San Diego State Football: 3 takeaways from win over UNLV
By Zach Bigalke
2. The San Diego State defense stepped up big in second half
Throughout the season, San Diego State has been winning as much because of a talented defense as because of their strong offense. After a slow start, the Aztecs clamped down to keep UNLV off the scoreboard for the last 35 minutes of the game.
The Rebels were held to five three-and-out drives on offense, as they struggled to find space to operate against the swarming Aztecs defense. They did not generate any turnovers after forcing 12 through the first five games, but the San Diego State defense still came up big when it mattered most.
On the final two UNLV drives of the game, San Diego State stifled any chance of a late comeback. Both times, the Rebels came away empty after turning over the ball on downs. For a team bent on capturing another championship, it was a promising showing that augurs well for the second half of the season to come.
If San Diego State is going to win the league and challenge the American Athletic Conference’s top teams for the automatic New Year’s Six bowl bid, they will need more than just big runs from Rashaad Penny. Saturday’s showing by the defense demonstrated that they are again performing at a championship level.