Oct. 22, 2000
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
No. 24 Colorado State (6-1/3-0) at
San Diego State (2-5/2-1)
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2000
6:05 pm (Pacific)
Qualcomm Stadium (71,400)
San Diego, Calif.
Television: None
Radio: KOGO (600 AM)
Series: Aztecs lead, 11-8
Television
* Saturday's game is the first of the season that will not be available on television in any market.
Radio
* San Diego State's five remaining games can be heard live in San Diego on KOGO (600 AM). Jim Stone calls the action with "The Coach" John Kentera, handling the color.
Welcome Home
* The San Diego State Aztecs return to Qualcomm Stadium Saturday night in a Homecoming contest against the red-hot Colorado State Rams. The contest is the fourth of five home games in 2000.
Nifty Fifty
* As part of the 2000 Homecoming festivities, San Diego State will honor the 1950 football squad, champion of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The squad finished the season with a 5-3-1 mark and the following season San Diego State would go 10-0-1.
Evening Shade
* After two straight weeks in the sun, San Diego State returns to its traditional 6:05 p.m. kickoff for Homecoming. There will be no television for the contest.
Setting The Table
* The Colorado State-San Diego State game will be a battle between the MountainWest Conference leaders (Rams) and the second-place squad (Aztecs). The Rams were tri-champs of the league last year, sharing the crown with Utah and Brigham Young. One of Colorado State's two league losses in 1999 came against San Diego State (17-10) in the snow of Fort Collins.
SDSU Lately
* The Aztecs are coming off of the kind of victory that can turn a season. SDSU's 16-15 come-from-behind win at Brigham Young improved the Aztecs to 2-1 in conference play with only CSU owning a better league mark. The win was just the second in 13 tries for the Aztecs in Provo.
The Series
* San Diego State is 11-8 all-time vs. Colorado State in a series that dates back to 1978. SDSU broke a four-game losing streak with last season's 17-10 win in Fort Collins. n Overall, SDSU and CSU have split their last eight meetings. The visiting team has won the last two contests.
* The Aztecs are 8-3 vs. Colorado State in Mission Valley, but the Rams have won the last two meetings in San Diego, including a 38-17 victory in 1997.
* Colorado State has won four of its five road games since joining the Mountain West Conference. San Diego State is right behind with a 4-2 conference road mark since hitting the MWC.
* Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick is 4-2 vs. the Aztecs, while Ted Tollner is 1-4 vs. CSU with the win coming last season.
Facing The Elite
* San Diego State will be trying to knock off a Top 25 opponent for the first time since defeating No. 16 Wyoming, 28-24, on Nov. 7, 1996.
* The Aztecs will be facing a ranked opponent for the second time this season. SDSU fell to then No. 21 Illinois, 49-13, in the game that ended starting quarterback Jack Hawley's season.
* San Diego State has faced two other schools currently in the Top 25 of the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. The Aztecs fell to No. 17 Oregon State 35-3, thanks in part to seven SDSU turnovers.
* San Diego State also dropped a 17-3 decision at No. 23 Arizona, thanks in part to blocked punt that was returned for a TD by Arizona. That game marked Lon Sheriff's first start at quarterback.
Stepping Forward
* San Diego State's offense may not be confused with the St. Louis Rams, but Saturday's win saw some significant steps.
* San Diego State allowed one quarterback sack, for a loss of four yards.
* SDSU averaged 5.8 yards per snap, second only to 6.3 yards per play at Wyoming.
* Lon Sheriff's 46-yard pass to Derrick Lewis (which set up SDSU's first score, was the Aztecs' longest play from scrimmage this season. The two hooked up for a 39-yard pass in the final seconds to set up the game-winning field goal. The rally was SDSU's first for a regulation win since the 28-24 victory over No. 16 Wyoming on Nov. 7, 1996.
Foul Weather, Friendy Confines
* San Diego State once struggled in the tough weather conditions that can come into play in the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences. However, SDSU has now won three straight games in less than ideal conditions, beginning with last year's 17-10 at Fort Collins over Colorado State.
