Gavin leads South Alabama past No. 19 San Diego State

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) Cole Garvin threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns and South Alabama beat No. 19 San Diego State 42-24 on Saturday night.

Garvin, a sophomore starting in place of injured Dallas Davis, threw touchdown passes of 37 yards to Kevin Kutchera, 79 yards to tight end Gerald Everett, and 6 yards to Josh McGee.

The win upstaged the Aztecs' Donnel Pumphrey, who went over 5,000 yards rushing for his career. The senior had 25 times for 156 yards and a touchdown.

It was a back and forth for most of the game, with the teams trading scores into the fourth quarter.

But after South Alabama (3-2) took a 28-24 lead on Garvin's strike to McGee in the left corner of the end zone with 11:58 left, a bad punt snap on the Aztecs next possession set South Alabama up at the San Diego State 3 and Dami Ayola took it in from there for a 35-24 bulge.

It got worse for the Aztecs (3-1) on the ensuing drive when South Alabama's Devon Earl returned a fumble 80 yards for a touchdown to seal it with 4:17 to go.

South Alabama's other score came on Tyreis Thomas' pinballing 12-yard run. On Everett's TD, he outraced the secondary the final 45 yards down the left sideline to the end zone.

San Diego State scored on Rashaad Penny's 15-yard run, Pumphrey's 7-yarder, John Baron II's field goal, a short TD pass from Christian Chapman to Kahale Warring, and a 2-point conversion throw to David Wells.

UP NEXT

SAN DIEGO STATE: Hosts UNLV next week.

SOUTH ALABAMA: Off next week.

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AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org