SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — After much excitement surrounding the grand opening of Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego State Football fell flat in its first game on its new home field.
Although sportsbooks in Vegas listed the Aztecs as six-point favorites, the Arizona Wildcats took control early and never gave up the lead, cruising to a 38-20 victory.
FINAL: Aztecs lose their Snapdragon Stadium opener 38-20 to Arizona. SDSU was manhandled on both offense and defense. Best unit was special teams. The Wildcats are vastly improved from last year though, thanks to transfers.
— Ben Higgins (@BenHigginsSD) September 3, 2022
The Wildcats had 461 total yards of offense, with quarterback Jayden de Laura throwing for 299 yards and four touchdowns. San Diego State mustered 232 yards of offense, and only 62 of them came through the air. Although the Aztecs had 170 yards rushing on the day, no ball carrier eclipsed the 40-yard mark.
Arizona went into halftime with a 24-10 lead after three successful drives led to scores through the air. The Wildcats opened the second half with a five play, 75-yard drive that ended in a 25-yard passing touchdown.
A brief glimmer of hope came from the Aztecs' special teams unit halfway through the third frame. San Diego State managed to block an Arizona punt as the Wildcats were backed into their own endzone, resulting in a touchdown as the Aztecs recovered.
SDSU scored a field goal with under four minutes to go in the third, cutting the deficit to 11. Despite this late push from the Aztecs, the Wildcats got right back on schedule.
Arizona methodically marched down the field in an 11-play, 75-yard drive that shaved off over five minutes of game time. This extended the Wildcats' lead to 18. After trading punts, a San Diego State fumble and turnover on downs for Arizona, the clock struck zero.
A 38-20 loss wasn't what the Aztecs envisioned for the first game at Snapdragon Stadium. Luckily, a more favorable opponent comes to America's Finest City next week.
SDSU will take on Idaho State at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, at Snapdragon Stadium. That game will stream on the Mountain West Network.
