Pumphrey, Aztecs look to keep conference winning streak alive against USU


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LOGAN — Riding a 14-game winning streak against Mountain West Conference opponents, the San Diego State Aztecs come into Logan for a Friday night showdown against USU with a lot of confidence. The last time the Aztecs lost a game to a conference foe was Nov. 15, 2014, against Boise State.

SDSU is 6-1, and a big reason for the success is the impressive play of Heisman Trophy candidate Donnel Pumphrey. The senior running back leads the FBS in rushing yards with 1,246 and averages just over 178 yards per game. He is also second in rushing touchdowns with 13. Pumphrey needs just 880 yards to become the FBS career leader in rushing yards.

“When you look down and see the piece of paper that says he’s 5-9 and 180, first of all, he is very durable," USU head coach Matt Wells said. "The amount of carries he’s had and the amount of yards he’s had over his career is incredible. He’s very durable and he’s very tough, and you see him run through tackles and accelerate through tackles. They fly him out of the backfield and use him in pass routes. He can catch a football. I just talked to four scouts here in the building this morning and asked them, ‘What do you think of San Diego State?’ All they say is, ‘Number 19.’ Scouts know about him, and he is going to be a draft pick. My first-team all-Mountain West ballot for running back is filled out and it’s him. He’s a really good player.”

However, if the USU defense tries to stop Pumphrey, it will have to deal with junior running back/kick returner Rashaad Penny. It is a two-headed monster that the Aztecs have with Penny and Pumphrey. Penny has scored 10 total touchdowns, including a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown, and he was a player who was high on the USU radar during the recruiting process.

“We were heavily involved in recruiting Rashaad," Wells said. "He comes from a tremendous family and is a great young man. That one came down to the wire. We were knee deep into that one and sat in that living room and that school, and I would’ve liked to have had that one. He’s a good player.”

SDSU was picked as the favorite to win the Mountain West Conference championship. Pumphrey was picked to win Offensive Player of the Year honors and defensive back Damontae Kazee was picked to win Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Aztecs have not trailed in a Mountain West Conference game in 393 minutes, 22 seconds. Rushing for 200 yards is a key for SDSU as it has won 28 consecutive games when hitting the 200-yard mark.

It will be a physical game that will be won in the trenches. If the Aztecs get to 200 yards rushing, they win. There are some impressive streaks on the line come Friday night, and Maverik Stadium will be rocking. Kyle McDonald is sports fan who loves the Chicago Cubs and the Utah Valley University Wolverines. He is a communication major at UVU and will graduate in the spring of 2017. Follow him on Twitter at @kylesportsbias

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsUtah State Aggies

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast