Both the NIU and San Diego State offenses struggled throughout the game Saturday, but the Aztecs got a late field goal to knock off the Huskies, 6-3.

NIU (1-3) finished with 179 yards of total offense while the Aztecs (3-1) managed 266.

Here are five takeaways from the game.

San Diego State gets good field position, winning field goal as time expires

The Aztecs took over their final drive at the NIU 44 with 1:44. Lucky Sutton broke off a 13-yard run on first down. A facemask on the Huskies moved the Aztecs down to the NIU 18 with 1:10 left.

The defense got a stop on third and 3 with 51 seconds left, but were offside on the play, allowing SDSU to run the clock down before trying the field goal. Without the penalty, NIU would have had about 40 seconds to attempt a comeback.

Gabriel Plascencia’s 25-yard field goal sailed through the uprights as time expired.

Promising SDSU drive ends in turnover

In a 3-3 tie in the fourth quarter, the Aztecs started a drive on their own 20 and didn’t face a third down until they were in NIU territory. On third and 1 at the NIU 34, Quinn Urwiler stood up Christian Washington. On fourth and 1, Aztec quarterback Jayden Denegal flicked the ball under pressure to Jacob Bostick, but Jordan Beeler came away with the interception with 7:46 left.

Lazaro Rogers broke off a 22-yard run on the first play of the NIU drive, but a holding call wiped out the play. The drive reached the SDSU 44 but ended with a turnover on downs.

Holst pulled in third quarter, comes back after Davidson INT

NIU gained 62 yards on its first drive, resulting in a field goal. After that the Huskies gained 37 total yards on their next five drives.

Coach Thomas Hammock pulled starting quarterback Josh Holst after that, bringing in true freshman Brady Davidson. His first pass went for 8 yards and the Huskies picked up a first down. But Davidson then rolled out and threw an interception.

Holst returned on the next series, picking up a first down before the Huskies had to punt.

Offense struggles in second quarter

SDSU got an early second-quarter field goal to make things 3-3, which ended up being the halftime score as well. But after a long first-quarter drive, the NIU offense dried up in the second quarter, limited by negative first-down plays.

On their first drive, Holst fumbled. Jaylen Poe recovered but the Huskies went three-and-out. On the next rush, Chavon Wright lost five yards on first down, leading to another three-and-out.

The next drive started with an offside, although this time the Huskies recovered from both first and second and 15 to pick up their only first down of the quarter. But the next set of downs started with a hold and the Huskies punted again.

They got the ball one more time, but with 32 seconds left on their own 5 they knelt down.

One quarter, two drives

Each team started the game with one 7-plus minute scoring drive that resulted in a field goal.

The Huskies started the game with the ball and rattled off a 16-play, 62-yard drive that ate 7:50 off the clock and ended with a 31-yard field goal by Andrew Glass.

After going 1 for 9 against Mississippi State last week on third down and ranking 128th in conversion rate nationally, the Huskies went 2 for 4 on third downs, including a 14-yard run for Holst on third and 7 that brought the Huskies into field-goal range.

The Aztecs answered back with a 13-play, 63-yard drive that drained 7:15 from the clock and ended with a 30-yard field goal by Plascencia with 14:55 left in the second quarter.