The San Diego State Aztecs appear to have found a new quarterback, a mere eight games into the season.
Now they need to find a way to save that season and make it to a bowl game for the second straight year.
Redshirt freshman Stone Saunders stepped into the starting job in place of injured Jayden Denegal and probably played well enough to keep it moving forward, although his first college start was a crazy 56-49 loss at Colorado State on Saturday.
The Aztecs fell to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the Pac-12.
Stone Saunders impresses in first start
Saunders completed 23 of 33 passes (70%) for 369 yards and two touchdowns. Impressive numbers for sure, but he was intercepted twice, with the most damaging one being a 38-yard pick-6 late in the first half that helped give the Rams the lead for good.
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) October 24, 2026
Saunders dueled Hauss Hejny, who returned from a hamstring injury to throw for 333 yards and three touchdowns, as well as gaining 85 yards on the ground, with two more scores.
Sean Lewis evaluates his young quarterback
“Yeah, he did a good job,” Lewis told San Diego Sports 760 radio. “I mean, he came in, made some timely throws. I’ve got to help him, put him in a better position there in the first half so that he doesn't have that pick-6 and then again, the second one, he's got to do a good job with the decision-making process there.
“But all in all, he gave us a chance to win and did a really nice job preparing for this opportunity.”
San Diego State's receivers step up
Saunders threw completions to seven different receivers, with Jaylon Hawkins leading the way with six catches for 164 yards and one touchdown. Saunders’ first play of the game was a 64-yard pass to Hawkins.
Jordan Napier also caught a touchdown pass.
“Yeah, again, we’ve got a talented room,” Lewis said. “We've really settled into, you know, a top rotation of guys, obviously, between BJ (Bert Emanuel Jr.), Jaylon, (Jacob) Bostic, (Jordan) Napier, (Nate) Acevedo. Those guys have really presented, regardless of who the quarterback is, consistent options on the edge, and guys are emerging within those roles.
“Stone did a good job distributing the football to them in a really catchable way and maximizing the opportunities that they did. I still felt like we lost some opportunities that were out there that could have been difference-makers in this game.”
What's next for the Aztecs?
The Aztecs host Washington State at 4 p.m. Saturday.
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