AZTECS FINISH OFF WOLF PACK

San Diego State senior linebacker Michael Shawcroft leads the SDSU defense in tackles, not to mention heart and emotion.

A foot injury sidelined

Shawcroft two weeks ago against Hawaii.

Shawcroft returned Saturday night at Nevada and announced his presence almost immediately, forcing a fumble by Nevada running back Cross Patton on the second play of the game.

Shawcroft’s team-high seven tackles also included a sack of Nevada quarterback Nate Cox on the last play of the first quarter.

The sack was the bigger hit.

The fumble was the bigger play.

SDSU teammate Patrick Mcmorris scooped and scored on the fumble, his 30yard touchdown providing SDSU with a score before a minute had elapsed in the game.

SDSU kicker Jack Browning added a 30-yard field goal with 9:04 remaining in the opening period, and all of the sudden a team that has struggled to score found itself with a 10-point lead fewer than six minutes into the game.

An SDSU defense sparked by Shawcroft’s return and an interception by defensive tackle Justus Tavai — as well as three Browning field goals — allowed the Aztecs to cruise to a 23-7 Mountain West victory over the Wolf Pack at Nevada’s Mackay Stadium.

The victory put SDSU (4-3, 2-1 MW) over .500 for the first time this season, both overall and in conference play. The Aztecs now share the West Division lead with San Jose State and Fresno State, their next opponent.

Though it was cold at kickoff, with temperatures in the low 40s, wet weather in the forecast moved through the area well beforehand.

SDSU quarterback Jalen Mayden (12-for-25 passing for 156 yards/7 carries, 50 yards, TD) made his second start of the season and again looked calm and collected.

Mayden wasn’t as prolific passing against Nevada (2-6, 0-4) as when he threw for 322 yards two weeks ago against Hawaii. In this instance, he didn’t have to win it by winging it.

In fact, Mayden’s shining moment came on a 32-yard touchdown run with 51⁄2 minutes left in the third quarter for SDSU’S only offensive TD. Mayden searched for a receiver on the play, bought some time stepping up and then back in the pocket, then took off running and didn’t stop until he reached the end zone.

The Aztecs offense added a couple of wrinkles early — a vertical passing attack and targeting the tight end — that were mostly absent in the first half of the season.

Mayden took a couple of shots 30 yards downfield to wide receivers Tyrell Shavers and Mekhi Shaw. Neither play produced a completion, but the attempts helped stretch the field.

More successful was targeting tight end Mark Redman, who had 21- and 13yard receptions over the middle in the first quarter. Redman came into the game with only seven receptions all season.

The second quarter marked the debut of former SDSU starting quarterback Braxton Burmeister as a wide receiver.

Burmeister lined up on the right side and ran across the middle to catch a 19-yard pass from Mayden, who hung in the pocket under duress waiting until it was time to deliver the ball.

That advanced the Aztecs to midfield with 11:43 remaining in the half.

It also provided a spark for two more first-down plays, a 24-yard run by Chance Bell followed by a 15yard pass from Mayden to Shavers.

SDSU advanced as far as Nevada’s 3-yard line before the drive stalled — due to two incompletions and one of those pesky false start penalties that have plagued the offense — and Browning came out for a 27-yard field goal that made it 13-0 midway through the second quarter.

Cox, who was 2-for-8 for 11 yards over the first 11⁄2 quarters, was replaced by backup quarterback Shane Illingworth when the Nevada offense returned to the field.

Illingworth led the Wolf Pack on a 14-play, 85-yard drive that ended with a 20yard touchdown pass to Spencer Curtis.

That trimmed SDSU’S lead to 13-7 with 48 seconds remaining before the half.

Key to the scoring drive was when Nevada faced a fourth-and-3 from the SDSU 29-yard line.

Illingsworth’s pass was incomplete, but SDSU’S Noah Tumblin was called for pass interference.

Two plays later, Nevada had its first passing touchdown of the season against an FBS team.

Notable

SDSU produced 317 yards in total offense, distributed almost evenly between the pass (156 yards) and the run (161 yards). Bell was the Aztecs’ top rusher, gaining 55 yards on 12 carries.

The Aztecs limited Nevada to 35 yards rushing on 21 attempts. The Wolf Pack passed for 192 yards, giving them 227 yards in total offense.

The Aztecs were less than a minute away from shutting out their fourth straight opponent in the first half — doing so previously to Toledo, Boise State and Hawaii — when Nevada scored.