By Liz Alper
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
December 17, 2016 (Las Vegas) - San Diego State Aztecs football traveled to Vegas for their bowl bid against the University of Houston. What happened next is, as they say, history.
The Cougars tallied first with a field goal by senior kicker Ty Cummings to go up 3-0 early. Later on, after a big completion to freshman wide out Keith Corbin, standout senior quarterback Gregg Ward Jr. ran it in himself for the score and the Cougars took a 10-0 lead.
SDSU finally got on the board in the second with sophomore kicker John Baron II’s field goal and Houston led 10-3. Baron kicked his 21st field goal of the season when the Aztecs failed to score in the red zone and SDSU was within four at the half, 10-6.
In the third quarter, senior running back Donnel Pumphrey finally broke loose, first with a sideline catch good for 26 yards and a first down and then a 32-yard touchdown run to give the Aztecs their first lead of the game, 13-10. Houston was threatening when freshman Ron Smith intercepted a screen pass and returned it for a pick six and SDSU increased their lead to 10, 20-10. SDSU’s defense has the most interceptions out of all defenses in the country.
In the fourth quarter, Pumphrey broke Wisconsin great Ron Dayne’s record for career rushing yards in FBS history with a 15-yard run. He has 6,402. After a big fourth down stop by senior linebacker Calvin Munson, the Aztecs offense took the field and on one play, sophomore quarterback Christian Chapman passed over the middle to a wide open Curtis Anderson III and the senior transfer took it in for another score and the Aztecs led 27-10. Freshman running back Juwan Washington put the nail in the coffin with a short rushing touchdown and San Diego State won their second consecutive bowl game 34-10, capping off a fairy tale final year for the senior class and for the new FBS leader in career rushing yards, Pumphrey himself, in his hometown.
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