Oct. 8, 2000
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Utah (1-4/0-1) at
San Diego State (1-4/1-0)
Saturday, Oct. 14, 2000 * 12:05 pm (PDT)
Qualcomm Stadium (71,400) * San Diego, Calif.
Television: ESPN+Plus (Regional)
Radio: KOGO (600 AM)
Series: Aztecs lead, 10-8-1
TELEVISION
The Utah at San Diego State game will be televised live regionally by ESPN+Plus, locally on Channel 4 San Diego. Chris Marlowe will call the play-by-play with JC Pearson providing the analysis. Beth Mowins will serve as the telecast's sideline reporter.
RADIO
San Diego State's six 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 To Qualcomm
* The San Diego State Aztecs (1-4 overall and 1-0 in Mountain West Conference play) return to Qualcomm Stadium for the first time in five weeks as they host Utah Saturday in a Mountain West Conference game. The contest will be televised by ESPN+Plus (Channel 4 San Diego) with San Diego State alum and former men's volleyball standout Chris Marlowe calling the action. JC Pearson will provide analysis and Beth Mowins will be the sideline reporter.
Time Change
* The Utah-San Diego State game will begin at 12:05 p.m. (Pacific) due to the telecast by ESPN+Plus. The contest marks the earliest home kickoff by the Aztecs since Sept. 5, 1997, when SDSU defeated Navy 45-31 in a game that kicked off at 11:38 a.m. The game is the first of two straight for San Diego State on ESPN+Plus as next week's game at Brigham Young will also be part of the ESPN+Plus package. The SDSU-Colorado State game is still being considered for regional telecast.
Setting The Scene
* San Diego State's season-opening four-game losing streak has been replaced by a three-game conference winning streak. SDSU closed 1999 with a pair of lopsided Mountain West wins (37-7 at UNLV and 39-7 over Wyoming) before Saturday's 34-0 win at Wyoming.
* SDSU and Colorado State, the last two schools to open league play, are the only teams in the conference without a league loss (both are 1-0).
* Utah, the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West, is 0-1 in the league after opening with a 23-14 home loss to Air Force. The Utes are coming off an open week, following a 35-14 win over Utah State. Both SDSU and Utah lost to Arizona by a 17-3 score.
Climbing The Mountain West
* San Diego State is now 4-4 in its brief stay in the Mountain West, standing at .500 in league play for the first time. The Aztecs are 11-5 in conference games (including the WAC) since 1998. San Diego State will be looking to open league play at 2-0 for the first time since the 1998 bowl season when the Aztecs jumped to a 4-0 start out of the game. Incidentally, that bowl team began the season with three straight losses.
The Series
* This is the 20th meeting between the Utes and the Aztecs, with San Diego State enjoying a 10-8-1 series lead. The Aztecs have won the last two encounters in San Diego and five of the last eight games played overall. San Diego State is 6-3-1 in home contests against the Utes. Four of the last six meetings have been decided by four points or less.
* Last year, Utah snapped a two-game Aztec winning streak in the series with a 38-16 decision in Salt Lake City. Utes quarterback Arceneaux was 15-of-21 with 266 yards and a touchdown as Utah scored 17 fourth-quarter points to break open a close game. Aztec running back Larry Ned rushed for a career-high 203 yards on just 18 carries. San Diego State was victimized by four turnovers, including two that were returned for touchdowns.
* 13 of the 19 meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less, including an overtime affair between the two teams the last time they squared off in Mission Valley.
Most Dominating Three-Game Stretch in MWC History?
* The Aztecs' 34-0 victory over Wyoming was their third impressive MWC victory in a row. Dating back to last season's 37-7 win at UNLV and 39-7 victory over Wyoming, the Aztecs have won their last three league games by a combined score of 110-14.
* That is the most dominating three-game victory margin in the MWC. In fact, it is 22 points better than the second place total. Below is a look at the widest margins of victory during a 3-0 stretch in Mountain West Conference play.
ROLLING IT UP
1. San Diego State UNLV, Wyo., Wyo. 110-14 (+96)2. BYU* CSU, UNM, UNLV 94-20 (+74)3. Utah UNLV, AFA, SDSU 111-45 (+66)* - Part of a five-game win streak
Aztecs Have Second Longest Current Win Streak, Third Longest In League History
* San Diego State's current three-game conference win streak is the second-longest active streak and the third longest in Mountain history.
