San Diego State Dominates Cal with Defensive Onslaught, 34-0
San Diego State's defense put on a clinic Saturday, shutting out California 34-0 in a lopsided Week 4 matchup. The Aztecs scored 13 points in the second quarter and added 14 more in the third to pull away decisively.
California's offense struggled throughout, with quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completing 208 passing yards but throwing multiple costly interceptions. Sagapolutele was picked off by Chris Johnson, who returned the theft 97 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Bears' defense couldn't generate consistent stops, as San Diego State's rushing attack, led by Jayden Denegal, controlled the line of scrimmage.
Trond Grizzell led California's receiving corps with 91 yards, but the Bears managed just zero points across four quarters. San Diego State's defense delivered the two largest plays of the game—both in the third quarter—including a 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Dwayne McDougle that essentially put the game out of reach.
The victory saw San Diego State cover the 14-point spread, while the game finished under the 47-point over-under.
AI-generated recap · Aug 14, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 California | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 San Diego State | 0 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | California | San Diego State |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 18-41 | 15-18 |
| Pass Yards | 224 | 189 |
| Rush Yards | 65 | 134 |
| Total Yards | 289 | 323 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| 3rd Down | 6-17 | 3-10 |
| Penalties | 6-40 | 7-75 |
| Possession | 29:42 | 30:18 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Chase Meyer kickoff for 65 yds , Jordan Napier return for 16 yds to the SDSU 16
Lucky Sutton run for 11 yds to the SDSU 27 for a 1ST down
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jacob Bostick for 2 yds to the SDSU 25
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 6 yds to the SDSU 31
Jayden Denegal pass incomplete to Jordan Napier
Hunter Green punt for 46 yds, fair catch by Jacob De Jesus at the CAL 23
Kendrick Raphael run for 3 yds to the CAL 26
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Trond Grizzell for 8 yds to the CAL 34 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mark Hamper for 1 yd to the CAL 35
PENALTY SDSU Offside (Phillips,Bryce) 5 yards from Cal35 to Cal40. NO PLAY.
Kendrick Raphael run for 2 yds to the CAL 42
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mason Mini for 7 yds to the CAL 49 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Mark Hamper
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mason Mini for 19 yds to the SDSU 32 for a 1ST down
Kendrick Raphael run for 3 yds to the SDSU 29
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mason Mini for no gain to the SDSU 29
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele run for 6 yds to the SDSU 23
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 3 yds to the SDSU 20 for a 1ST down
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 2 yds to the SDSU 18
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Jacob De Jesus for 6 yds to the SDSU 12
Kendrick Raphael run for 1 yd to the SDSU 11
Kendrick Raphael run for 2 yds to the SDSU 9 for a 1ST down
Kendrick Raphael run for 2 yds to the SDSU 7
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mason Mini for 6 yds to the SDSU 1
Kendrick Raphael run for a loss of 1 yard to the SDSU 2
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Landon Morris
Lucky Sutton run for 10 yds to the SDSU 12 for a 1ST down
Lucky Sutton run for a loss of 1 yard to the SDSU 11
Jayden Denegal sacked by Cam Sidney for a loss of 9 yards to the SDSU 2
Lucky Sutton run for 6 yds to the SDSU 8
Hunter Green punt for 49 yds , Jacob De Jesus returns for 15 yds to the SDSU 42
Hunter Green punt for 49 yds , Jacob De Jesus returns for 15 yds to the CAL 36
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Mark Hamper
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 3 yds to the CAL 39
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Jacob De Jesus for 7 yds to the SDSU 46 for a 1ST down San Diego State Penalty, (15 Yards) to the SDSU 39 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Jacob De Jesus
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 5 yds to the SDSU 34
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele sacked by Trey White for a loss of 8 yards to the SDSU 42
Michael Kern punt for 42 yds for a touchback
(13:16) No Huddle-Shotgun Denegal,Jayden rush middle for 14 yards gain to the SDSU34 (Manutai,Aiden) PENALTY SDSU Holding (Borjon,Joseph) 10 yards from SDSU20 to SDSU10. NO PLAY.
