Aztecs alone atop the Mountain West after beating Boise State

Chapter 10 in the San Diego State football team’s climb to the top of the Mountain West standings will be titled “Redemption in the Rain.”

SDSU defensive coordinator Rob Aurich offered the hopeful suggestion during warmups before the Aztecs played Boise State in a first-place showdown on a crisp, wet Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium.

After a lopsided loss to Hawaii last week amid a steady rain in Honolulu, Aurich was eager to see his defense respond against the Broncos on a rare rain day in San Diego.

Boise State’s strong running game got its yards (164 of them), but the SDSU defense stood firm when it mattered most in the Aztecs’ 17-7 win before an announced crowd of 29,201 (15,804 turnstile), which weathered a night of intermittent rain that didn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance.

SDSU took a 14-10 halftime lead and all but decided the matter on Gabe Plascencia’s 47-yard field goal with 10:51 remaining in the game.

While the Broncos put up some rushing yards, they paled in comparison to the 277 yards piled up by SDSU. Running backs Lucky Sutton (25 carries, 150 yards), who went over 1,000 yards for the season, and Christian Washington (9 carries, 98 yards) did most of the damage.

Those who braved the elements watched the Aztecs take control of the conference. SDSU (8-2, 5-1 MW) assumed a one-game lead in the Mountain West with two games remaining in the regular season. Boise State (6-4, 4-2) fell into a five-way tie for second place with Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico and UNLV.

The Aztecs close out the season with a home game Saturday night against San Jose State and a road game the day after Thanksgiving against New Mexico.

Boise State and SDSU have two of the better running teams around, and this contest set up as a ground-and-pound game even before weather put a premium on ball handling. For one thing, Boise State wanted to take the pressure off quarterback Max Cutforth (12-for-18, 108 yards), who was making his first start in place of the injured starter Maddux Madsen. Cutforth had fewer than 40 yards passing before a last-ditch drive that ended with Colton Boomer’s missed 41-yard field goal.

SDSU opened the scoring with a six-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Washington rushed five times for 79 of the yards, most of them coming on 41- and 26-yard runs that advanced the ball to Boise’s 1-yard line. SDSU quarterback Jayden Denegal (6-for-10, 17 yards) took it from there, pushing across the goal line for the final yard and a 7-0 lead with 13:15 remaining in the second quarter.

Boise State responded with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that included 13 rushes. interrupted only by a 6-yard pass by Cutforth. Broncos running backs Dylan Riley (21 carries, 79 yards) and Sire Gaines (13 carries, 78 yards) took turns moving the ball down the field before Riley evened the score on a 9-yard touchdown run with 5:29 remaining in the half.

Then it was SDSU’s turn again, and the Aztecs assembled an 11-play, 71-yard drive with running back Lucky Sutton handling the workload. Sutton rushed seven times, collecting 50 yards. Denegal attempted to pass twice, losing two yards on one attempt while the other was incomplete, before scoring on a 8-yard draw up the middle with 1:10 remaining in the half.

SDSU wide receiver Jordan Napier was the target on the sidline incompletion. He was injured on the play with 4:14 remaining in the half, heading to the treatment tent with a lower left leg injury. Napier did not return. No immediate update was available on his condition.

Linebackers Owen Chambliss and Mister Williams led the Aztecs with eight tackles apiece. The defense was boosted by cornerback Chris Johnson, who returned to the lineup after missing last week with a lower leg injury.