San Diego State had a two-touchdown lead on Arizona State.

There were fewer than four minutes remaining in the game.

The SDSU defense had not allowed a first down the entire second half (forcing four three-and-outs).

So maybe what the SDSU fans in the crowd of 34,641 at SDCCU Stadium did six minutes earlier in the game wasn’t courting disaster.


Then again ...

With 10 minutes, 30 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, fans started chanting “I Believe That We Will Win.” It seemed more than a little premature at the time. Especially for those who know their SDSU history.

SDSU, cruising in the closing minutes, survived a nerve-wracking final minute and knocked a last-second Hail Mary pass to the ground to come away with a 28-21 victory over No. 23 Arizona State.

“I think our players thought the game was over, too,” said SDSU head coach Rocky Long, speaking to the “comfortable” lead.


SDSU took a 28-14 lead when running back Chase Jasmin scored with 4:14 remaining.

But ASU drove 82 yards down the field in 2 1/2 minutes for a touchdown that moved the Sun Devils within a score.

SDSU recovered the ensuing onside kick and needed but one first down to secure the victory. Jasmin provided that with a 20-yard run on third-and-7 with 43 seconds to play.

But Jasmin fumbled on the play, and ASU recovered for one more chance.


“That makes you start to think there’s something else out there against you,” Long said. “Because we deserved to win the game. We outplayed them. We deserved to win. And them even making it that close seems kind of ridiculous.”

The most agonizing moment came with ASU facing a fourth-and-10 from midfield with 12 seconds left.

Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins dropped back and waited and waited, then launched a pass toward the end zone.

The ball came down in the arms of ASU wide receiver Frank Darby, who was credited with a catch at the 2-yard line with six seconds left. SDSU safety Trenton Thompson put a hard hit on Darby as he caught the ball and Thompson was called for targeting.


The targeting was confirmed on review and Thompson was ejected. However, the review also revealed that the pass was actually incomplete.

It will go down as one of the more bizarre plays in SDSU history.

The penalty gave ASU (2-1) a first down, and the Sun Devils tried one more play from the SDSU 35-yard line. This time, the ball was knocked away by safety Parker Baldwin to seal the victory for the Aztecs (2-1).

San Diego State safety Parker Baldwin knocks down the final pass in the end zone to secure SDSU’s victory over Arizona State. (Chadd Cady / Chadd Cady)


Long said he wasn’t surprised the catch was overturned.

“The guys in the (press) box saw it on TV,” he said. “They said that the ball hit the ground. So I’m glad (officials) saw it.”

Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards had a different perspective.

“They’re going to look at every facet of the play,” Edwards said. “It just happened to be that they said he didn’t catch it. We thought he caught it. Felt like we had a good play dialed up to maybe score, but it didn’t work out that way.”


It was SDSU’s second straight victory over the Sun Devils after going winless in the previous 11 games between the teams. SDSU quarterback Ryan Agnew, replacing injured starter Christian Chapman, became the first quarterback in nine years from a non-Power 5 school to beat a ranked Power 5 school in his starting debut.

The junior quarterback from Southlake, Texas, came into his own on a game-changing second-quarter drive, was supported by running back Juwan Washington’s third straight 100-yard rushing game and bolstered by an inspired SDSU defense.

Washington finished with 27 carries for 138 yards and one touchdown. He was bidding to join former teammate Rashaad Penny as the only running backs in school history to rush for at least 150 yards in each of the season’s first three games.

Washington sat out most of the fourth quarter. He said after the game that he was “banged up,” but expects to be fine for this week’s home game against Eastern Michigan. Jasmin, taking over for Washington on SDSU’s last two drives, finished with 19 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown. The Aztecs rushed for 311 yards for the game.


SDSU place-kicker John Baron II kicked a pair of field goals — a career-long 54-yarder in the third quarter followed by a 36-yarder in the final period.

Agnew completed 12 of 24 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. It didn’t appear those would be winning numbers the way the game unfolded over most of the first half.

Wilkins, who completed 31 of 48 passes for 341 yards in the game, provided a contrast to Agnew early on, operating effectively while the SDSU offense sputtered.

Wilkins completed 18 of 23 passes over the first two periods for 235 yards while passing for one touchdown and rushing for another. He tossed passes to five different teammates. He had the time to stand in the pocket to complete a pair of 44- and 51-yard passes, which set up both of the Sun Devils’ first-half scores.


