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Recap and highlights: Washington State pulls off wild 29-26 comeback win over San Diego State

 (Photos by Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Greg Woods The Spokesman-Review

SAN DIEGO — John Mateer took a swig of water and smiled. He sat on the bench, about half the field away from the San Diego State end zone, where he had just waltzed in for the game-winning touchdown in Washington State’s 29-26 win on Saturday night. Minutes removed from his heroics, escaping pressure for a huge gain and then the winning score, all he could do was laugh.

What more was there to do? Merely half an hour prior, the Cougars faced a two-score deficit in the fourth quarter, their offense sputtering and groaning. Their defense looked porous, their offense slow, and WSU looked destined for its second loss of the season.

Enter Mateer, who saved WSU’s sterling season, preserving what exists of this team’s chances of making the expanded College Football Playoff. All told, he completed 19 of 27 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Early in the fourth frame, Mateer found a wide-open receiver in Carlos Hernandez, who punched it in for six, helping WSU draw within 26-21.

But Mateer did his finest work on the ground, where late in the fourth quarter, he pulled off the play of his young career. On a second-and-12, he faced a heavy blitz, and two San Diego State blitzers had Mateer in their grasp. Instead, Mateer slipped both tackles, turned upfield and zoomed forward for an 18-yard gain, planting the Cougs inside Aztec territory.

Five plays later, Mateer surged into the end zone from two yards out, and WSU added two points on a trick play that ended up with a reception by — who else — Mateer. The Cougs took a 29-26 lead, the final margin, and Mateer totaled 21 carries for 42 yards and two scores.

Except that wasn’t the end of the drama. With some two minutes to play, WSU produced a stop on defense and got the ball back, only needing to run out the clock. On third down, Mateer took off and went down near the first-down line, close enough to warrant a review and a measurement — which resulted in a first down, all but ending the game.

Washington State (7-1) now enjoys its second bye week of the season. The Cougs will return to action on Nov. 9, hosting Utah State.

The game changed minutes prior, when midway through the fourth quarter, on a long third down, when WSU linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah disguised his blitz, dropped into coverage and picked off a pass. He returned it 20 yards the other way, setting up his team’s offense in great field position. It was his second interception of the season, and his second in back-to-back games.

The Cougars’ defense had given up touchdowns on each of the Aztecs’ previous two drives, one a trick play on a receiver pass and the other a one-yard leaping score by running back Marquez Cooper, one of the most decorated active running backs in the nation. That one handed SDSU a 26-14 lead with 13 minutes to play.

Earlier in the game, WSU’s defense was equally wobbly, as was its offense. The Cougs took the lead on a trick-play touchdown pass from Mateer to tight end Cooper Mathers, executing a scripted drive well, same as they have all season. Mateer looked in control.

San Diego State turned in back-to-back field goals as a response, whittling the Cougs’ lead to 7-6. The visitors answered with a short rushing touchdown from Mateer, taking a 14-6 lead, but that’s about when things began to go south for WSU.

In the end, though, they went the right way for the Cougs.

BOX SCORE

Pac-12 / Youtube

First quarter

15:00 – WSU 0, SDSU 0: Cougars win the toss and defer to the second half. Aztecs called for a holding penalty on the kickoff and will be backed up on their opening drive.

14:03 – WSU 0, SDSU 0: Cougars nearly get an interception, but force a punt after giving up one first down. WSU starts at its 37.

12:26 – WSU 7, SDSU 0: Cougars march right down the field and score on a 26-yard pass from Mateer to Mathers on a flea-flicker. Mateer also hit Hutson for a 15-yard gain earlier in the five-play scoring drive.

Williams set up the touchdown with a 22-yard run on a reverse.

8:54 – WSU 7, SDSU 3: Aztecs get on the board with a 46-yard field goal.

SDSU converted a fake punt to extend the drive, after the Cougars dropped their second potential interception. Aztecs quarterback O’Neil later underthrew a wide-open touchdown. He’s completed 5 of 9 attempts for 34 yards.

5:03 – WSU 7, SDSU 3: Cougars drive deep into Aztecs territory, but Mateer is sacked on fourth down and they’ll turn it over at the SDSU 30.

0:00 – WSU 7, SDSU 6: Plascencia hits his second field goal from 28 yards out and the Aztecs draw closer with a 10-play, 60-yard drive.

Davis picked up most of the yardage on a 38-yard run. SDSU QB O’Neil exited the game after he was injured on a sack. Tupou’ata-Johnson came in and completed one pass for eight yards and rushed three times for 13 yards.

Second quarter

7:19 – WSU 14, SDSU 6: Mateer scores a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down to cap a long scoring drive. 

Mateer threw an interception on a tipped pass in the red zone, but the play was called back due to a pass interference penalty that could have gone either way. WSU got another 50/50 call on a third down completion to Hutson that set up the touchdown, as the ball hit the ground, but there was not enough evidence to overturn the decision.

