aggies 46–13. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 2:24.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –6.5
  • Over/Under: 49.5
  • ESPN FPI: SDSU 75.9%

Statistics USU SDSU
First downs 23 17
Plays–yards 71–383 68–315
Rushes–yards 28–65 39–148
Passing yards 318 167
Passing: comp–att–int 29–43–1 16–29–0
Time of possession 28:58 31:02
Team Category Player Statistics
USU Passing Logan Bonner 29-42, 318 YDS, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Calvin Tyler Jr. 17 CAR, 41 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Brandon Bowling 8 REC, 154 YDS, 2 TD
SDSU Passing Jordon Brookshire 11-23, 117 YDS
Rushing Greg Bell 11 CAR, 50 YDS
Receiving Jesse Matthews 8 REC, 82 YDS, 1 TD

Vs. UTSA

Frisco Bowl: No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs vs. UTSA Roadrunners
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 24 San Diego State 7 10 14738
UTSA 14 0 10024

at Toyota Stadium • Frisco, Texas

  • Date: December 21, 2021
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 56 °F (13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 15,801
  • Referee: Ron Hudson
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Ted Leitner (play-by-play), Rich Ohrnberger (analysis), Jon Schaeffer (half, post), Mike Costa (pre), and J.R. Tolver (pre)
  • Aztecs Claim Frisco Bowl with 12th Win of the Season,[16] Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • UTSA – De'Corian Clark 12 Yd pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis Kick), 12:36. Roadrunners 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:24.
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 20 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 5:09. Tie 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:03.
  • UTSA – Brenden Brady 2 Yd Run (Hunter Duplessis Kick), 2:02. Roadrunners 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:07.
Second quarter
  • SDSU – Jesse Matthews 11 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 9:14. Tie 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:18.
  • SDSU – Matt Araiza 33 Yd Field Goal, 0:00. Aztecs 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 1:55.
Third quarter
  • SDSU – Greg Bell 1 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 11:59. Aztecs 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 3:01.
  • UTSA – Hunter Duplessis 41 Yd Field Goal, 10:09. Aztecs 24–27. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 1:50.
  • SDSU – Tyrell Shavers 24 Yd pass from Lucas Johnson (Matt Araiza Kick), 2:39. Aztecs 31–17. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:58.
  • UTSA – Zakhari Franklin 3 Yd pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis Kick), 0:00. Aztecs 31–24. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:39.
Fourth quarter
  • SDSU – Lucas Johnson 2 Yd Run (Matt Araiza Kick), 9:51. Aztecs 38–24. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 5:09.
Odds
  • Line: SDSU –3.0
  • Over/Under: 48.0
  • ESPN FPI: UTSA 63.0%

Statistics SDSU UTSA
First downs 31 21
Plays–yards 76–489 62–388
Rushes–yards 40–156 24–117
Passing yards 333 271
Passing: comp–att–int 24–36–0 22–38–1
Time of possession 37:51 22:09
Team Category Player Statistics
SDSU Passing Lucas Johnson 24-36, 333 YDS, 3 TD
Rushing Greg Bell 26 CAR, 101 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Jesse Matthews 11 REC, 175 YDS, 2 TD
UTSA Passing Frank Harris 22-36, 271 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Brenden Brady 16 CAR, 76 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Zakhari Franklin 8 REC, 89 YDS, 1 TD

Honors

Conference

  • Defensive player of the year: Cameron Thomas, DL, Jr.
  • Special teams player of the year: Matt Araiza, P/PK, Jr.
  • Coach of the Year: Brady Hoke
All–Mountain West First Team
Name Position Year
Offense
William Dunkle OL Jr.
Zachary Thomas OL Sr.
Jordan Byrd KR Sr.
Defense
Cameron Thomas DL Jr.
Caden McDonald LB Sr.
Patrick McMorris DB Jr.
Trenton Thompson DB Sr.
Matt Araiza P Jr.
All–Mountain West Second Team
Name Position Year
Offense
Greg Bell RB Sr.
Matt Araiza PK Jr.
Defense
Keshawn Banks DL Sr.
Tayler Hawkins DB Sr.

[17]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP———RVRV25242221RVRV232219RV25
Coaches——RVRVRVRV242120RVRV232219RVRV
CFPNot released242219211924Not released

References

  1. ^ "San Diego State Aztecs Schedule 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  2. ^ "2021 Football Schedule". San Diego State University Athletics. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  3. ^ "Aztec Football Tops New Mexico State, 28-10". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  4. ^ "Bear Down". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "Leading the Pac". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  6. ^ "Aztecs Cruise Past Towson, 48-21". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "No. 25 Aztecs Roll Past New Mexico, 31-7". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  8. ^ "6-0". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  9. ^ "Aztecs Improve to 7-0". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "San Diego State Suffers First Loss". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  11. ^ "Aztecs Win in Paradise". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "California Grit". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  13. ^ "Another 10-Win Season". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  14. ^ "No. 21 Football Rallies Past Boise State, 27-16". San Diego State University. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "Aztecs Fall to Utah State in MW Championship Game". San Diego State University. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  16. ^ "Aztecs Claim Frisco Bowl With 12th Win of the Season". San Diego State University. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  17. ^ "MW Announces 2021 Football All-Conference Teams and Individual". Mountain West Conference. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  • v
  • t
  • e
San Diego State Aztecs football
Venues
  • College Field / Aztec Field (1921, 1923–1925, 1927–1928, 1934–1935)
  • Navy "Sports" Field (1922, 1926, 1929–1931, 1933–1934)
  • Balboa Stadium (1921–1925, 1927–1929, 1932, 1934–1935, 1940–1941, 1945–1947, alternate in several other seasons)
  • Aztec Bowl (1936–1942, 1947–1966)
  • San Diego Stadium (1967–2019)
  • Dignity Health Sports Park (2020–2021)
  • Snapdragon Stadium (2022–present)
Bowls & rivalries
Seasons
National championship seasons in bold