Brown and Hillman “Bowlific” Duo

It started with San Diego State's Vincent Brown...

By Saile Ramirez

(San Diego)- After a weekend of pouring rain and as workers pumped nearly two million gallons of water out Qualcomm Stadium, fans were in for something special as Vincent Brown and Ronnie Hillman coasted to lead the San Diego State Aztecs to a 35-14 victory over the Navy Midshipmen.

Both Brown and Hillman set Poinsettia Bowl record performances. Brown caught eight passes for 165 yards and a touchdown with Hillman carrying 28 times for 228 yards and four total touchdowns.

“I’m just running that’s my job,” said Hillman. “Can’t say enough about the offensive line you can put a high school senior behind them and he’ll get a 1,000 yards.”

On San Diego State’s second drive consisting of five plays and 59-yards, Hillman carried the ball three times and scored from 22-yards out to give his team an early 7-0 lead with 11:54 left in the first quarter.

Navy’s Ricky Dobbs and company were unable to get anything started for a second consecutive drive and were forced to punt the ball back to SDSU who took complete advantage.

...Then it was all Ronnie Hillman

Ryan Lindley connected with Brown for his first seven passes with one of them being a 53-yard strike to extend their lead.

Seemingly unfazed the Naval offense answered with an eleven play 68-yard drive that ended with Dobbs connecting with receiver Greg Jones for a 30-yard touchdown grab. The passing score was Dobbs’ 13th of the season setting a Midshipmen school record for most in a season.

Hillman again found pay dirt this time from 37-yards out and his second score of the game. Down two scores Dobbs rallied the troops and marched down field down to the Aztec goal line and does what he does best, plowing his way in for the score on an option keeper. The score sent his team down seven into the half.

“We’ve fought, all these seniors have fought this past year and we deserve every last bit of it,” stated Lindley. “I’m proud of what we’ve done this year and how we finished”.

Navy was held scoreless in the second half as Hillman continued to slice through the Midshipmen defense stamping his performance with two more scores late in the fourth quarter.

The victory marked the first bowl win for the Aztecs since 1969 when they defeated the then Boston University Terriers 28-7 in the Pasadena Bowl.

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