San Diego State Football: 3 takeaways from win over UNLV

On an emotional night in Las Vegas, San Diego State took down UNLV on Saturday night to keep pace in the Group of Five race for a New Year’s Six bid.

Less than a week after the mass shooting that claimed 58 lives at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas, the city hosted its first college football game since the tragedy. San Diego State came to town hoping to continue its charge toward a third straight Mountain West title. UNLV had hopes of pulling off the upset as a 10-point underdog at home, and for a while it appeared that they might make life difficult for the Aztecs.

On its opening drive, San Diego State’s standout running back Rashaad Penny fumbled the ball in the shadow of the goal line. On their next offensive series, the Aztecs were held to a field goal that the Rebels soon matched on the scoreboard. By halftime, though, San Diego State had pulled ahead for a 20-10 lead that they would not relinquish.

In the end, the Mountain West leaders pulled away for a 41-10 victory on the road that pushed their record to 6-0. The Aztecs maintained their grip on a spot in the AP Top 25, and remain the team to beat in conference play. Here are some takeaways from the rout on the road in late Saturday action.