SAN DIEGO – John Mateer threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores, and Washington State scored the final 15 points to secure a 29-26 victory over San Diego State on Saturday night.

Washington State (7-1), which has won three straight, led by two points at halftime, but San Diego State scored 20 unanswered points for a 26-14 lead with 13:39 left.

Mateer answered quickly when he found Carlos Hernandez open four plays later for a 34-yard touchdown and Washington State trailed 26-21 with 12:08 left.

San Diego State (3-4) drove to the Cougars' 14-yard line, but Taariq Al-Uqdah intercepted a pass from Danny O'Neil and returned it 20 yards to the WSU 37-yard line. Mateer capped a seven-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and a successful two-point pass gave the Cougars a three-point lead with 5:03 left. From there the Aztecs never threatened.

Washington State took the lead on its first possession when Mateer connected with Cooper Mathers for a 26-yard touchdown on the Cougars' fifth play from scrimmage. San Diego State responded with 46- and 28-yard field goals from Gabriel Plascencia and trailed 7-6 after one quarter.

The Cougars took a 14-6 lead on a 1-yard plunge from Mateer midway through the second quarter. San Diego State scored on a 7-yard touchdown run from Marquez Cooper with 17 seconds left in the first half, but the two-point run failed and the Aztecs trailed by two points.

San Diego State scored its only score in the third quarter – a 27-yard touchdown pass from freshman wide receiver Jordan Napier to Nate Bennett – to take a 19-14 lead. The score dropped three plays after Tony Freeman deflected a punt and Jelani Whitmore recovered at the Cougars' 43-yard line.

The Aztecs extended their lead to 12 on a 1-yard plunge from Cooper just 1:21 into the final quarter.

Mateer completed 19 of 27 passes for 257 yards for WSU. He was also the Cougars' leading rusher with 42 yards on 21 carries.

O'Neil finished the game with 195 yards on 22-for-34 passing and one interception for San Diego State. Cooper carried 18 balls for 78 yards and two scores. Ja'Shaun Poke had 10 receptions for 80 yards.

The Cougars' only loss this season was a 45-24 loss on the road to then-No. 25 Boise State.

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