San Diego State needed 12 games last season before it finally scored on its opening possession.
In Thursday night’s 2025 season opener against Stony Brook, the Aztecs needed 7 1/2 minutes to accomplish the feat.
SDSU junior running back Lucky Sutton completed a 13-play, 75-yard drive, scoring from 1-yard out on the Aztecs’ first drive of their first game.
Just like that, SDSU was off and running in a 42-0 victory over the Seawolves before an announced crowd of 20,624 (13,516 turnstile) at Snapdragon Stadium.
Sutton was among a number of standouts for SDSU, rushing 22 times. His last carry, for a 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave SDSU a 28-0 lead, gave Sutton an even 100 yards for the evening.
SDSU quarterback Jayden Denegal (13-for-25, 208 yards, TD) also stood out in his starting debut, highlighted by a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacob Bostick in the first quarter, a 44-yard pass over the middle to wide receiver Mikey Welsh in the second quarter and a 44-yard sideline pass to wide receiver Donovan Brown that set up a third-quarter score.
Kicker Gabe Plascencia connected on 42- and 35-yard field goals that provided a 20-0 halftime lead and stretched Plascencia’s streak of makes to 14 straight.
SDSU backup quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. took over for Denegal in the fourth quarter and guided the Aztecs to a pair of touchdown drives, scoring on a 2-yard run by Christian Washington and a 5-yard reverse by wide receiver Parker Threatt.
SDSU spread the carries around, with backups Byron Cardwell Jr. (7 carries, 29 yards) and Washington (7 carries, 38 yards) following Sutton into the backfield. SDSU rushed 53 times for 226 yards and finished with 453 yards in total offense.
Bostick led all receivers with three catches (six targets) for 56 yards, all in the first half, breaking out after being buttoned up throughout fall camp as he recovered from an injury.
Perhaps most impressive was an SDSU defense tasked with stopping a Stony Brook offense that averaged nearly 30 points a game and more than 400 yards in total offense last season.
Stony Brook punter Clayton Taylor was the only one to put up any numbers against the Aztecs, booting the ball 10 times for 419 yards.
The Seawolves managed only 49 yards by halftime and finished with 95 yards for the game. SDSU linebackers Tano Letuli and Owen Chambliss led the Aztecs with five tackles apiece.
It was SDSU’s first shutout since a 6-0 win over Weber State in the 2019 season opener.
The Aztecs now have nine days to prepare for their Week 2 game at Washington State.