Washington’s fourth quarter rally falls short

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September 26, 2026

SEATTLE, WA — Washington finally found its offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter Saturday night. By then, Minnesota had built just enough of a cushion to withstand the Huskies’ charge.

Demond Williams Jr. accounted for three touchdowns as No. 23 Washington rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit before falling 27-24 to Minnesota at Husky Stadium in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

The loss dropped Washington to 3-1 after opening the season with three straight home victories.

Williams passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score, but two first-half interceptions helped Minnesota build an early advantage. The Golden Gophers also sacked Williams seven times and limited Washington to 40 rushing yards.

“Yeah, that’s just a play I made the first three weeks of the season,” Williams said of his first interception. “I take that 100%; I just got to be smarter in that situation.”

Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey threw three first-half touchdown passes as the Gophers took a 21-10 advantage into halftime.

Washington’s first touchdown came when Williams found Dezmen Roebuck for a 16-yard score early in the second quarter. Roebuck finished with seven receptions for 87 yards.

The Huskies trailed 24-10 entering the fourth before their defense provided the opening they needed. Taariq Al-Uqdah intercepted Lindsey, and Washington responded with its best offensive possession of the night.

Williams connected on a pair of 26-yard passes before escaping pressure on fourth-and-5 and finding Baron Naone for a 15-yard touchdown, cutting Minnesota’s lead to 24-17.

The Gophers answered with Luke Drzewiecki’s 51-yard field goal, but Washington wasn’t finished.

Williams directed a six-play, 54-yard drive and scored on a 13-yard run with 1:53 remaining, pulling the Huskies within 27-24. Washington’s comeback ended when Minnesota recovered the ensuing onside kick.

The Huskies finished with 279 yards and converted just 1 of 10 third downs, two numbers that made their late comeback considerably more difficult.

“I think that all our goals are still in front of us,” Williams said. “We have a whole lot of ball to play, a whole lot of good teams to play still.”

Washington now leaves Husky Stadium for the first time this season with little time to dwell on its first loss. The Huskies travel to Los Angeles to face No. 18 USC on Saturday in another Big Ten matchup.

No. 12 USC drops first game of the season in a 41-27 loss to No. 20 Oregon

By

Eric Ramos

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September 26, 2026

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 27 Oregon at USC — Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson (9) catches the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks against the USC Trojans on September 27, 2026 (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

Los Angeles, CA- The highly anticipated matchup between No.20 Oregon and No. 12 USC took a scary turn when star quarterback Dante Moore took a hit while sliding from linebacker Desman Stephens.

Moore laid on the ground for several minutes before being carted off the field and taken to an ambulance. Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola replaced Moore and passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-27 win over the Trojans Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“Seeing him like that shook the whole team,” Raiola said. “But at the same time, we knew we were going to fight for him.”

Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) looks to throw the ball during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks against the USC Trojans on September 27, 2026 (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns but the defense couldn’t find an answer for the Ducks’ offense who scored on seven of nine drives.

“Came down to a couple of plays, like games with two really good teams typically come down to,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “We made a few too many errors there in the end, especially when we got momentum there in the fourth quarter, and they did a good job (to) capitalize on them.”

After the Trojans missed a field goal on the opening drive, Oregon drove down the field and connected on a 30-yard field goal to give the Ducks a 3-0 lead in the first quarter.

Southern California Trojans wide receiver Tanook Hines (16) catches the ball for a touchdown during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks against the USC Trojans on September 27, 2026 (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

USC opened the second quarter with a 4-play, 50-yard drive that Maiava capped with 31-yard touchdown pass to true freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 7-3 lead.

Riola replaced Moore and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Evan Stewart to give the Ducks a 10-7 lead with 9:04 remaining in the second quarter.

USC and Oregon exchanged field goals to end the first half with Oregon taking a 13-10 lead. The Ducks took an early second half lead after running back Deirre Hill Jr scored from a yard out to give Oregon a 20-10 lead.

Southern California Trojans safety Prophet Brown (16) breaks up a pass during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks against the USC Trojans on September 27, 2026 (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

Maiava answered for the Trojans with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the lead 20-17 with 8:33 l;eft in the third quarter. Oregon came right back as Hill scored on a 4-yard run for a 27-17 lead.

USC added a field goal to cut the Oregon lead 27-20 at the end of the third quarter. The Trojans defense forced its first punt of the game and capitalized with a 7-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a Maiava 11-yard touchdown pass to Tanook Hines. USC evened the score 27-27 with 12:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks to throw the ball during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks against the USC Trojans on September 27, 2026 (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

Oregon took a 34-27 lead after Riola hit Dakorien Moore with a 29-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. With two minutes left in the game, Oregon running back Jordan Davison scored from two yards out to put the game away.

USC will look to rebound from the loss when they host Washington next Saturday, Oct. 3rd.

Notre Dame overwhelms Purdue

By

Davyn Wright

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September 26, 2026

WEST LAFAYETTE, IU — Purdue entered Saturday averaging more than 36 points and 488 yards per game. Notre Dame quickly made those numbers feel like a distant memory.

No. 3 Notre Dame pressured quarterback Ryan Browne throughout the afternoon and scored 35 unanswered first-half points on its way to a 49-10 victory over Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium.

C.J. Carr threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns and added another score on the ground as the Fighting Irish improved to 4-0. Notre Dame’s defense recorded six sacks, forced turnovers and limited Purdue to 218 total yards.

Notre Dame took control after stopping Purdue’s fake punt near midfield on the Boilermakers’ second possession. Four plays later, Carr found Micah Gilbert for a 14-yard touchdown.

“We knew we had to be aggressive and extend the drive there,” Purdue coach Barry Odom said. “We have to take chances. Today it didn’t come up right.”

The afternoon only became more difficult for Purdue.

Notre Dame consistently won at the line of scrimmage, holding the Boilermakers to 12 rushing yards in the first half. The Irish defense also produced points when Drayk Bowen recovered a Browne fumble and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 28-0.

By halftime, Notre Dame had built a 35-0 advantage and Purdue was searching for answers against one of the nation’s stingiest defenses.

Carr completed 14 of 22 passes and accounted for four touchdowns. His only major mistake came on his first interception of the season, picked off by Purdue linebacker Charles Correa in the third quarter. The Boilermakers, however, were unable to turn the takeaway into points.

“It’s a huge win to beat a Big Ten team and to go on the road and do it,” Carr said. “It’s really good to win the game.”

Browne, who entered the game averaging more than 340 passing yards, was held to 111 yards on 18-of-28 passing. Chuba Evans provided Purdue’s lone touchdown, connecting with Bisi Owens for a 14-yard score late in the fourth quarter. It was the first career passing touchdown for Evans and first career receiving score for Owens.

Purdue fell to 1-3 with its third consecutive loss and now turns its attention back to Big Ten play with a road game Saturday at Illinois.

Notre Dame heads to North Carolina with an unbeaten record and another dominant defensive performance behind it.

Colorado rally falls short in 23-13 loss to Baylor

By

Devon Martinez

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September 26, 2026

NCAA Football 2026: Colorado vs Baylor SEP 26 — September 26, 2026: Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) runs the ball after a catch as Baylor Bears safety Colby McCalister (15) makes the leg tackle during the first half at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News

WACO, Texas — Colorado found the second-half spark it was searching for Saturday, but the Buffaloes couldn’t sustain it long enough to leave Waco with a Big 12 victory.

Isaac Wilson came off the bench and led a 95-yard touchdown drive that pulled Colorado even in the fourth quarter before Baylor answered with 10 straight points to hand the Buffaloes a 23-13 loss at McLane Stadium.

Colorado fell to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play despite outgaining Baylor 363-337 and holding the ball for more than 31 minutes. The Buffaloes’ biggest problem was finishing drives, going just 3 of 15 on third down and 0 for 2 on fourth down.

September 26, 2026: Baylor Bears wide receiver Gavin Freeman (6) tries to leap over Colorado Buffaloes defenders Liona Lefau (17) and Naeten Mitchell (4) during the second half at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News

“You’re not going to win like that,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “You’re not going to win like that whatsoever.”

