Detmer Helps BYU Ty San Diego State : WAC: He throws six touchdown passes as Cougars trail, 45-17, before gaining 52-52 result. Aztecs’ Lowery passes for 549 yards and six touchdowns.

San Diego State wasted a 28-point second-half lead and a chance at its second Western Athletic Conference title as Brigham Young stormed back from a 35-17 halftime deficit to forge a 52-52 tie Saturday night.

Because the Aztecs (8-2-1, 6-1-1) have a conference loss, the tie ensures BYU (7-3-1, 6-0-1) its third consecutive trip to the Holiday Bowl. The Aztecs will settle for the Freedom Bowl, probably against Tulsa.

Before an Aztec-record crowd of 56,737 in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, quarterback David Lowery completed 26 of 39 passes for an Aztec-record 549 yards and six touchdowns. Three of his passes were intercepted.

But it wasn’t enough.

“We gave it our best shot,” Lowery said. “We did what we needed to do, but came up short.”

BYU tied the score with 30 seconds to play when freshman Jamal Willis ran for a five-yard touchdown to make the score 52-51. Earl Kauffman’s conversion kick capped the scoring.

A last-ditch Aztec effort fell short. Although Lowery passed 21 yards to Darnay Scott to the Aztec 41, the Aztecs could go no further.

BYU’s Ty Detmer completed 31 of 54 passes for 599 yards and six touchdowns. Detmer had gone four consecutive games without an interception; three of his passes Saturday night were intercepted.

The Aztecs’ Marshall Faulk left the game late in the third quarter because of a bruised rib cage. He carried 20 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 116 yards and two more touchdowns.

Of the Aztecs’ first seven long pass attempts, the Aztecs completed three for touchdowns: a 75-yard play to Scott--who finished with 243 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions--an 80-yard play to Faulk coming out of the backfield and a 79-yard play to Scott.

But the Aztecs, who led by as much as 45-17 in the third quarter, twice watched their lead melt to a touchdown. BYU pulled to 45-38 with 10:39 to play and to 52-45 with 6:19 to play before finally catching the Aztecs with 30 seconds left.

BYU and the Aztecs combined for 819 total yards of offense----by halftime.

Their combined passing total was 655 yards--by halftime.

The list goes on. Lowery, whose best passing output this season was 308 yards at Utah Oct. 26, passed for 341 yards by halftime. Detmer had 334.

BYU set the night’s tone by taking the opening kickoff and going 77 yards in five plays for a touchdown.

Detmer passed twice to Willis during the drive for 49 yards--the big one a 31-yard touchdown pass on a play-action that left the Aztecs utterly confused.

The Aztecs, though, wasted no time coming back. On their first play from scrimmage, Lowery and Scott hooked up for the 75-yard touchdown pass play.

After forcing BYU to punt and then having to punt themselves, the Aztecs came up with another big play. Safety Darrell Lewis intercepted a Detmer pass intended for Byron Rex at the Aztec 32 and returned it 18 yards.

It took the Aztecs nine plays to drive the 50 yards for another touchdown. With 6:16 left in the quarter, Faulk went over from the two, and the Aztecs led, 14-6.

It stayed that way until early in the second quarter, when Detmer passed 20 yards to Nati Valdez for another touchdown. With BYU trailing, 14-12, a wide-open Mark Atuaia hauled in Detmer’s conversion pass.

An 80-yard pass play from Lowery to Faulk made the score 21-14, and after a BYU field goal, Faulk’s four-yard run made it 28-14.

And two possessions later, Scott caught a touchdown pass from Lowery, this time a 79-yard play. It was a two-play, 83-yard drive that took 16 seconds. The Aztecs led, 35-17, at the half.