San Diego State may need its breakout transfer to carry the offense again

Coach Sean Lewis still coy on Lucky Sutton’s injury

San Diego State Aztecs running back Javion Kinnard (21). | Photo by Derrick Tuskan, SDSU Athletics

If the San Diego State Aztecs need Javion Kinnard to carry the load again on Saturday at Toledo, he’ll be ready to go. 

Kinnard carried 33 times for 181 yards — both career highs — and one touchdown in place of injured Lucky Sutton on Saturday night in a 26-13 home loss to James Madison. He added 70 yards on four catches for a total of 251 yards.

How big was that? Well, the rest of the team combined for 150 yards, so the Aztecs would have been in a world of hurt if not for the versatile Kinnard. 

Lucky Sutton's status remains uncertain for Toledo

Coach Sean Lewis had no update on Monday on the unspecified “lower-body” injury, or “ding” as Lewis called it, that Sutton suffered in a 28-10 loss at UCLA the week before. 

Lewis said it was a game-decision to sit Sutton for the first-ever meeting against JMU, which came across the country well-prepared while SDSU’s offense struggled again. 

Kinnard stepped up big time in place of Sutton then and no doubt will be ready to do it again if called on for what’s expected to be a tough final non-conference game deep in Mid-American Conference territory. It’s SDSU’s final tune-up for its Pac-12 opener against Texas State at home on Oct. 3.

Javion Kinnard has become a key piece of San Diego State's offense

The Aztecs (1-2) knew they were getting a productive player in Kinnard when he transferred from league rival Colorado State, and he’s proven to be the biggest gain via the portal so far. 

After three games, he’s SDSU’s leading rusher with 317 yards and one touchdown on 53 carries (5.8-yard average) and second-leading receiver with six catches for 81 yards. 

“I thought he did a really nice job, creating some dirty yards,” Lewis said Monday. “I was really impressed. He continues to not let one man get him down to the ground, you know he's got explosive playmaking abilities. He's a guy who shows up each and every single day, and his energy is infectious.

“He comes in, he makes this building better. He loves football, and obviously he knows the room that he stepped into and the program that he joined, and you know who's in that room with him including Lucky, but he prepares each and every single day since he's been here since day one. Through winter conditioning to spring ball he has been preparing so when the opportunity comes, and the opportunity showed up, he was trained, and he was ready, and he's maximized the majority of those snaps.”

Lewis called Kinnard “tough as nails” and added that he’s “resilient as they come, and he has the courage to grow and evolve.”

Sean Lewis explains what sets Javion Kinnard apart

“He's a very serious individual, and he takes great pride in how he shows up and how he carries himself,” the coach said. “With him you talk about it, you correct it, and you talk about it one time, and it's corrected, and it's done. He has maturity and the humility to realize that he's got confidence about him. He's a really good player, but he's got a humility about him that he knows that he can get better."”

Kinnard came to SDSU after being named second team All-Mountain West punt returner with six returns for 138 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown. He caught 18 passes for 228 yards and one score, and rushed 12 times for 58 yards. 

“I'm really grateful that he's in our program and he chose to be here with us,” Lewis said. 

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The Aztecs are 2.5-point underdogs for Saturday’s game at Toledo (2-1), which kicks off at 9 a.m. PT.