* SDSU's two wins this season have come at Wyoming (where temperatures dipped into the 20s) and at Brigham Young (light rain and a kickoff temperature of 48).
Road Conditions
* San Diego State is now 2-0 in Mountain West Conference road games and, dating back to last season, has won on three straight league road trips for the first time since the 1995 season.
* In the process of the road wins, SDSU has put to rest some unhealthy streaks. The Aztecs won at Wyoming for the first time since 1984, ending a six-game losing streak in Laramie and winning at the home of the Cowboys for just the third time ever.
* SDSU entered the BYU contest 1-11 all-time in Provo, including losses in the last three road meetings, dating back to 1992. In fact, San Diego State had not beaten Wyoming and Brigham Young in the same season since 1986 and had never won on the road against both schools in the same season.
Defensive Gems
* The San Diego State defense began the season with one returning starter. It hasn't mattered as the Aztecs are evolving into one of the Mountain West's best units for the second straight year.
* SDSU is currently 42nd nationally in total defense, allowing 337.14 ypg.
* SDSU limited Brigham Young to just one touchdown, joining UNLV and Florida State as the only squads to turn that trick this season.
* The Aztec defense has allowed just four touchdowns in 12 quarters of league play and twice vs. Brigham Young held the Cougars to field goals in first-and-goal situations. San Diego State had allowed 13 touchdowns in 14 red-zone situations entering the BYU contest.
* In Mountain West Conference play, theAztecs have allowed just 10 points after intermission, andthree of those came on the 50-yard field goal (with 46 seconds remaining in the game) by Owen Pochman of BYU.
* SDSU's defense has yielded an average of just 10.0 point per game in its last five conference contests. The Aztecs are 4-1 in that span.
Battan Death March Is Over
* How difficult is San Diego State's schedule? San Diego State joins Notre Dame and West Virginia as the only schools that have opened the 2000 season with four games against teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences.
* Through games of Oct. 21, the Aztecs' schedule is rated the 31st most difficult by Sagarin, 59th by the BCS formula and 78th toughest based on opponents' winning percentage. All four of San Diego State's nonconference opponents are making noise in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll with Oregon State ranked 17th and Arizona 23rd while Arizona State (29th) is receiving votes.
* San Diego State's nonconference opponents are 20-8 overall (.714).
Short Drives
* The San Diego State defense has been a victim of opponents' great field position. Of the 23 opponent scoring drives, six have been less than 40 yards and 11 have traveled 58 yards or less.
Combinations and Permutations
* San Diego State has gone 20 games without starting the same 11 players on offense in consecutive games. The last time the Aztecs had the same starters on the offensive side of the ball in consecutive games was in 1998, when San Diego started the same group against San Jose State and Texas-El Paso.
* Through six games this season, San Diego State has started 21 different players, including multiple players at quarterback, running back and tight end. The Aztecs have started the same player in every game at only two offensive positions - split end and flanker.
Ned Tops 2000
* With 47 yards on 18 carries versus Illinois, senior running back Larry Ned moved into SDSU's all-time top 10 in both career carries and rushing. Six games later, Ned became just ninth Aztec to rush for 2000 yards in a career with 59 yards on 19 carries at BYU. He finished the game ranked ninth on SDSU's career rushing chart with 2,013 yards. He also ranks sixth on the Aztecs' all-time carries list with 454. With 44 yards against Colorado State, Ned will vault past Paul Hewitt (2,056 yards from 1987-88) into eighth all time on the SDSU career rushing chart.
Ned Nuggets
* Ned's 19-yard second quarter touchdown at BYU was his fifth TD this season and 19th of his career. It was also the longest scoring run of the season for the Aztecs and the longest by Ned since he galloped 35 yards to paydirt in last year's season finale versus Wyoming.
* Ned's third quarter touchdown run versus the Cougars was the 20th of his career. Coupled with his second quarter scoring run, Ned has now notched two multiple TD games this season - Wyoming was the other - and six during his Aztec career.
Tandberg Climbing Charts
* Senior placekicker Nate Tandberg enters the Colorado State game with 214 career points. That figure ranks him third in kick scoring and fourth in career points.
