Johnson’s 97-yard pick-6 highlights Aztecs’ 34-0 rout of previously undefeated Cal
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chris Johnson returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown and Dwayne McDougle had a 35-yard fumble return for a score as San Diego State stunned previously undefeated California 34–0 on Saturday night.
Jayden Denegal hit Jordan Napier on a 6-yard touchdown pass two plays after they hooked up on an 80-yard completion for the Aztecs (2-1), who rebounded two weeks after being routed 36-13 at future Pac-12 opponent Washington State. Cal dropped to 3-1.
Johnson stepped in front of Jaiven Plummer to intercept true freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and then raced down the right sideline for a 27-0 lead late in the third quarter.
Two drives earlier, SDSU’s Dalesean Staley knocked the ball loose from Kendrick Raphael and McDougle scooped it up and ran in untouched.
Staley intercepted Sagapolutele late in the third quarter.
“That’s a good team that played well on a good night,” coach Sean Lewis said of his Aztecs. “I’m really proud of them. Lot of great emotional toughness they’ve showed in the past 14 days to respond to coaching, to respond to situations and to respond to an incredible opportunity that they had tonight that they really capitalized on against a really good football team. We’re a good team.”
On first-and-20 from the SDSU 10-yard line early in the second quarter, Denegal hit Napier at the 50 and the wideout ran to the Cal 10 before being dragged down. Two plays later, Denegal made a nifty short toss to Napier, who then followed 338-pound pulling lineman Joe Borjon into the end zone.
Gabe Plascencia kicked field goals of 34 and 41 yards. Napier had nine catches for 154 yards and Lucky Sutton scored on a 3-yard run.
“The two weeks that we had off, we wanted it bad,” McDougle said.
The free safety said all the talk pregame was about Sagapolutele.
“We’re just trying to be the best defense we can be. We want to be the No. 1 defense so we’ve got to shut them down. Everybody was talking about, oh, he’s the best freshman, All-American, the best QB in the nation, it was like OK, we’re going to see about that,” McDougle said.
The takeaway
California: The Bears were denied their first 4-0 start since 2019 after winning each of their first three games by double digits.
San Diego State: The Aztecs recorded their first shutout against a current team from a power conference since beating Oregon State 25-0 on Sept. 13, 1975.
More big numbers
It was SDSU’s largest victory margin against a team from a power conference. The previous largest was 32 against Arizona on Nov. 10, 1979, in a 42-10 win. Coupled with a 42-0 season-opening win against Stony Brook of the FCS, SDSU has consecutive home shutouts to start a season for the first time in its Division I history dating to 1969.
Up next
California: Opens ACC play at Boston College on Saturday.
San Diego State: Visits Northern Illinois on Saturday.
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By BERNIE WILSON
The Associated Press