* Below is a look at the longest win streaks in conference history.
1. *-Colorado State 62. Brigham Young 53. *-San Diego State 3 Utah 3 Wyoming 3*- Indicates win streak is current
Zero Non-Conference Wins Does Not a Bad Season Make
* There may be no better sign of perseverance for a football team that battling back from a winless non-conference season. This season, as one of only three teams that opened the campaign with four consecutive games against teams from Bowl Championship Series leagues, San Diego State went winless outside league play for only the sixth time since joining the Western Athletic Conference in 1978. However, history may be on the side of the Aztecs.
* In the previous five seasons that San Diego State did not win a game outside the league, the Aztecs posted a winning conference mark four times. In those five seasons, San Diego State went 23-16-1 (58.8 percent) in league play. The last time the Aztecs went winless through non-conference play was in 1998 when San Diego State went on to a 7-1 conference mark and advance to the Las Vegas Bowl as Pacific Division champions of the WAC.
Aztec Turnarounds
Year Non-Conf. Conference Overall1980 0-4 4-4 4-81984 0-4 4-3-1 4-7-11988 0-3 3-5 3-81992 0-2-1 5-3 5-5-11998 0-4 7-1 7-52000 0-4 1-0 1-4
Home Again, Naturally
* When San Diego State plays host to Utah on Saturday, it will mark the first home game for the Aztecs in 35 days. That is the second longest gap between home games in the country this season. The longest stretch between home dates belongs to Miami, which ended a 39-day hiatus from the Orange Bowl by defeating top-ranked Florida State on Saturday.
* Below is a look at the longest stretch of days between home games this season.
1. Miami (Fla.) 39 (Aug. 31-Oct. 7)2. SDSU 35 (Sept. 9-Oct. 14) Boise State 35 (Sept. 9-Oct. 14) Georgia 35 (Oct. 14-Nov. 18) La.-Monroe 35 (Sept. 30-Nov. 4)
Noting the Shutout
* San Diego State posted its first shutout since Nov. 7, 1998, and its first road shutout since Oct. 6, 1984 with the 34-0 victory over Wyoming on Saturday.
* It ended a drought of 18 games without a shutout, dating back to the 1998 season when the Aztecs blanked Fresno State 10-0. It was the first shutout in 83 road games for San Diego State, dating back to a 21-0 win at Wyoming in 1984.
* The shutout also marked the first time the Cowboys have been bageled in Laramie since the Aztecs pulled the trick in 1984, a span of 96 home games for the Cowboys between shutouts. The last time someone other than San Diego State shutout Wyoming in Laramie was when Air Force battled the Cowboys to a scoreless tie on Sept. 10, 1977.
Keep the Clock Going
* With the shutout against Wyoming, the Aztec defense has not allowed a point since the third quarter of the Oregon State game, a stretch of 81:43. That is the longest shutout streak for the Aztec defense since the 1998 season when San Diego State went 156:21 without allowing a point from Oct. 29-Nov. 14.
* The Aztec defense has held opponents without points on 17 consecutive drives. During that span, they have forced three turnovers, three turnovers on downs and 10 possessions of five plays or less.
In the Driver's Seat
* After not leading at any point after 51 seconds into the second quarter of the first four games, San Diego State enjoyed the lead for 53:39 of the 60-minute contest Saturday. That was well above the total of the first four games when the Aztecs led In the first four games, 240 total minutes, the Aztecs held the lead 12:18.
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. 7, the Aztecs' schedule is rated the 24th most difficult by Sagarin, 40th by the BCS formula and 44th 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 20th and Arizona 22nd while Arizona State (27th) and Illinois (42) are also receiving votes.
* San Diego State's nonconference opponents are 15-4 overall (.789) with four of the five setbacks coming to teams currently ranked among the top 17.
Short Drives
* The San Diego State defense has been a victim of opponents' great field position. Of the 16 opponent scoring drives, six have been less than 40 yards and nine have traveled 56 yards or less. The average opponent scoring drive is 46.4 yards. That is one reason San Diego State is 35th in the country in total yardage allowed, and 52nd in scoring defense.
