San Diego State University football’s Jack Browning (Lakeside/Grossmont College/West Hills High) and Marcus Ratcliffe (Chula Vista/Cathedral Catholic High) were each named Mountain West players of the week in the wake of Saturday’s season-ending 33-18 win over Fresno State at Snapdragon Stadium.
Browning was selected as the MW Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time this season and fifth occasion of his career, while Ratcliffe was named the MW Freshman of the Week for the first time.
The duo was instrumental in SDSU’s victory.
Browning tied a school record with four field goals, making him the ninth Aztec with four field goals in a game (10th time overall, first since 2016) and just the sixth to make four field goals without a miss. Browning accounted for 15 of San Diego State’s 33 points, four more than his previous career high. He also punted three times for a 39.3 average and matching 39.3 net punt average. Browning kicked off eight times for a 63.8 average and was important in holding the Bulldogs to an average starting field position of its own 23-yard line.
For the season, Browning averaged 45.4 yards per punt (seventh in SDSU single-season history) and made 15 of his 22 field goal attempts. Browning is tied for the FBS lead in PAT percentage (100.00), and is eighth in net punt average (42.57, second MW), tied for 14th in punts inside the 20-yard line (22, tied-first), 19th in punt average (45.35, third in MW).
For his career, Browning is ranked first at San Diego State in punt average (45.8, min. 90 punts), fourth in field goal percentage (.745, min. 25 att.), eighth in made field goals (35) and punting yards (5,542), and ninth in kicking points (158). Browning was 4-for-6 for his career on field goal attempts of at least 50 yards (2-for-3 this year) and the 66.7 percent currently is tied for the fifth highest among all active kickers (minimum six, 50-yard attempts). He has 11 games with multiple field goals out of the 23 games he’s been the Aztec kicker.
Ratcliffe, meanwhile, led the Aztecs with six tackles, while adding his first career interception and returning it 29 yards into Fresno State territory. The interception led to a Browning 39-yard field goal in the second quarter. Ratcliffe, who played all 57 defensive snaps, helped stop a Fresno State team which came into the game ranked 24th in the country at 280.6 passing yards per game to just 190 yards, its second fewest this season.
Ratcliffe finished his first year at SDSU with 51 tackles (30 solo), the fourth most on the team. He also added 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry, starting 11 of the team’s 12 games as a true freshman. Ratcliffe is the first San Diego State true freshman to start at the signature Aztec position in SDSU’s 3-3-5 defense, which started in 2009.
The Aztecs finished the 2023 campaign with a 4-8 record, including a 2-6 mark in MW play. It was SDSU’s first losing season since 2009. Prior to the 2010 campaign, San Diego State had six consecutive losing seasons (2004-09) and 11 straight without a winning campaign (1999-09).
The Aztecs’ streak of 13 consecutive seasons with at least a .500 record was tied for the sixth-longest streak nationally (entering 2023) and was the longest streak among Pacific Time Zone teams. In 12 of those 13 seasons, SDSU posted a winning record.
Saturday’s game was the last for Aztec head coach Brady Hoke, who announced his retirement from the SDSU program on Nov. 13.
Saturday also was Senior Night to set the perfect backdrop for Hoke’s departure.
“I am proud of what we accomplished at San Diego State,” said Hoke, who posted a 40-32 record as the Aztec sideline boss. “I am grateful to all the great student-athletes I’ve had the chance to work with, molding them into men, husbands, fathers and pillars in the community. I will always cherish my time leading this program.”
Mountain West Football Standings
Final Regular Season
Conference/Overall
UNLV 6-2, 9-3
Boise State 6-2, 7-5
San Jose State 6-2, 7-5
Air Force 5-3, 8-4
Wyoming 5-3, 8-4
Fresno State 4-4, 8-4
Utah State 4-4, 6-6
Colorado State 3-5, 5-7
Hawaii 3-5, 5-8
New Mexico 2-6, 4-8
SDSU 2-6, 4-8
Nevada 2-6, 2-10
