San Diego State sinks game-winning field goal in first FBS game without touchdown since 2023.
If you bought a ticket to Huskie Stadium anticipating touchdowns, you were bamboozled. But if you arrived to the non-conference matchup pitting Northern Illinois against San Diego State, you were treated to the ultimate battle of complementary football.
It was nearly three-and-a-half hours of a field position struggle as the Huskies and Aztecs constantly traded punts, turnovers, and fourth down stops. The scoreboard sat unaltered for nearly three entire quarters, but there the game didn’t lack down-to-the-wire action. On the final snap, San Diego State kicker Gabriel Plascencia drilled a 25-yard walk-off field goal through the uprights, avoiding overtime and handing the Aztecs a 6-3 walk-off road win at NIU.
The defensive rock fight was the first FBS contest deprived of a touchdown since Oct. 21, 2023 when Nevada defeated San Diego State 6-0. The 6-3 result was also the first game featuring under 10 combined points since that Mountain West battle two years ago. Defense has long been the trademark of both teams, and San Diego State especially embodied that Saturday — holding its second-straight opponent out of the end zone.
Interestingly enough, both red and black teams generated points on their opening drive. Northern Illinois strung together a methodical 16-play, 62-yard drive that consumed 7:50 of clock, finishing with a 31-yard Andrew Glass field goal to claim an early lead. However, San Diego State responded with a nearly identical 13-play, 63-yard drive that chewed up 7:15, as Plascencia connected from 30 yards out to knot the score at 3-3.
From there, we saw 13 punts, three interceptions, and two turnovers on downs in an ultimate showcase of defensive dominance and offensive futility. San Diego State fielded the stronger offense throughout the matchup, out-gaining the Huskies 266-179. However, the Aztecs missed several opportunities in NIU territory, failing a fourth down in the second quarter and tossing an interception in the fourth.
That interception seemingly provided NIU a wave of momentum on offense. The Huskies drove down to the San Diego State 44-yard line where they faced a critical 4th and 2. No stranger to converting fourth-and-shorts, Thomas Hammock left the offense on the field and called a trick play. The Huskies handed the ball to Josh Holst on a reverse, and the quarterback scavenged his options before deciding to tuck and run. He was tripped up short of the sticks with 4:28 remaining, and that stop served as the turning point.
San Diego State and NIU traded punts before the Aztecs earned one final crack at a regulation victory. Starting from their own 44, an onslaught of Lucky Sutton runs and a Huskie face mask penalty catapulted San Diego State down to the 7-yard line where Plascencia worked his magic. The always-reliable kicker improved to 23-of-24 in his college career, hitting his first walk-off field goal in a day where points were at a premium.
Northern Illinois limited its third opponent to 20 or fewer points this season yet the Huskies fell to 1-3 — dropping their third-straight matchup to conclude non-conference play. Meanwhile, San Diego State improved to 7-0 all-time against NIU and jumped to 3-1 on the season, allowing a combined three points in the three victories.
Category: General Sports
