San Diego State Aztecs vs Wyoming Cowboys Box Score on Nov 19, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 19, 2016

With a chance to play for overtime, San Diego State instead went for a two-point conversion with no time left on the clock, trailing Wyoming 34-33 on Saturday in Laramie, Wyo.

Freshman cornerback Tyler Hall rescued the Cowboys when he swatted quarterback Christian Chapman's pass that was intended for Nick Bawden, and the Cowboys held on to keep their hopes alive for a Mountain West title.

After the Cowboys (8-3, 6-1 Mountain West) had taken a 34-27 lead with 1:07 left, a gaffe by San Diego State's kicking team appeared to doom the Aztecs and their nation-leading conference win streak at 17.

Rashaad Penny, who earlier had returned a kickoff for a touchdown, picked the kickoff up with a knee on the ground inside the 1-yard line, essentially downing the ball.

All that stood between San Diego State and maintaining that streak was 99-plus yards. The Aztecs did have three timeouts and drove to the Wyoming 27-yard line, where Chapman faced a third-and-3.

He completed a shovel pass to Donnel Pumphrey to the Wyoming 23-yard line. Eric Judge almost made a spectacular catch in the end zone on the next play but wasn't able to hold on to the ball.

Chapman's last-ditch Hail Mary effort fell into the hands of Quest Truxton, who maintained control until Logan Wilson appeared to knock the ball out. The play was ruled incomplete, but replay officials reversed the call and ruled it a touchdown, setting up the Aztecs' two-point attempt to win.

Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen had connected with C.J. Johnson for a 29-yard touchdown with 1:07 left to put the Cowboys ahead 34-27. No one was happier than Tanner Gentry, who was wide open in the end zone on the previous play and dropped a pass.

San Diego State was electric on special teams, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Penny took the game's opening kickoff 93 yards to put the Aztecs up 7-0.

Juwann Washington took another kickoff back 92 yards in the third quarter after the Cowboys had tied the score at 17.

San Diego State (9-2, 6-1) already had clinched the Pacific Division of the Mountain West and will play in the conference title game. But the loss pretty much knocks the Aztecs out of consideration for a spot in the Cotton Bowl, which is where the Mountain West champ is projected to land.

San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey, who was 346 yards shy of breaking Ron Dayne's record for career rushing yards at 6,397, was held in check rushing with 76 yards.

NOTES: With 69 yards in the first half, San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey passed Tony Dorsett for third on the FBS career rushing list. ... Wyoming's Brian Hill, who ranked third in the nation with 1,417 yards heading into Saturday, rushed 31 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. ... There had been a lot of questions about the Aztecs' strength of schedule heading into Saturday's game. San Diego State had defeated only one team with a winning record -- New Hampshire (6-4) from the FCS. ... The last time San Diego State lost a conference game was Nov. 15, 2014, to Boise State, 38-29. The temperature that day was 9 degrees.