San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny might be the best player in the nation you never heard of. On Saturday, he rushed for 107 yards and caught three passes for 33 more and a touchdown, but that wasn't the biggest story heading out of SDSU's victory over Northern Illinois.

It was that Rashaad Penny got poked in his eyeball during a scrum under a pile of players.

“It got us fired up,” cornerback Kameron Kelly said after the game, as transcribed by The AP.

Juwan Washington brought back the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and freshman Tariq Thompson had two interceptions — including an 83-yard TD return.

Apparently there was a lot of junk being talked all game.

“If that's their attitude, we've got to have the same attitude, between the whistles, start making them feel it between the whistles,” Kelly said.

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Penny went into the locker room for eye drops. When he returned to the game, there was a visor installed in his facemask.

“I just think that stuff shouldn't happen,” said Penny, the nation's second-leading rusher coming in to the game. “I thought we were all more mature than that. I bounced back. I can't thank my teammates enough. They picked me up when I was down. It was all them. It was a great win.”

San Diego State improved to 5-0 with the victory. One of the better teams in the country, led by their sneaky great running back, look for more attention to be paid toward the Aztecs from here on out.