Three thoughts after San Diego State’s 27-24 win over Wyoming on Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.

1. Here’s the catch

SDSU wide receiver Jordan Napier went up to “high-point” a ball last week in practice.

“He didn’t come up with it, and we talked about it,” SDSU coach Sean Lewis said. “We showed him the positioning and I was like, ‘Hey, man, you’re capable of making this play. The expectation is you’re going to get in this position and you’re going to make this play.’”

And so he did, leaping high for — and catching — a 53-yard pass from quarterback Danny O’Neil one minute into the fourth quarter with the Aztecs trailing by a touchdown.

“One small piece that happens behind the scenes,” Lewis said. “When we talk about how the guys show up and they’re leaning into the coaching and they’re starving to get better and they’re humble enough to learn. …

“We challenged him in that way, he’s like, ‘Yeah, Coach, I got you.’ Obviously, he does. That’s huge to have those moments.”

Napier caught a 27-touchdown pass from O’Neil on the next play to make it 24-24.

The redshirt freshman from Fontana finished with four receptions for a game-high 91 yards, giving him 14 catches on the season for 225 yards and a team-high three touchdowns.

“His overall competitive maturity and how he has shown up each and every single day in the building really for the past month,” Lewis said. “There’s been a noticeable change and it’s a testament to his approach, his increased level of focus and knowing and understanding the impact he can have on the game.”

Napier wants to embrace the big moments.

Discussing SDSU’s comeback in the game’s closing period, Napier said: “It’s fourth quarter. That’s where it gets nitty and gritty, so I feel like that’s where we connected, when it got nitty and gritty.”

2. Another standout punter

SDSU punter Tyler Pastula’s seven punts against the Cowboys included a 75-yarder that tied for the 10th-longest punt in school history.

“To be able to flip the field and win the field position battle, that’s huge,” Lewis said.

Pastula’s shortest punt of the day — heck, shortest of the season — might have been the most impressive, though.

It was a 29-yarder that, given the circumstances, was exactly what the Aztecs needed.

SDSU faced a fourth-and-7 from the Wyoming 36-yard line in the final minute when Pastula was called upon to punt. He managed to take enough off the ball to have it bounce out of bounds at the 7.

Wyoming kicker John Hoyland has a big leg (he kicked a career-best 56-yard field goal last season), but the Cowboys were pinned back too far to get in position to give Hoyland at shot at tying the game.

Lewis was impressed not only that Pastula could pull off such a punt but that he did it with Wyoming putting all 11 men on the line.

“He takes great pride in his performance and knows how impactful it can be to the game,” Lewis said. “That’s what you want to see from each and every guy … Embrace your role. Have pride in your performance, Do it at a really high level. If you do that consistently, your garden will grow and great things will happen for the team.”

Pastula, a graduate transfer from Albany, is averaging 46.3 yards a punt. He ranks fourth in the nation behind Florida State’s Alex Mastromanno (49.3), Michigan State’s Ryan Eckley (48.0) and South Carolina’s Kai Kroeger (47.9).

If Pastula maintains his punting average the rest of the season, it would rank fourth in school history behind Matt Araiza (51.2 in 2021 and 49.8 in 2020) and Noel Prefontaine (46.5).

3. National sack leader

SDSU edge Trey White’s spectacular season continued at Wyoming with a pair of sacks that boosted White into the national lead in the category.

White’s 11 sacks make him the only player in double digits. Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku is second with nine and Marshall’s Mike Green is third with eight.

White has multiple sacks in four straight games — at Cal (2 1/2), at Central Michigan (3), vs. Hawaii (3) and at Wyoming (2).

White has already moved into SDSU’s top 10 in single-season sacks with half the season remaining.

On Saturday, he passed Jonah Tavai, (10 1/2, 2022), Levi Esene (10 1/2, 1986), Calvin Munson (9 1/2, 2015), Miles Burris (9 1/2, 2010) and Jack Eaton (9 1/2, 1985) on SDSU’s sack list.

White ranks seventh on the list now, but he can move to second with just two more sacks.

In his sights: Mike Douglass (21, 1976), Brett Faryniarz (13 in 1987), Andy Coviello (12 1/2 in 1991), Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, 12 in 1997 and 1999), Cameron Thomas (11 1/2 in 2021).