SAN DIEGO (AP) — John Mateer threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores and Washington State scored the final 15 points to rally for a 29-26 victory over San Diego State on Saturday night. Washington State (7-1), which has won three in a row, led by two points at halftime, but San Diego State scored 20 unanswered points for a 26-14 advantage with 13:39 left to play. Mateer answered quickly when he found Carlos Hernandez open for a 34-yard touchdown four plays later and Washington State trailed 26-21 with 12:08 remaining.
San Diego State (3-4) drove as far as the Cougars’ 14-yard line, but Taariq Al-Uqdah intercepted a Danny O’Neil pass and returned it 20 yards to the WSU 37-yard line. Mateer capped a seven-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and a successful two-point pass left the Cougars with a three-point lead with 5:03 to go. The Aztecs never threatened from there.
Washington State grabbed the lead on its first possession when Mateer connected with Cooper Mathers for a 26-yard touchdown on the Cougars' fifth play from scrimmage. San Diego State answered with 46- and 28-yard field goals by Gabriel Plascencia and trailed 7-6 after one quarter. The Cougars moved in front 14-6 on a 1-yard plunge by Mateer midway through the second quarter.
San Diego State got a 7-yard touchdown run from Marquez Cooper with 17 seconds left in the first half, but the two-point run failed and the Aztecs trailed by two. San Diego State had the lone score in the third quarter — a.
