San Diego State's win over Utah State sets up high-stakes showdown with Boise State
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A lot of things broke right for the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday night in their home finale at Snapdragon Stadium.
The Aztecs beat the Utah State Aggies 30-13 on Senior Night to move into position to play for a spot in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game and keep their bowl chances alive.
Senior running back Lucky Sutton fell just short of a 100-yard night but scored twice and cracked the 2,000-yard mark for his career, and placekicker Cooper DiLeva threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to EDGE rusher Kai Wallin on a fake field goal midway through the third quarter.
The Aztecs won consecutive games for the first time this year, pulled to .500 and put up 410 yards against the Pac-12’s top defense.
Here are three instant takeaways from the Aztecs’ win against Utah State.
1. San Diego State's postseason opportunities come into focus
Having a shot at a berth in the Pac-12 title game is a huge deal for the Aztecs considering their struggles earlier this season. They’re in if they can win at No. 17 Boise State next Saturday on the road. The Broncos beat Oregon State 46-41 to improve to 6-0 in the conference and clinch the host spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 4.
By beating Utah State, the Aztecs (5-5 overall, 4-2 Pac-12) pulled into a tie with Texas State. The Aztecs beat the Bobcats 31-29 in the Pac-12 opener on Oct. 3 at Snapdragon Stadium.
The Aztecs need to win one of their remaining two games to notch their sixth win and become bowl-eligible for the second straight season. After facing BSU, the Aztecs will hit the road for their flex game on Nov. 28 against an opponent to be determined. The flex game doesn’t count toward the league standings.
2. 2,000 is a Lucky number
Sutton, who has spent his entire career at San Diego State, became the 16th player in SDSU history to rush for 2,000 career yards. He came into the game with 1,970 yards and reached the plateau with an 11-yard gain in the second quarter.
Sutton was the Mountain West rushing champion with 1,297 yards last season and was primed for a huge senior season, but suffered a high ankle sprain in a Week 2 loss at UCLA and was hampered for several games.
Lucky Sutton with his lucky number 7 TD of the Year ☘️
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) November 15, 2026
📺: @usasports #AztecFAST 🍢 x #BeTheA1pha 🐺 x #TheClimb 📈 pic.twitter.com/8B0j13m0g5
Sutton gained 96 yards on 21 carries against Utah State. He scored on a 4-yard run with 1:25 left in the second quarter to give SDSU the lead for good at 10-7 and added a 2-yard TD run with 2:12 left.
Javion “Chop” Kinnard gained 113 yards on 19 carries.
3. A perfectly executed fake field goal shifts the momentum
The Aztecs lined up for a field goal on fourth-and-5 from the USU 20 with just more than seven minutes left in the third quarter. Holder Tashi Dorje tossed the ball over his shoulder to DiLeva as he rolled right. The kicker lobbed the ball to Wallin, who got open on the flat, caught it at the 10 and ran into the end zone.
DiLeva kicked field goals of 31, 42 and 34 yards.
Aztecs prepare for pivotal road test at Boise State
Kickoff for the BSU game next Saturday is at 6:30 p.m. PT.
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Bernie Wilson recently retired from The Associated Press after nearly 41 years, including stops in Spokane, Los Angeles and, for the final 33 years, San Diego. He grew up in Coeur d'Alene and graduated from the University of Idaho.