Aztecs’ Bid Cut Short by Miami : San Diego State: Turnovers, missed field goals prove costly as No. 3 Hurricanes escape, 30-28.

The seconds ticked away from the San Diego State football season Saturday in the dusk at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium with the Aztecs trailing No. 3 Miami, 30-28, and desperately trying to come back.

They had the ball on their six-yard line with nine seconds to play and no timeouts. Dan McGwire completed a short pass to Patrick Rowe and he was tackled at the 10. After nearly four hours of big plays, the Aztecs ran out of them.

“It was a lot of fun out there,” Aztec defensive back Robert Griffith said.

Two mistakes by the Aztecs were particularly costly. With the score 10-10 and 5:43 left in the first half, Miami’s Darrin Smith intercepted a pass by McGwire at the Aztec 26. Five plays later, Steve McGuire scored from the five, and Miami took a 17-10 lead.

Then, with 4:42 left in the third quarter and Miami ahead 27-20, McGwire fumbled a snap and Miami’s Anthony Hamlet recovered. A minute later, Carlos Huerta kicked a 22-yard field goal.

Two Aztec mistakes, 10 points for Miami.

“Turnovers are the key in any big ballgame,” Aztec Coach Al Luginbill said. “You can’t just turn the ball over two times inside the 30 against a good football team.”

Still, the Aztecs stayed in the game. But trailing 30-20 in the fourth quarter, Aztec kicker Andy Trakas missed three field goals within an 8:25 span. They came from 38, 47 and 54 yards out.

Even worse, the Aztecs used two timeouts to set up for field goal attempts. The first came when Tony Nichols, an offensive tackle, wasn’t on the field in time. Luginbill took the blame for the second, but wouldn’t specify.

The Aztecs pulled to within 30-26 on a 13-yard touchdown pass from McGwire to Dennis Arey, and they got the two-point conversion when McGwire, wrapped up by a defender, switched the ball to his left hand and shoveled a pass to tight end Jim Hanawalt.

A brawl started when Miami’s Shane Curry hit McGwire after Hanawalt was already in the end zone. Aztec offensive tackle Nick Subis jumped on Curry, and the benches emptied.

McGwire completed 32 of 53 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Miami’s Craig Erickson completed 17 of 39 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns.