San Diego State Aztecs vs UNLV Rebels Match Player Stats On Nov 21, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Nov 22, 2015

LAS VEGAS -- Junior running back Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns in a little over a half to lead San Diego State to a 52-14 Mountain West Conference victory over UNLV on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium.

It was the seventh straight win for the Aztecs (8-3), who improved to 7-0 in the Mountain West, the first time in 93 seasons of football that San Diego State opened conference play 7-0. The Aztecs had already clinched the West Division title before taking the field after Utah State defeated Nevada 31-27, eliminating the Wolf Pack (6-5, 4-3) from the race.

Senior quarterback Maxwell Smith completed 11-of-17 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown.

Junior cornerback Damontae Kazee returned a punt 66 yards for the Aztecs, who forced four UNLV turnovers to go with seven sacks.

San Diego State, which played backups for most of the second half, finished with 393 total yards, including 286 yards rushing.

UNLV sophomore Kurt Palandech completed 18-of-35 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns but was also intercepted twice. Sophomore wide receiver Kendal Keys caught a game-high eight passes for 76 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

It was the fifth loss in six games for the Rebels (3-8, 2-5).

The 52 points were the most scored in a road game for San Diego State since Oct. 4, 1969, when the Aztecs defeated San Jose State 55-21. It also was nine more points than San Diego State's basketball team scored earlier in the day in a 49-43 loss at home to Arkansas-Little Rock.

San Diego State took advantage of three UNLV turnovers and the running of Pumphrey to build a 31-0 halftime lead.

The 5-foot-9 Pumphrey, who starred at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas about 30 minutes from Sam Boyd Stadium, had 131 yards on 11 carries by halftime, including touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards.

It was the seventh straight game that Pumphrey topped 100 yards and eighth time this season.

Fullback Dakota Gordon, who did an outstanding job of blocking, also added a 1-yard touchdown run and Smith had a 3-yarder that opened the scoring.

Senior Donny Hageman ended the half with a 29-yard field goal for the Aztecs, who had 191 yards rushing by halftime.

NOTES: San Diego State clinched the West Division earlier Saturday when Utah State defeated Nevada 31-27, eliminating the Wolf Pack from the title race. The Aztecs will play Air Force, which clinched the Mountain Division title on Friday night with a 37-30 victory at Boise State, in the 2015 Sports Authority Mountain West Football Championship Game on Dec. 5. The higher-ranked team will host the game. ... UNLV freshman Lexington Thomas lost a fumble late in the first quarter, the first lost fumble by a Rebels running back in exactly two years covering a span of 653 carries dating to a Nov. 21, 2013, game at Air Force. ... UNLV QB Kurt Palandech made his third college start in place of senior Blake Decker, who was sidelined with ankle and hip injuries suffered a week earlier in a 49-35 loss at Colorado State.