San Diego State needed four snaps to turn a six-point deficit into control of its season opener. Javion Kinnard's 55-yard run put the Aztecs at the Portland State 9, and Jayden Denegal found Nathan Acevedo for the touchdown two plays later. The sequence started a 29-point run that carried SDSU to a 53-20 victory Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.
Portland State had taken a 6-0 lead on two first-quarter field goals. SDSU's response did not rely on one phase. Jelani McLaughlin blocked a punt early in the second quarter, Parker Threatt recovered at the 1 and Lucky Sutton scored from a direct snap. Denegal then hit Justius Lowe for a 40-yard touchdown, with Bert Emanuel running in the conversion for a 22-6 edge.
The defense supplied the next short field. Mike Lindsay intercepted Gabe Downing at the SDSU 46, and Emanuel converted fourth-and-1 with a seven-yard run before Sutton swept 13 yards for his second score. The Aztecs carried a 29-6 lead into halftime after producing touchdowns on four consecutive possessions in a little more than one quarter.
Portland State found one opening after the break when Colton Kennedy recovered a muffed punt at the Aztecs' 10. Downing threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Terence Loville, cutting the margin to 29-13. The possibility of a comeback lasted one kickoff. Jaylon Hawkins took the return 100 yards, first along the right side and then across the field, restoring a three-score cushion.
That return was SDSU's first kickoff touchdown since Jordan Byrd went 95 yards against San Jose State in November 2022. Another special-teams play followed. Oberhiri Eyafe blocked Portland State's next punt, and Sutton finished the resulting 30-yard possession with a five-yard run. His three rushing touchdowns were the most by an Aztec in one game since Juwan Washington in 2018.
The final statistics separated normal offense from opportunity. Portland State held the ball for 33:25, nearly seven minutes longer than SDSU, and the teams were only 19 yards apart in total offense. The Aztecs nevertheless rushed for 237 yards to the Vikings' 95 and repeatedly began scoring chances after takeaways or blocked kicks. Kinnard led SDSU with 79 yards on eight carries; Sutton added 58 on 18.
Denegal completed 12 of 17 passes for 137 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Acevedo caught four passes for 47 yards, while Lowe's two receptions produced 56 yards and a score. Sione Hala led the defense with 10 tackles. Reserve quarterback Stone Saunders directed the final touchdown drive, which ended on Jordin Thomas' two-yard run.
The 53 points were SDSU's most since a 55-0 win over Hawaii in November 2016. The opener also marked the football program's first game as a Pac-12 member, although Portland State was a nonconference opponent. Conference identity did not decide this one. Field position, blocks and a return did, with the Aztecs converting the game's abrupt changes before the Vikings could reset.
SDSU takes a 1-0 record to the Rose Bowl on Sept. 12 for a 4:15 p.m. game against UCLA. Saturday established the big-play ceiling and the value of its special teams. The road test will show how much of that scoring can travel when the Aztecs cannot count on two blocked punts and a touchdown-length kickoff return appearing in the same night.