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 80 yds to the CAL 10 for a 1ST down
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jacob Bostick for 4 yds to the CAL 6
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 6 yds for a TD (Gabriel Plascencia KICK)
Kendrick Raphael run for 2 yds to the CAL 27
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Jacob De Jesus
(10:52) PENALTY Cal False Start (Vatikani,Sioape) 5 yards from Cal27 to Cal22. NO PLAY.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele sacked by August Salvati for a loss of 4 yards to the CAL 18
Michael Kern punt for 45 yds, punt out-of-bounds at the CAL 41 , Eric Butler returns for 22 yds to the CAL 41
Michael Kern punt for 45 yds, punt out-of-bounds at the CAL 41 , Eric Butler returns for 22 yds to the CAL 41
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Christian Washington for 11 yds to the CAL 30 for a 1ST down
Christian Washington run for 8 yds to the CAL 22
Christian Washington run for 6 yds to the CAL 16 for a 1ST down
Christian Washington run for 4 yds to the CAL 12
(08:07) No Huddle-Shotgun Denegal,Jayden pass complete short right to Bostick,Jacob caught at Cal06, for 6 yards to the Cal06 (Crosby,Isaiah) PENALTY SDSU Pass Interference (Acevedo,Nathan) 15 yards from Cal12 to Cal27. NO PLAY.
Christian Washington run for 7 yds to the CAL 20
Christian Washington run for 4 yds to the CAL 16
Gabriel Plascencia 34 yd FG GOOD
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele run for 4 yds to the CAL 29
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mark Hamper for 21 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to LJ Johnson Jr.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Trond Grizzell for 33 yds to the SDSU 17 for a 1ST down
Brandon High Jr. run for 1 yd to the SDSU 16
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Trond Grizzell
(04:01) PENALTY Cal False Start (Vatikani,Sioape) 5 yards from SDSU16 to SDSU21. NO PLAY.
(03:59) PENALTY Cal False Start (King,Jordan) 5 yards from SDSU21 to SDSU26. NO PLAY.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete
Chase Meyer 44 yd FG MISSED
Lucky Sutton run for 7 yds to the SDSU 33
Lucky Sutton run for 2 yds to the SDSU 35
Lucky Sutton run for 5 yds to the SDSU 40 for a 1ST down
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jacob Bostick for 19 yds to the CAL 41 for a 1ST down
Jayden Denegal run for 16 yds to the CAL 25 for a 1ST down
Jayden Denegal pass intercepted Isaiah Crosby return for no gain to the CAL 0
(01:42) No Huddle-Shotgun Denegal,Jayden pass intercepted by Crosby,Isaiah at Cal00, End Of Play PENALTY Cal Offside 5 yards from Cal25 to Cal20. NO PLAY.
Jordan Napier run for 3 yds to the CAL 17
Lucky Sutton run for 5 yds to the CAL 12 for a 1ST down
(00:35) No Huddle-Shotgun Acevedo,Nathan rush right for 1 yard gain to the Cal11 (Uluave,Cade) PENALTY SDSU Holding 10 yards from Cal12 to Cal22. NO PLAY.
Jayden Denegal run for a loss of 1 yard to the CAL 23
Gabriel Plascencia 41 yd FG GOOD
End of 2nd Quarter
Gabriel Plascencia kickoff for 60 yds , Jacob De Jesus return for 15 yds to the CAL 20
(14:53) No Huddle-Shotgun Sagapolutele,Jaron-Keawe pass complete short middle to Grizzell,Trond caught at Cal23, for 3 yards to the Cal23 (Buxton,Isaiah) PENALTY Cal Holding (Bell,Leon) 10 yards from Cal20 to Cal10. NO PLAY.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Trond Grizzell
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Trond Grizzell
Michael Kern punt for 32 yds, fair catch by Jordan Napier at the CAL 42
(14:04) No Huddle-Shotgun Sutton,Lucky rush left for 3 yards gain to the Cal39 (Crosby,Isaiah; Bollers,T.J.) PENALTY SDSU Holding (Adams,Seth) 10 yards from Cal42 to SDSU48. NO PLAY.
Lucky Sutton run for 9 yds to the CAL 43
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jackson Ford for a loss of 1 yard to the CAL 44
Jayden Denegal run for 3 yds to the CAL 41
Hunter Green punt for 37 yds
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Trond Grizzell for 24 yds to the CAL 28 for a 1ST down
Dwayne McDougle 35 Yd Fumble Return (Gabriel Plascencia Kick)
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to LJ Johnson Jr.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Trond Grizzell
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mark Hamper for 4 yds to the CAL 29
Michael Kern punt for 41 yds
Lucky Sutton run for 2 yds to the SDSU 32
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jacob Bostick for 4 yds to the SDSU 36
Jayden Denegal pass incomplete
Hunter Green punt for 45 yds , Jacob De Jesus returns for 8 yds to the CAL 27
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mason Mini for 16 yds to the CAL 43 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Jaiven Plummer
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Jacob De Jesus
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Trond Grizzell for 26 yds to the SDSU 31 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Jacob De Jesus
Brandon High Jr. run for 9 yds to the SDSU 22
Brandon High Jr. run for 2 yds to the SDSU 20 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass intercepted Chris Johnson return for 97 yds for a TD (Gabriel Plascencia KICK)
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 6 yds to the CAL 31
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mason Mini for 6 yds to the CAL 37 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass intercepted Dalesean Staley return for a loss of 1 yard to the SDSU 41
Christian Washington run for 1 yd to the SDSU 42
(00:50) No Huddle-Shotgun Washington,Christian rush left for 11 yards gain to the Cal47 (Polidore Jr.,Dru) PENALTY SDSU Holding 10 yards from SDSU42 to SDSU32. NO PLAY.
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 12 yds to the SDSU 44
Hunter Green punt for 50 yds, fair catch by Jacob De Jesus at the CAL 6
Brandon High Jr. run for 3 yds to the CAL 9
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Mark Hamper for 2 yds to the CAL 11
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass complete to Jacob De Jesus for 22 yds to the CAL 33 for a 1ST down
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Mason Mini
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass incomplete to Hezekiah Masses
Michael Kern punt for 43 yds, fair catch by Jordan Napier at the SDSU 24
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 8 yds to the SDSU 32
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 10 yds to the SDSU 42 for a 1ST down
Christian Washington run for 10 yds to the CAL 48 for a 1ST down
Christian Washington run for a loss of 3 yards to the SDSU 49
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 4 yds to the CAL 47
Christian Washington run for 11 yds to the CAL 36 for a 1ST down
Jayden Denegal pass incomplete to Christian Washington
Jordan Napier run for 3 yds to the CAL 33
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 8 yds to the CAL 25 for a 1ST down
Lucky Sutton run for 2 yds to the CAL 23
Jayden Denegal pass complete to Jordan Napier for 20 yds to the CAL 3 for a 1ST down California Penalty, Defensive Offside (Cade Uluave) declined for a 1ST down
Lucky Sutton run for 3 yds for a TD (Gabriel Plascencia KICK)
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 2 yds to the CAL 27
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 1 yd to the CAL 28
Devin Brown sacked by August Salvati for a loss of 2 yards to the CAL 26
Michael Kern punt for 48 yds, fair catch by Mikey Welsh at the SDSU 26
Bert Emanuel Jr. run for no gain to the SDSU 26
Bert Emanuel Jr. run for 5 yds to the SDSU 31
Bert Emanuel Jr. run for 1 yd to the SDSU 32
Hunter Green punt for 38 yds, fair catch by Jacob De Jesus at the CAL 30
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 6 yds to the CAL 36
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 4 yds to the CAL 40 for a 1ST down
Devin Brown pass incomplete to Kyion Grayes
LJ Johnson Jr. run for 7 yds to the CAL 47
Devin Brown pass complete to QuaRon Adams for 16 yds to the SDSU 37 for a 1ST down
Kendrick Raphael run for 4 yds to the SDSU 33
Kendrick Raphael run for 2 yds to the SDSU 31
Devin Brown pass incomplete to Kyion Grayes
Devin Brown sacked by Ryan Henderson for a loss of 12 yards to the SDSU 43
Byron Cardwell Jr. run for 4 yds to the SDSU 47
B. Emanuel Jr. takes a knee
B. Emanuel Jr. takes a knee