4:26 – WSU 14, SDSU 6: Brown gets a fourth down stop for the Cougars, as he brings down Cooper for a 1-yard loss at the WSU 42.

1:58 – WSU 14, SDSU 6: Mateer’s pass falls incomplete on fourth down and the Cougars turn it over for the second time today.

SDSU starts at its 40 with a chance to tie it up before halftime. Dickert’s team has been consistent in its fourth down decisions this year, but it may have been wise to pin the Aztecs deep there on fourth-and-3.

0:17 – WSU 14, SDSU 12: Aztecs drive right down the field and Cooper rushes for a 7-yard touchdown. The two-point try fails, so the Cougars will hold their lead into halftime.

Fourth down gamble bites WSU. O’Neil returned at QB for SDSU and picked up most of the drive through the air.

Third quarter

14:59 – WSU 14, SDSU 12: Aztecs try a surprise onside kick to start the half, but the Cougars pounce on it and will start at their 39.

13:57 – WSU 14, SDSU 12: Cougars can’t do anything with the good field position and punt to the SDSU 37.

12:49 – WSU 14, SDSU 12: The Aztecs give the ball right back after a three-and-out and the Cougars will start at their 20.

8:11 – WSU 14, SDSU 12: Cougars defense comes up with a big stop deep in Aztecs territory, but Freeman muffs the punt near midfield and SDSU jumps on it.

Momentum swings in the Aztecs favor.

7:05 – SDSU 19, WSU 14: Aztecs immediately capitalize on the special teams error, as WR Napier throws a 27-yard touchdown to Bennett on a trick play. Cougars trail for the first time tonight.

4:02 – SDSU 19, WSU 14: Pressure mounting for Mateer, as the WSU QB is dropped twice on the drive and the Cougars punt.

SDSU starts at its 31 with a chance to go up two scores.

Fourth quarter

13:39 – SDSU 26, WSU 14: Cooper dives over the line on third down to score his second touchdown of the game and give the Aztecs what feels like a commanding lead. Cooper has 15 carries for 72 yards leading SDSU, which is outgaining WSU 342-210.

Cougars desperately in need of a spark, struggling on both sides of the ball this half.

12:08 – SDSU 26, WSU 21: Cougars wake right up on offense and get the answer they need, as Mateer hit Hernandez for a 34-yard touchdown.

Williams got the drive going with an incredible play to win a battle for a bobbling ball and turn a possible interception into 34 yards.

8:31 – SDSU 26, WSU 21: O’Neil makes a huge mistake for the Aztecs, throwing an interception right at WSU linebacker Al-Uqdah on third down.

SDSU could have at least attempted a short field goal before the turnover, instead the Cougars take over at their 37. 

5:03 – WSU 29, SDSU 26: Cougars complete the comeback, taking the lead on a 2-yard run by Mateer. WSU somehow converted the two-point play on an reverse pass, that was fumbled, picked up and completed to Mateer.

Cougars need a stop to escape with a win.

2:19 – WSU 29, SDSU 26: Big stop for the Cougars defense, who force a punt and just need a first down or two to win the game.

1:48 – WSU 29, SDSU 26: Mateer is ruled to have gained a first down after a long replay review and the Cougars should go on to win. 

Pregame

As Washington State stares down the remaining five games of its regular season, Saturday’s game at San Diego State figures to be one of its toughest.

The Aztecs (3-3) are the best of four remaining Mountain West teams the Cougars (6-1) will play as part of their scheduling agreement. Kickoff from Snapdragon Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

SDSU thumped Texas A&M-Commerce in its opener, before dropping three straight to Oregon State, California and Central Michigan. The Aztecs responded with back-to-back wins against Hawaii and Wyoming (both by scores of 27-24) before last week’s bye.

WSU bounced back from a Sept. 28 loss at Boise State with wins over Fresno State (25-17) and Hawaii (42-10) the past two weeks.

Series history

Washington State and San Diego State have only played twice, splitting the two games, with the Cougars winning in 2007 and the Aztecs in 2011.

Team stats

Scoring WSU SDSU
Points Per Game 39.4 21.7
Points Allowed Per Game 27.0 22.7
Total Yards 459.4 327.7
     Yards Passing 283.3 201.8
     Yards Rushing 176.1 125.8
Yards Allowed 425.9 377.0
     Pass Yards Allowed 268.3 209.8
     Rush Yards Allowed 157.6 167.2

Individual stats

PASSING Att.-Comp. Yards TD Int.
John Mateer (WSU) 129-215 1896 16 6
Danny O’Neil (SDSU) 87-140 1045 6 1
RUSHING Carries Yards TD
John Mateer (WSU) 103 533 8
Marquez Cooper (SDSU) 151 670 6
RECEIVING Receptions Yards TD
Kyle Williams (WSU) 32 562 5
Louis Brown IV (SDSU) 23 379 2

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