Meanwhile, Agnew was flushed from the pocket as often as not, and couldn’t find a wide receiver when he did have a moment to himself. He was fortunate that one pass wasn’t picked off when he tried throwing over a blitz.

Through the first 29 minutes of the first half, Agnew had five completions, three to tight end Kahale Warring and two to running back Juwan Washington.

ASU had a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter when perhaps the game’s most crucial moment arrived.

The Sun Devils could have assumed a 10-point lead with a field goal late in the second quarter, but wanted to make a statement. And so they went for it on fourth-and-1 from the SDSU 11.


SDSU stood up, instead.

Wilkins took the snap from the shotgun, but he couldn’t find a receiver. He then tried to make something happen with his feet when he ran into SDSU’s Myles Cheatum, who had replaced injured defensive tackle Noble Hall Jr. in the starting lineup.

Cheatum put Wilkins on the ground for a 4-yard loss, then stood up and took a bow as the Aztecs took over.

“I thought that was the biggest moment in the game,” Long said. “I think we went in at halftime with all the momentum, and we came out of the locker room with the momentum, too. … I think it would have been a completely different game if that hadn’t happened.”


Said Edwards: “It was a big sequence because at that point we’re up, feeling like if we make it, worst-case scenario maybe we can get up two scores and if not — ‘Hey, they can’t go 90 yards on us.’ But they did go 90 yards on us, so that was a big swing for them.”

Aztecs quarterback Ryan Agnew (9) scrambles for a run in the second quarter as the ASU defense tries to make a tackle. (Chadd Cady / Chadd Cady)

SDSU’s offense returned to the field with 1:41 remaining before halftime, and all the sudden Agnew was everything Long hoped he would be coming into the game.

Agnew avoided a near sack on the first play of the drive by scrambling to his left and turning it into an 8-yard gain.


Completions to Warring and Washington followed. But a funny thing happened on the way to the end zone — Agnew located his wide receivers.

On first-and-15 at his own 49-yard line, Agnew hit BJ Busbee for 12 yards. Then he found Ethan Dedeaux for 15-yard catches on back-to-back plays.

That put the Aztecs at the ASU 9-yard line with 12 seconds remaining in the half.

Agnew took the snap, saw Tim Wilson Jr. open in the right corner of the end zone and completed the first touchdown pass in either of their college careers. Agnew was 6-for-9 on the drive for 77 yards, his 8-yard rush accouting for the other yards on the possession.


That sent SDSU locker room with the score 14-14.

“I wouldn’t say anything really changed (on that drive),” Agnew said. “I just think that we started making plays. … First and foremost, the defense made a huge stop. I think the momentum could have really swung in their favor, whether they get three points or seven points that could really make a huge difference. So when we came on the field not everyone’s expecting us to get down the field and get points.”

SDSU kicked off to ASU in the second half and fans watched over the next 30 minutes as Aztecs defenders made stop after stop. The Sun Devils did not manage a first down for most of the second half, going three-and-out on four straight drives before getting a first down with 3:41 to play.

Arizona State scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Wilkins to wide receiver N’Keal Harry with 1:40 remaining in the game to move ASU within a touchdown at 28-21. It was the ninth catch of the game for Harry, a potential first-round NFL Draft pick, although his impact seemed minimized most of the game.


SDSU’s Parker Houston recovered the ensuing onside kick. On third-and-7, Jasmin earned a first down that could have iced the game, but he fumbled before being tackled. ASU recovered at its own 23-yard line with 43 seconds remaining. After further review, the ruling on the field stood.

The Aztecs defense had to make one more stop. It did that — with everyone in the stands holding their collective breath.

Washington said beating ASU for the second straight season was an important accomplishment for the program.

“It just shows that we can go play with anybody,” Washington said. “A lot of people may not think we can compete with top-level guys that are out there, but I honestly think we can compete with anybody that’s in front of us on our schedule.”


The one thing SDSU fans might ask: Do they have to do it in such heart-stopping fashion?

San Diego State running back Juwan Washington rushed for more than 100 yards for the third straight game, carrying 27 times for 138 yards and one touchdown against Arizona State. (Kent Horner / Getty Images)


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kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com / on Twitter: @sdutkirKDKenney