San Diego State earned its first bowl victory since 2016 with a 48-11 win over Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
Ryan Agnew threw two touchdowns to help the Aztecs build an early 20-3 advantage, while the country's No. 4 scoring defense took care of the rest in an easy win at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jordan Byrd led a rushing attack that totaled 223 yards on the ground as San Diego State finished 10-3 for its fourth 10-win season in five years.
Central Michigan (8-6) couldn't end on a high note, but Jim McElwain still performed one of the best coaching jobs in the country after taking over a squad that went 1-11 last season.
Notable Stats
Ryan Agnew, QB, SDSU: 18-of-31, 287 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Jordan Byrd, RB, SDSU: 17 carries, 139 rushing yards, 1 TD
Jesse Matthews, WR, SDSU: 3 catches, 111 receiving yards, 2 TDs
Quinten Dormady, QB, CMU: 11-of-26, 164 passing yards, 3 INTs
Kobe Lewis, RB, CMU: 5 carries, 97 rushing yards, 1 TD
Kalil Pimpleton, WR, CMU: 3 catches, 71 receiving yards
San Diego State Surprises with Offensive Explosion
The Aztecs entered the game averaging just 19 points scored per game, going four straight without even scoring 20.
The offense wasn't a problem in this one.
Jesse Matthews was the star early on, scoring two first-half touchdowns including one for 74 yards.
The big plays continued in the second half as SDSU scored three third-quarter touchdowns on drives of four plays, five plays and two plays.
The points were easily a season-high, Byrd rushed for a season high and Agnew was as effective as we have seen him all year. Freshman TJ Sullivan also scored an impressive touchdown on his first career catch.
San Diego State will lose some key players to graduation, including Agnew, but a loaded defense and playmakers such as Matthews and Byrd could help the squad in 2020.
Central Michigan Unable to Solve SDSU Defense
We knew going in San Diego State had an elite defense, and this game proved it even more.
Central Michigan was able to sneak in a few big plays to keep things close, including 66-yard rushing touchdown by Kobe Lewis and a 61-yard reception by Kalil Pimpleton. However, these were few and far between.
Otherwise, Quinten Dormady was under pressure all day long with defenders in the backfield within a few seconds.
It led to a number of sacks and three interceptions, including a historic one by Luq Barcoo.
Dormady was held to 11-of-26 passing in what was arguably his worst game of the season, with only the Wisconsin loss coming close. Jonathan Ward had over 1,000 yards on the year but was held to 26 yards on 2.9 per carry Saturday.
With five total turnovers, it was a game to forget for this team.
Central Michigan should be happy to make it this far, but the offense will need to show more in big games if the program is going to take the next step.
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