Reno, Nevada- San Diego State wasted no time setting the tone in Reno, overwhelming Nevada 44–3 behind a fast start, a dominant rushing attack, and a smothering defense that forced multiple turnovers.
The Aztecs jumped on the board less than a minute into the game when Jordan Napier returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, giving SDSU an early 7–0 lead. Moments later, the defense joined the scoring party — Chris Johnson intercepted Nevada quarterback Carter Jones and took it 45 yards to the end zone, putting San Diego State up 14–0 just halfway through the first quarter.
Nevada’s offense couldn’t find its rhythm early, with penalties and incompletions halting drives. San Diego State capitalized again before the end of the opening quarter. Quarterback Jayden Denegal led a balanced 70-yard drive, highlighted by strong running from Lucky Sutton, who repeatedly moved the chains with bruising carries. The Aztecs capped the drive on the first play of the second quarter when Denegal hit Christian Washington for a short touchdown pass, extending the lead to 21–0.
From there, the floodgates opened. Denegal connected on a 31-yard touchdown strike to Jacob Bostick, making it 28–0 midway through the second. Then, after another Nevada turnover on downs, Sutton punched in a 3-yard score to push the advantage to 35–0 before halftime.San Diego State’s offense kept rolling in the second half, though the pace slowed as they shifted to ball control. Gabriel Plascencia drilled three field goals — from 29, 45, and 49 yards — stretching the lead to 44–0 by the late third quarter.
Nevada finally avoided the shutout early in the fourth, when Joe McFadden hit a 34-yard field goal to make it 44–3. But by then, the game had long been decided.The Aztecs’ ground game dominated behind Sutton, Washington, and Byron Cardwell, while Denegal managed the offense efficiently, mixing in several explosive passes. The defense, led by Johnson and Dwayne McDougle, intercepted two passes and sacked Nevada quarterbacks multiple times, keeping the Wolf Pack out of the end zone all night.
With the win, San Diego State improves to .500 in conference play and shows signs of an offense and defense finally clicking in unison. For Nevada, the struggles continue as the Wolf Pack dropped another lopsided contest, unable to overcome early mistakes or generate consistent momentum.
Final Score: San Diego State 44, Nevada 3.