Colorado led 3-0 after Elliott Arnold’s first-quarter field goal before Baylor scored 13 unanswered points. Sanders turned to Wilson in place of Julian Lewis to begin the second half with the Buffs trailing 10-3.

Wilson settled in as the half progressed. After Arnold’s second field goal cut the deficit to 13-6, Wilson directed Colorado’s best possession of the afternoon, marching the Buffs 95 yards in 12 plays. He capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Williams, tying the game at 13 with 11:04 remaining.

September 26, 2026: Baylor Bears quarterback DJ Lagway (2) passes against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first half at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News

Williams emerged as Colorado’s most consistent offensive threat, catching 11 passes for 127 yards and the touchdown. He also completed a 49-yard pass to Quanell Farrakhan Jr. in the first quarter.

“Joseph’s been a dawg,” Sanders said. “He’s cleaning up, he wants it. He wants to be that guy, and he is that guy right now.”

September 26, 2026: Colorado Buffaloes running back JaQuail Smith (23) runs the ball as he’s met by a trio of Baylor defenders led by Bears linebacker Travion Barnes (5) during the first half at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News

Colorado’s momentum did not last. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway answered with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jadon Porter, and Rhett Armstrong later added a 54-yard field goal.

Wilson finished with 156 passing yards and a touchdown, but Colorado’s final opportunity ended with a fumble.

September 26, 2026: Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Quanell Farrakhan Jr. (14) fight the ball with Baylor Bears defensive back Devon Jordan (7) during the first half at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News

The Buffs return to Boulder looking to regroup before hosting Texas Tech on Saturday for Homecoming.

Rams Tailgate Outside Hollywood Park Casino

By

Christopher Floch

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September 22, 2026

20260921_163438-1 — Photo by Michael Floch

INGLEWOOD, CA-– Hours before the Los Angeles Rams play the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, I am lounging on a comfortable white seat at the Rams VIP Tailgate hosted by the Bullseye Event Group on Monday, September 21st This is the ultimate All-Inclusive Tailgate Experience for every home game of the 2026-27 Rams Season.

DJ Shell, official DJ of the Rams VIP Tailgate, was spinning records as hundreds of Giants and Rams fans busted a move on the custom royal Rams blue carpet.

It was the supreme ‘Pre-gaming’ experience leading up to the highly anticipated home opener for the Los Angeles Rams. Giant canopies protected fans on the final day of Summer.

This being football, there was obviously delicious food and ice-cold beverages on hand. All-you-can-eat premium food stations exclusively created by MasterChef Winner Chef Kelsey Murphy fed the happy crowd.

Featuring the BUDDY’Z SMASHBURGER TRUCK – Burgers & Fries. Tiny, juicy, meaty, and greasily satisfying sliders with a first bite that delivers an explosion of contrasting textures and savory flavors.

WAFFLES & WINGS TRUCK – Waffles / Chicken & Waffles / Chicken Tenders. Fluffy waffles and spicy Nashville chicken that left third-degree burns on my tongue.

What a great time to discuss the drinks. Besides the elevated game day menu, there was a cozy open bar serving up premium cocktails and a chef-curated spread designed by fans.

Open four hours prior to kickoff for Rams and opposing team fans, it being the classic New York-Los Angeles rivalry, there was playful trash-talking amongst fans. But it was frankly too great a vibe for anyone to rumble.

So, back to those glorious cloud-like seats mentioned back in the opening paragraph. It was where I met Douglas from Culver City donning a Rams customized mustard yellow jersey, which is the exact same color as the Rams wore on that evening.

Sitting beside him is Johnny, a native New Yorker wearing a Jaxon Dart New York Giants jersey. Johnny was “jacked up for the game because it’s been a long time since we have felt good about our team.”

Douglas is thrilled about the return of Aaron Donald. After 981 days, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Donald’s return to the game and the Los Angeles Rams was the most hyped up aspect of the game.

All great things must come to an end. Tailgate wrapped up 30 minutes before kickoff. Thankfully, there will be a tailgate for every Rams home game this season.

What surprised most was the level of ease and luxury that was offered because, after tailgating in a luxurious manner, it’s a jaunt to the stunning SoFi.

That is where the Los Angeles Rams (1-0) crushed the visiting New York Giants, 28-6. Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw four touchdowns, and Aaron Donald made three tackles in his debut after coming out of retirement. The only thing to dampen the evening was the serious injury the Giant’s Quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered. This promising young player had to end his season, and will undergo surgery immediately.

All in all a fantastic evening.

For more information, visit: www.bullseyeeventgroup.com

Raiders Slay Chargers At Sofi

By

Christopher Floch

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September 20, 2026

INGLEWOOD, CA –The Los Angeles Chargers season is in absolute danger after an embarrassing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-14 at Sofi Stadium on Sunday, September 19th.

It was a sellout filled with fans wearing Silver and Black, on the road no less. The Las Vegas Raiders improve to (2-0) on the season, meanwhile the Chargers fall to (0-2) as the offense struggles to score and question marks about in Inglewood.

Las Vegas beat the Chargers on the road for the first time since 2020, Raiders Nation who maintain a strong Southern California fan base, had lost four straight to the Chargers by double digits.

With No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza watching from the sideline, Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins was 19 of 29 for 253 yards with three TDs and an interception.

Cousins joined Ken Stabler in 1976 as only the Raiders quarterbacks to throw three or more TD passes in each of their first two games.

The Bolts were sloppy all afternoon.

The Chargers were done in by six fumbles, among other miscues.

“The fight was there,” Harbaugh said. “We’re losing in the margins. That’s what we have to get fixed.”

In his 100th NFL game, Jim Harbaugh fell to 0-2 for the first time in his college or pro coaching career, with the heavily favored Chargers also losing to Arizona 26-14 last week.

Justin Herbert had a costly interception in the 4th quarter. A visibly frustrated Herbert was 15 of 26 for 192 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He took three sacks.

“That’s not good enough and can’t expect to win games like that when we’re playing like that,” he said. “If we’re not playing up to our standard, that’s on us to fix it.”

Cousins favorite target was Wide Receiver Cody White. Cousins connected with White for a go-ahead, 13-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and an 11-yard score during the fourth, in the impressive AFC West opener on Sunday.

Leading 17-14, the Raiders’ Jeremy Chinn recovered a fumble and returned it 43 yards with 3:52 remaining in the game. Omarion Hampton had a costly fumble for the second straight week and Chinn recovered, returning it to the Chargers 16-yard line.

The Chargers’ Joe Alt, one of the league’s top tackles, had three false-start penalties and an offensive holding call that led to a Raiders safety in the closing minutes.

“Thought I saw what I saw and didn’t,” Alt said. “Got to be better.”

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Chargers. With their next six opponents all Super Bowl contenders.

Chargers visit the undefeated Buffalo next Sunday in their first road game of the season.

Afterwards, the Chargers travel to the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks. Then consecutive battles with Denver, Kansas City and finally, the Rams.

Somehow these Chargers need to turn it around in order to rejuvenate their season.

USC escapes the Scarlet Knights on the road

By

DeVaughn Townes

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September 20, 2026

USC vs Rutgers 9-19-26-231 — Photo by Marja Baker / fi360 News

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — USC’s first Big Ten road test required more resistance than expected, but the Trojans found enough answers to leave New Jersey unbeaten.

Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, King Miller rushed for 102 yards and No. 12 USC held off Rutgers 42-35 Saturday at SHI Stadium in the conference opener for both teams.

USC improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, never trailing despite Rutgers repeatedly cutting into the Trojans’ advantage.

“It’s good to get a win,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “We didn’t play our best ball on all sides. We’re going to have to play a whole lot better.”

Miller helped USC establish itself early, scoring on an 11-yard run for a 10-0 lead. After Rutgers answered, Maiava connected with Corey Simms for a 52-yard touchdown that pushed the advantage back to 10.

The Trojans carried a 20-14 lead into halftime before their defense produced the game’s biggest momentum swing.

Rutgers drove to the USC 1-yard line early in the third quarter with an opportunity to take the lead. Instead, Prophet Brown intercepted Dylan Lonergan and raced 99 yards for a touchdown, turning a potential Rutgers go-ahead score into a 27-14 USC advantage.

Rutgers continued to fight back, but USC’s offense responded when necessary. Riley Wormley scored on a 12-yard run and Maiava connected with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on the two-point conversion to give the Trojans a 35-21 lead.

The Scarlet Knights cut the margin to seven before Maiava directed another USC scoring drive, finding Wormley for a 2-yard touchdown and a 42-28 advantage with 8:45 remaining.

Rutgers answered once more, pulling within 42-35, but USC controlled the closing minutes to secure its first conference victory.

Maiava completed 20 of 32 passes without an interception, while Dixon-Wyatt stepped into a larger role with freshman receiver Trent Mosley sidelined by a knee injury. Dixon-Wyatt finished with five receptions for 77 yards.

“In this conference, you don’t take winning on the road for granted,” Riley said.

USC finished with 461 yards and did not turn the ball over. Rutgers nearly matched the Trojans with 460 yards, but two interceptions proved costly.

The Trojans return to Los Angeles unbeaten with a considerably larger challenge ahead. USC hosts Oregon on Sept. 26 in a matchup that will provide another early test of the Trojans’ Big Ten credentials.

UCLA upon uncharted territory with Big 10 opener win over Purdue

By

Charle' Moore

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September 19, 2026

_RM58736 — Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News

Pasadena, CA- It’s been a drawn out three years since UCLA football team went 3-0 and the first time this season where the defense was not being lauded more than the offense in their Big Ten opener win, 52-38 over Purdue.

Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleav immediately answered the questions surrounding his last two game performances on finding his receivers and opportunities to put the ball in the air while reading the defense quicker or under pressure delivering on the first drive of the game connecting a 27-yard pass to Semaj Morgan, 6-0.

“I thought in week one, I thought we performed well. Maybe not to our max potential, but we had a great week of preparation and that was the main thing, going into week three, Iamaleava said. “I thought that in week two, we took it lightly. We did not prepare well. You guys saw the results.”

Then quickly after UCLA scored their extra point, it was Purdue turn to show their offensive prowess on their first play resulting in a 75-yard pass to Xavier Townsend, to tie the game, 7-7.

UCLA responded with adding 14 points to end the first quarter, 21-7.

Boilermakers were not favored to win this game and hardly made themselves a threat for an upset despite giving Bruins’ defense their biggest challenge thus far of the season as Head Coach Bob Chesney acknowledged Purdue’s quarterback elite passing and their offensive coordinator play calls for his wide receiver routes becoming a nuisance to UCLA’s man coverage.

“You know, as far as the coverage is concerned, I think the quarterback and the receivers were really good,” Coach Chesney said. “I felt like the pressure mounted a little bit and we were not as clean in our technique as we needed to be. We have guys that are fast. We got guys that are skilled. We got guys that could run and bang with almost anybody. We can’t put ourselves in some sort of panic mode, which might have hit us a little bit…So there’s a lot of things in there that we had stops, and then all of a sudden, it didn’t because of penalties, and good teams don’t do that, so we got to get back and clean that up.”

Still in typical UCLA fashion this season, Coach Chesney utilized what’s been their bread and butter, flexing their depth with rotations of running backs and offensive linemen, to put up 28 points in the second half for another strong finish to remain undefeated.

UCLA’s Wayne Knight ran for 177 yards per 18 carries, just one touchdown shy of having three consecutive games with three touchdowns while nearing the total of touchdowns he had all of last season with needing two more to tie and having nine more games remaining this season to go beyond it.

“This was a game that was gritty, first game in the Big Ten and the other team is very talented,” UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho said to fi360News during postgame presser. “…Going forward, it starts tomorrow for the next Saturday.”

Next up for Bob Chesney’s UCLA (3-0) is the Maryland Terrapins (2-1) as they hit the road to travel to College Park at Byrd Stadium for a 10:30am, Pacific time, kickoff.

Washington finds it way late to defeat Eastern Washington

By

Jennifer Moore

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September 19, 2026

SEATTLE, WA — After two weeks of leaning heavily on its defense, Washington finally showed what its offense can look like when everything starts clicking.

Demond Williams Jr. threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns as the Huskies rolled past Eastern Washington 48-16 Saturday at Husky Stadium, completing their nonconference schedule unbeaten and carrying some offensive momentum into Big Ten play.

Washington improved to 3-0 after opening the season with victories over Washington State and Utah State. Those wins produced only five touchdowns combined, but the Huskies found the end zone on four of their first five possessions against Eastern Washington.

Williams completed 27 of 33 passes, spreading the ball across a receiving group that consistently created opportunities downfield. Dezmen Roebuck finished with a career-high nine catches for 121 yards, while Rashid Williams caught six passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

Chris Lawson opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown reception on Washington’s first possession. After Eastern Washington pulled within 7-3, Williams found Rashid Williams for a 5-yard score and a 14-3 advantage.

The Eagles briefly made things interesting when quarterback Nate Bell scored on a 14-yard run early in the second quarter, trimming Washington’s lead to 14-10.

The Huskies responded instead of allowing the game to tighten.

Williams connected with Jordan Clay for a 3-yard touchdown before finding Rashid Williams for an 18-yard score. Tyler Robles added a field goal just before halftime, sending Washington into the locker room with a 31-10 advantage.

Washington coach Jedd Fisch had emphasized finishing throughout the week after the Huskies struggled to put away their first two opponents.

“Our whole focus this week has been about finishing in all three phases,” Coach Fisch said before the game.

That message showed up in a key third-quarter sequence. Eastern Washington drove to the Washington 5 before the Huskies stopped Bell on fourth-and-1. Three plays later, Williams connected with Baron Naone for 75 yards, setting up Ansu Sanoe’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Washington finished with 546 total yards, including 398 through the air. The Huskies also overcame 101 yards in penalties and a pair of third-quarter ejections to maintain control.

“Glad we got we got a bunch of our younger guys touchdowns,” said coach Fisch.

The performance provided Washington with the offensive breakthrough it had been searching for through the first two weeks.

Now 3-0, the Huskies turn their attention to Big Ten play with Minnesota visiting Husky Stadium next Saturday night.

Aztecs drop a hard one to James Madison

By

Jevone Moore

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September 19, 2026

DDC03733 — Photo by Rashad Griffin / fi360 News

San Diego, CA- Javion Kinnard gave San Diego State the offensive spark it needed Saturday night, but the Aztecs spent too much of the game trying to recover from a difficult first half.

Kinnard rushed for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown and added 70 receiving yards, but San Diego State fell 26-13 to unbeaten James Madison at Snapdragon Stadium.

The loss dropped the Aztecs to 1-2 and snapped their seven-game home winning streak. Playing without three offensive starters, including running back Lucky Sutton, SDSU fell behind 19-0 at halftime after two interceptions and a James Madison offense that scored on its first three possessions.

James Madison quarterback Camden Coleman opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run. Morgan Suarez followed with field goals of 46 and 32 yards before Coleman connected with Cole Keller for a 7-yard touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the half.

San Diego State regrouped after halftime, and Kinnard became the centerpiece of the comeback attempt.

The sophomore capped an Aztecs drive with a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 19-7. SDSU outgained James Madison 238-136 in the second half after being outgained 281-163 before halftime.

Kinnard finished with 251 yards from scrimmage in his first start for San Diego State, providing a bright spot for an offense still searching for consistency.

The Aztecs’ momentum was slowed early in the fourth when Coleman found Keller for a 20-yard touchdown, extending James Madison’s advantage to 26-7.

Quarterback Jayden Denegal answered with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Acevedo, but SDSU could get no closer. Denegal finished with 209 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

“There’s no need to make the superhero play,” coach Sean Lewis said afterward while discussing one of Denegal’s early mistakes.

Lewis said the responsibility for improving the offense goes beyond his quarterback.

“I think it’s everyone’s opportunity to rally around him, do something for him and be better around him,” Lewis said.

For San Diego State, Kinnard’s emergence and a stronger second half provided something to build on, but the Aztecs will need cleaner starts as they move forward.