* Tandberg posted perhaps the most critical three points of his career, however, last week at BYU, when he drilled a 35-yard field goal with just 0:01 to play to lift the Aztecs to victory. It was his second career game-winning kick. As a freshman in 1997, Tandberg booted a 24-yarder in overtime to give SDSU a 20-17 victory over UNLV.
* After opening the season with a pair of misses versus Arizona State (37 and 47 yards), Tandberg has connected on 7-of-10 attempts, including 3-of-5 from beyond 40 yards.
Whatever it Takes
* James Truvillion's "whatever it takes" approach is beginning to pay dividends for the Aztecs. Truvillion, who is emerging as a weapon in the Aztec offense this season, both catching the ball and rushing.
* Against Oregon State, Truvillion rushed for 47 yards on 10 carries, caught two passes for 25 yards and returned four kickoffs for 69 yards. The junior was nearly as strong at Wyoming, rushing for 25 yards on six attempts and hauling in two passes for 29 yards. In SDSU's game against Utah, the San Marcos product rushed for 34 yards on three attempts (11.3 ypc) and hauled in two passes.
* Truvillion opened the season with a career-high 73 yards on 19 carries in the season opener versus Arizona State.
Mr. 7-11
* Wide receiver J.R. Tolver has been like 7-11 so far this season -- always open. Against BYU, Tolver finished with a team-high six receptions for 77 yards. It marked his fifth game this season the sophomore has registered at least five catches.
* Tolver, who ranks 37th in the nation in receptions (5.29 rpg), leads the Aztecs in both total catches (37) and receiving yardage (463) and has led SDSU in receiving five times this year, including a career-best 129 yards on seven receptions against Wyoming. It was also the first time an Aztec receiver has cracked triple-digits in receiving yardage since Derrick Lewis hauled in 105 yards on four receptions against Wyoming last season. The sophomore then came back with a career-best eight receptions (87 yards) against Utah.
* How important is Tolver to the Aztecs' passing attack? His 37 receptions represents over 30 percent of SDSU's total catches this season while his 463 yards receiving is 34 of the Aztecs' total aerial yardage.
* Tolver entered the season with just nine career receptions for 101 yards.
Difference-Maker Resurfaces
* After a stellar sophomore campaign, junior Derrick Lewis got off to a slow start in 2000. However, the New Orleans product returned to form at BYU, posting several huge catches against the Cougars, including a 39-yarder over the middle in the final moments that set up SDSU's game-winning field goal.
* In all, Lewis hauled in four receptions for 129 yards (32.3 ypc), his best performance since he had four receptions for 134 yards last year at Kansas. Lewis also had a game-opening 57-yard kickoff return that was a career best at BYU.
* Lewis' 32.3 ypc average at BYU improved his season yards-per-catch average to a team-leading 19.2. Last season, he averaged 21.2 yards every time he touched the ball.
* Even more impressive is Lewis' average on touchdown receptions. Though he only has one this season -- a 40-yarder at Wyoming -- it was the fifth of his career for 36 yards or longer. Lewis' five career touchdown receptions now average 54.0 yards.
Sheriff Steps Up
* Lon Sheriff's numbers weren't eye-popping at BYU, but the sophomore made big plays at crucial times and for the second straight game did not turn the ball over. Sheriff, who has now attempted 69 passes without an interception, finished the game 14-for-30 passing for 239 yards -- the second most productive outing of his career.
* Against the Cougars, Sheriff also did something the Aztecs have tried to do but struggled with all season -- stretch defenses. Of his 14 completions, five were for more than 20 yards, including a 46-yard bomb to Derrick Lewis on SDSU's opening scoring drive that stands as the Aztecs' longest play from scrimmage this season.
* Sheriff had his best career outing in SDSU's last road game at Wyoming, completing 19-of-27 passes for 317 yards, including scoring strikes of nine and 40 yards.
First-Time Caller
* Junior John Kent became the 21st Aztecs to make first career start this season when he took the field against BYU. Kent, who finished the game with seven tackles, including one for a three-yard loss, opened the game at one of SDSU's cornerback positions.
