San Diego State Aztecs vs Washington State Cougars Football Recap

San Diego State 42, Washington State 24

No, this wasn’t an example of “Couging It,” but just the same, the Washington State Cougars learned an important lesson on their way back to respectability in the college football world. Wazzu began its season with two straight wins, breathing fresh life into a moribund program that had utterly collapsed over the previous three seasons. Yes, the Cougars finally tasted defeat for the first time in 2011 this past weekend in San Diego, but they now know that half a game will not be good enough to elevate the program to a higher level.

After a back-and-forth battle, San Diego State took control of the West Coast showdown against Washington State in the fourth quarter, coming away with a 42-24 victory at Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Running back Ronnie Hillman kept up his torrid pace on the ground for the Aztecs, carrying 32 times for 191 yards and four touchdowns as San Diego State moved to 3-0 on the young season. The win marks the first 3-0 start for the Aztecs in 30 years, and breaks a 19-game losing streak against teams from the now-Pac-12 Conference.

Washington State quarterback Marshall Lobbestael continued his strong effort as the fill-in for the injured Jeff Tuel. He started the scoring with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Marquess Wilson for the Cougars. The two teams traded scores for the rest of the first quarter, with Hillman doing his work and Lobbestael countering for Wazzu. The only score of the second quarter was a 23-yard touchdown pass from Lobbestael to Isiah Barton to give Washington State a 17-14 lead.

The Cougars would strike quickly in the third quarter. San Diego State was in danger of letting the game slip away when Lobbestael found Wilson on another long touchdown pass, this time a 78-yarder to give Washington State a 24-14 lead. Wilson ended the game with 6 catches for a staggering 236 receiving yards, and it was because of his prowess on the perimeter that the Cougars were sniffing a huge statement-making victory.

However, that’s when Washington State’s fire burned out, and the Cougs realized how hard it will be to make the climb back to the .500 mark and a possible bowl bid.

The Aztecs, in their hour of need, turned to Mr. Hillman, who would not disappoint or fail. In a 19-minute stretch that ended midway through the fourth quarter, Hillman carried the ball 14 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns, a stretch that ended when Hillman scampered 59 yards to give San Diego State a controlling 35-24 lead.

Washington State hammered away for two and a half quarters, but then it got nailed by a great collegiate running back. WSU learned a lesson; a gritty San Diego State team was the teacher on an intriguing afternoon in Southern California.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer