# 2021 Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game

The 2021 Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game was a college football game played on December 4, 2021, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. It was the ninth edition of the Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for the 2021 season. The game began at 12:00 p.m. PST and was aired on Fox. The game featured the Utah State Aggies, the Mountain Division champions, and the San Diego State Aztecs, the West Division champions. San Diego State won the right to host the game as a result of having the better conference record between the two teams.

## Teams
### Utah State Aggies

Utah State clinched the Mountain Division championship with a victory at New Mexico on November 26. The Aggies finished with a conference record of 6–2 and held the head-to-head tiebreaker over Air Force thanks to their win over the Falcons on September 18. Utah State will be making their first conference championship game appearance since the inaugural contest in 2013, and are seeking their first Mountain West Conference championship.

### San Diego State Aztecs

San Diego State clinched the West Division championship outright with a conference record of 7–1 after beating Boise State on November 26. The Aztecs will be making their first conference championship game appearance since their victory in 2016.
This was the Aztecs' final game at their temporary home of Dignity Health Sports Park. They will move into their new home of Aztec Stadium, built on the site of their former home of San Diego Stadium, in 2022.

## Game summary

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Utah State | 0 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 |
| No. 19 San Diego State | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
at Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, California
* Date: December 4, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. PST
* Game attendance: 13,445
* Referee: Michael Vandervelde
* TV: Fox
* Box score
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Utah State | San Diego State |
| 2 | 9:06 | 10 | 53 | 4:29 | Utah State | Derek Wright 5-yard touchdown reception from Logan Bonner, Connor Coles kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | 4:57 | 6 | 63 | 1:31 | Utah State | Calvin Tyler Jr. 1-yard touchdown run, Connor Coles kick good | 14 | 0 |
| 2 | 1:01 | 10 | 77 | 3:52 | San Diego State | 23-yard field goal by Matt Araiza | 14 | 3 |
| 3 | 13:09 | 5 | 75 | 1:51 | Utah State | Brandon Bowling 58-yard touchdown reception from Logan Bonner, Connor Coles kick good | 21 | 3 |
| 3 | 11:38 | | | | Utah State | Fumble through the back of the end zone, safety | 23 | 3 |
| 3 | 6:58 | 8 | 21 | 2:57 | San Diego State | 36-yard field goal by Matt Araiza | 23 | 6 |
| 3 | 1:54 | 6 | 35 | 3:25 | Utah State | Brandon Bowling 18-yard touchdown reception from Logan Bonner, Connor Coles kick failed | 29 | 6 |
| 4 | 13:40 | 7 | 17 | 2:59 | Utah State | 23-yard field goal by Connor Coles | 32 | 6 |
| 4 | 10:21 | 5 | 40 | 2:01 | Utah State | Justin McGriff 9-yard touchdown reception from Logan Bonner, Connor Coles kick good | 39 | 6 |
| 4 | 6:22 | 8 | 80 | 3:59 | San Diego State | Jesse Matthews 5-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Mayden, Matt Araiza kick good | 39 | 13 |
| 4 | 3:58 | | | | Utah State | Fumble recovery returned 0 yards for touchdown by J. Nathan, Connor Coles kick good | 46 | 13 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 46 | 13 |

### Statistics

| Statistics | USU | SDSU |
| First downs | 23 | 17 |
| Plays–yards | 71–383 | 68–315 |
| Rushes–yards | 28–65 | 39–148 |
| Passing yards | 318 | 167 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 29–43–1 | 16–29–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:58 | 31:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Utah State | Passing | Logan Bonner | 29/43, 318 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT |
| Utah State | Rushing | Calvin Tyler Jr. | 17 carries, 41 yards, 1 TD |
| Utah State | Receiving | Brandon Bowling | 8 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TDs |
| San Diego State | Passing | Jordon Brookshire | 11/23, 117 yards |
| San Diego State | Rushing | Greg Bell | 11 carries, 50 yards |
| San Diego State | Receiving | Jesse Matthews | 8 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD |