SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Utah State junior running back Devante Mays rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 15 carries, but it still wasn't enough in a 48-14 loss to San Diego State on Friday night at Qualcomm Stadium.

Aztecs junior RB Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries against the Aggies, who had a difficult time stopping the run without the services of senior starting nose guard David Moala, who missed his first game of the season due to an injury suffered against Boise State a week ago.

Both teams came into the game unbeaten in Mountain West play and leading their respective division with a 3-0 league mark, but the Aztecs took control early and never looked back en route to defeating the Aggies for the ninth straight time, including eighth consecutive time at home.

San Diego State (5-3, 4-0 MW) scored on six straight possessions in the first half and finished with 429 yards of total offense, compared to just 239 by Utah State (4-3, 3-1). The Aggies committed four turnovers, which the Aztecs turned into 17 first-half points. Conversely, Utah State did not force a turnover for the third time this year after forcing 18 turnovers in its last four games.

Chase Price nearly gave San Diego State a second 100-yard rusher in the game as the senior RB rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. The Aztecs rushed for 336 yards and five TDs on 61 carries (5.5 ypc).

Senior WR Hunter Sharp scored the Aggies' only other touchdown on a 45-yard pass from sophomore QB Kent Myers in the second quarter. Sharp finished with four catches for 63 yards, while Myers completed 8-of-19 passes for 93 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

San Diego State scored the first 24 points of the game and never looked back. After the two teams traded punts to begin the game, the Aztecs scored on their second series when senior QB Maxwell Smith threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to sophomore WR Mikah Halder to make it 7-0 with 9:35 left in the first quarter.

Less than a minute later, San Diego State was on the board again. Following a fumble recovery by junior LB Calvin Munson at the Utah State 14-yard line, the Aztecs needed just two plays to find the end zone. Smith scored on a 1-yard run to give the hosts a 14-0 lead with 8:52 left in the first.

San Diego State made it 17-0 late in the first courtesy of a 41-yard field goal by Donny Hageman. The senior PK was also good from 21 yards out with 1:29 left in the opening half to give the Aztecs a commanding 34-7 lead at the break.

Pumphrey scored on touchdown runs of 4 and 62 yards, respectively, in the second quarter. The second one came right after Sharp's 45-yard touchdown pass from Myers that pulled the Aggies within 24-7 with 5:14 remaining until halftime.

Utah State took the second-half kickoff and marched 65 yards in six plays, capped by a 26-yard touchdown run by Mays to pull within 34-14 with 12:17 remaining in the third quarter. It was Mays' team-leading fifth touchdown run of the season.

However, that's as close as the Aggies would get the rest of the way. San Diego State tacked on a couple of more touchdowns in the fourth quarter courtesy of a 1-yard touchdown run by Price and a 7-yard TD run by sophomore RB Rashaad Penny.

Senior LB Kyler Fackrell and junior LB Nick Vigil led Utah State's defensive effort with 10 tackles apiece, while senior DE Jordan Nielsen and senior CB Tyler Floyd added a career-best nine and seven stops, respectively.

The Aggies return to action on Oct. 30, when they host Wyoming on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium, in the final of three consecutive Friday night contests for Utah State. The game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. MT and will be televised on ESPN2.

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