Despite the Aztecs’ loss to Navy in the 10th annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23, it was still a memorable season on Montezuma Mesa for the San Diego State University football team.
The Aztecs made their fifth consecutive bowl game appearance, a school record. SDSU also tied Fresno State for the top spot in the Mountain West Conference’s West Division standings.
“Very few teams are going to a fifth straight bowl game and our players have worked hard to get there,” Aztec head coach Rocky Long said. “It shows how successful our program has become.”
Long said his players were “excited” about being home for the holidays, so their family and friends could “come watch them play.”
Sophomore offensive lineman Nico Siragusa was one of the SDSU locals who really was local. The former first team all-section standout at Mater Dei Catholic High School was a member of the Aztecs’ offensive line that helped power the team’s breakout running attack.
Donnel Pumphrey, who entered the 2014 Poinsettia Bowl game with an SDSU sophomore record 1,755 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, earned First Team All-Mountain West honors. But it would not have been possible without the help of blockers opening holes for him.
The Aztecs’ running game solidified behind the performance of the team’s offensive line. SDSU’s ball-carriers averaged 219 yards per game with 25 touchdowns scored during the regular season.
Pumphrey rushed 21 times for 112 yards against Navy to set a new SDSU single-season rushing record with 1,867 yards, eclipsing the old record of 1,842 yards by George Jones in 1995.
Siragusa, a left guard, appeared in all 13 SDSU games in 2013 as a red-shirt freshman and has started 14 of 26 games over the last two seasons.
“You have to have good running backs, which we do, but good running backs don’t show up unless somebody’s blocking,” Long explained.
Poinsettia Bowl
SDSU (7-6 overall) made it exciting to the end of the game. The Aztecs lined up for a potential game-winning field goal with 20 seconds left on the score clock, but Donny Hageman’s 35-yard attempt was wide to preserve a 17-16 victory for the Midshipmen.
SDSU led by scores of 10-7, 13-7 and 16-14 at various junctures of the game.
Pumphrey scored on a five-yard run in the first quarter to tie the game 7-7. It was the Aztecs’ lone touchdown of the game.
Pumphrey later fumbled the ball at midfield. Navy recovered and drove down field for what proved to be the game-winning field goal.
SDSU out-gained Navy 327-271 in total yards in the loss. However, the Aztecs suffered three turnovers in the game, including two interceptions.
Conversely, the Aztecs recovered four Navy fumbles in the game. The four fumble recoveries set a new SDSU school record.
A key turning point in the contest occurred when SDSU, then leading 16-14, elected not to attempt a short field goal when facing fourth-and-five from the Navy 12-yard line. Instead, Aztecs quarterback Quinn Kaehler attempted a pass to Mikah Holder that fell incomplete. A field goal could have extended the Aztec lead to 19-13.
Ironically, Hageman had set a new SDSU school record for most field goals in one season with 20, tied the bowl game record for most field goals in one game with three, and set a new bowl game record with a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter. However, the junior kicker missed his final attempt that could have won the game.
“If we score points down there when we have turnovers and short fields, if we score points, it doesn’t come down to a field goal,” Long told the media in a post-game press conference. “You got to give Navy’s defense credit for that.”
Extra points
With Navy joining the American Athletic Conference (formerly Big East) for the 2015-16 season, the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl could lose one of its star attractions. San Diego Bowl Game Association Executive Director Bruce Binkowski said the Poinsettia Bowl currently does not have a contract with the AAC.
Navy has made four appearances during the Poinsettia Bowl’s first 10 years, drawing more than 30,000 fans each time. Navy is 2-2 in its four trips to San Diego with wins over Colorado State in the inaugural game in 2005 and San Diego State in the 10th anniversary game.
SDSU and Navy combined to draw more than 48,000 fans to the 2010 game — a 35-14 SDSU victory.
“Having Navy play SDSU might be the last time we have these two teams play each other here, as Navy is set to join the AAC and we don’t have a contract with the AAC,” Binkowski said.
Despite the loss of Navy for the short term, Binkowski said opponents for the bowl game’s Mountain West Conference entrant have been set through 2019. They include Army, BYU (twice) — both pending bowl eligible status — and teams from the Mid-America Conference (twice).
The 2014 game between Navy and SDSU attracted 33,077 fans.
