Hawaii Bowl Recap: San Diego State Falls to Middle Tennessee State, 25-23
San Diego State Finished The Season With Seven Wins
Contact/Follow @Michaelbraydaly & @MWCwire
San Diego State Dropped The Hawaii Bowl
[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
San Diego State fell to Middle Tennessee State in a 25-23 loss in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. Middle Tennessee overcame a double-digit deficit in the first quarter and rallied for the come-from-behind win over San Diego State.
It was not the way San Diego State pictured the game ending after a 14-0 lead at the start of the game. After that hole, Middle Tennessee was on the verge of being routed by San Diego State. The Blue Raiders erased the deficit and pulled out the double-digit comeback.
Early in the game, San Diego State quarterback Jalen Mayden found Mark Redman for a nine-yard touchdown at the 7:18 mark in the first quarter. He extended San Diego State’s lead to 14-0 with a 73-yard touchdown pass to Kenan Christon.
Middle Tennessee cut the deficit to 11 points with a 44-yard field goal from Zeke Rankin at the 11:49 mark in the second quarter. MTSU quarterback Chase Cunningham threw a dart in the red zone to defensive end Jordan Ferguson for a touchdown. After that surprising score, Middle Tennessee trailed by four points, 14-10, with 3:14 left in the second quarter.
Ferguson became a factor on the defensive side of the ball with a deflected pass that forced a San Diego State punt before the end of the first half. The Blue Raiders could not build off the momentum as Cunningham threw an interception with 1:49 left in the opening half.
Fortunately, Middle Tennessee avoided giving up a score on defense to the Aztecs at the end of the second quarter. Middle Tennessee closed out the first half with a 49-yard field goal from Rankin with 22 seconds left. Middle Tennessee rattled off 13 unanswered points in the second quarter and went into halftime down by 1 point to San Diego State, 14-13.
In the third quarter, Rankin gave the Blue Raiders a 16-14 edge with a 26-yard field goal. San Diego State kicker Jack Browning responded with a 39-yard field goal of his own with 1:26 to go in the third. Browning’s kick put the Aztecs ahead 17-16.
Following a tipped interception that Ferguson came up with, Middle Tennessee capitalized on the great field position with a 16-yard touchdown throw from Cunningham to wide receiver Jaylin Lane. The Blue Raiders’ lead stayed at 22-16 after a failed-two point conversion with 13:25 remaining in the game.
In what turned out to be his season-long field goal, Browning nailed a kick from 52 yards with over five minutes on the clock in the fourth quarter that gave the Aztecs a 23-22 advantage. In the following possession, Rankin capped off a Blue Raiders drive with a 37-yard field goal from Rankin with 2:05 left in the game.
San Diego State was unable to finish the game on top after a turnover on downs in the final minute. Middle Tennessee closed out the comeback 25-23 victory in the Hawaii Bowl.
Middle Tennessee State moved to 8-5. With the loss, San Diego State dropped to 7-6 on the season.