Long-Time Listener
* Defensive tackle Jerome Haywood has been a model of endurance during his 2.5-year Aztec career, starting every game. The junior, who prepped locally at Castle Park, made his 30th consecutive start against BYU. Haywood may have had his best game of the season in Provo, finishing with five tackles, including three for loss (-17 yards) and a 12-yard sack. Not a bad outing for a 5-9 defensive tackle who often faces double and triple teams.
Senior Leader
* If there has been one player on defense that has stepped forward and accepted the role of leader, it has been Brian Berg. Berg, who has started all seven games thus far as the Aztecs' middle linebacker, enters the CSU game third on the team in tackles with 47 after being credited for six stops against BYU. Berg posted a season-high 12 tackles in the opener against Arizona State, however, he may have had his most productive outing of the season at Wyoming, finishing the game with six tackles (five unassisted), an 8-yard sack and a forced fumble. Berg made two starts last year in his Aztec debut, finishing the season with 23 tackles.
Look Out Lockbaum
* Senior Brian Russell enters the CSU game listed as SDSU's starter at free safety and as the back up at quarterback. Not wanting to burn a redshirt season for one of the Aztecs' freshmen signal callers this late in the season, coaches had Russell begin taking snaps in practice prior to SDSU's game versus Utah.
* Russell was switched to defense midway through last season. SDSU's starter at quarterback for the first two games of the '99 campaign, Russell has started all seven games at free safety in 2000, recording 46 tackles.
* He had his first career fumble recovery against Illinois, returning the ball 12 yards to set up San Diego State's only touchdown of the game. He came back to register his first career interception at Arizona, picking off UA quarterback Ortege Jenkins in the fourth quarter at the SDSU 5-yard-line to thwart a Wildcat scoring threat. His biggest play of the season may have come at BYU, when the senior made a diving break up on a deep pass intended for Margin Hooks with less than two minutes to play.
* Russell posted a career-high 10 stops in game two versus Illinois.
* Russell, who calls the plays in the defensive huddle, made three starts in the Aztec secondary a year ago and was a 10-game starter at quarterback in 1998.
Demps the Man
* At BYU, junior safety Will Demps had his best game since recording 15 tackles in the opener en route to MWC defensive player of the week honors. Against the Cougars, the former walk-on was credited with 10 tackles (seven solo), including two for loss (-4 yards).
* SDSU's leading tackler this season, Demps has accounted for 54 tackles (33 solo), including 10 for loss. Most recently, he recorded his first interception of the season, second career, against Utah, picking off Ute quarterback T.D. Croshaw during the fourth quarter.
SDSU-CSU Connections
There are a number of connections between the Aztec and Ram programs: * SDSU offensive coordinator Dave Lay spent four seasons at CSU in the same capacity. He helped lead the Rams to back-to-back WAC championships in `95 and `96.
* Colorado State's Steve Fairchild, who replaced Lay as offensive coordinator in 1997, spent time on SDSU's coaching staff during two different tenures - 1986 and from `90 to `92.
* Aztec defensive coordinator Ken Delgado was coached by Ram defensive coordinator Larry Kerr at San Jose State during the 1982 and `83 seasons.
* CSU lists 29 players from California, including six players who prepped at San Diego County high schools. No Aztecs hail from Colorado.
* CSU redshirt freshman defensive lineman Kelesio Howard played high school football at San Diego's Patrick Henry HS, located just five minutes north of the SDSU campus.
* Five players between the programs prepped at Castle Park HS in nearby Chula Vista. Aztec junior defensive tackles Jerome Haywood and Sakimo Randall along with junior long snapper Alex Fernandez played with Rams WR freshman redshirt Chris Pittman and senior linebacker Rick Crowell.
* Sophomore SDSU offensive guard and CSU senior wide reciever Will Layne both attended Oceanside High School.
* Aztec sophomore defensive back Brandon Mahoney and Rams freshman offensive lineman Jason Speciner both played together at Santa Monica High School. SDSU defensive line coach George Booker also played at Santa Monica.