* Of the five touchdowns San Diego State yielded to Oregon State on Sept. 23, three came on drives of less than 25 yards. The Beavers recovered a fumble in the San Diego State endzone for a touchdown and scored touchdowns on drives of 20 and 23 yards. The average scoring drive for Oregon State on Saturday was 35.6 yards.
* Last Saturday against Wyoming, the defense overcame an Aztec turnover that gave the Cowboys the ball on the Aztec 22-yard line. After San Diego State pushed Wyoming back to the 26, a field goal attempt went awry and the shutout was preserved. That drive aside, the Cowboys did not get any closer to paydirt than the San Diego State 49-yard line.
Fourth Quarter Streak Intact
* For the third consecutive game, San Diego State did not allow a point off a drive that started in the fourth quarter. The Aztec defense has now stopped nine consecutive drives that began in the fourth quarter. The last time an opponent scored on a fourth-quarter drive was in the Illinois game when the Illini intercepted an Aztec pass and returned it to the San Diego State 8-yard-line.
Q+TO=W
* What are San Diego State's keys to victory? One stat to keep an eye on is turnover margin. The Aztecs have won 20 straight games at Qualcomm/Jack Murphy Stadium when they have an edge in the turnover margin, dating back to Nov. 28, 1992. The last team to overcome a negative turnover margin and win at San Diego State was Miami. The Hurricanes, who went 12-0 and won the national championship with a 22-0 victory over Nebraska.
Aztecs In the Pros
* San Diego State is well represented in the National Football League. As of Sept. 14, San Diego State had 11 players on active rosters in the National Football League: Obafemi Ayanbadejo (Baltimore), Roman Fortin (San Diego), Nate Jacquet (San Diego), Robert Griffith (Minnesota), Ephraim Salaam (Atlanta), Marshall Faulk (St. Louis), Az-Zahir Hakim (St. Louis), Justin Watson (St. Louis), La'Roi Glover (New Orleans), Kyle Turley (New Orleans) and Jonas Lewis (San Francisco).
Aztec Angles...3-Dot Data
* The Aztec defense limited Oregon State running back Ken Simonton to 91 yards rushing to snap his string of consecutive 100-yard outings at three... It was the first time Simonton, who is fourth in the country in rushing at 162.60 yards per game, was held below the century mark by a non-Pac-10 school since gaining 99 yards against Utah State in 1998... San Diego State is 6-2 in school history on Oct. 14, including two straight wins and a perfect 4-0 in home games on that date... San Diego State is one of 46 teams that have held opponents to 17 points or less in three games this season... Of those 46 teams, the Aztecs are the only one with a below .500 record in those games (1-2)... The Aztecs have won 11 consecutive games when scoring 30 or more points... Under Tollner, San Diego State is 26-6 when scoring 30 or more points in a game.
Ned Jumps Into Top 10
* 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. He heads into the Utah game ranked 10th in rushing with 1889 yards, 23 yards from moving into ninth ahead of Kern Carson (1911 from 1961-63). He is also eighth all-time at SDSU in carries with 409.
Ned Nuggets
* Ned notched touchdowns No. 17 and 18 at Wyoming.
* His two-touchdown performance versus the Cowboys was the fifth multiple TD game of his career and the first since he scored twice at UNLV last season.
Tandberg Climbing Charts
* Placekicker Nate Tandberg's first quarter 46-yard field goal at Wyoming marked the third straight game the senior has booted a 40+ yard field goal. It was also the ninth 40+ yard field goal of his career. With 10 points against the Cowboys, the '99 Lou Groza award finalist now ranks fourth all-time on SDSU's career scoring chart with 209 points.
* Though he missed on field-goal attempts of 37 and 47 yards in the opener against Arizona State, the senior has been virtually flawless since, hitting on 6-of-7 attempts, including all three from beyond 40 yards.
Whatever it Takes
* James Truvillion's "whatever it takes" approach is beginning to pay dividends for the Aztecs. Truvillion, who isemerging as a weapon in the Aztec offense this season, is SDSU's leader in all-purpose yardage with 378 yards (75.6 ypg).
* Against the 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.
* Truvillion opened the season with a career-high 73 yards on 19 carries in the season opener versus Arizona State.
Dialing Long Distance
* Derrick Lewis' 40-yard touchdown pass at Wyoming was not only the fifth of his career, but it was also the fifth of his career for 36 yards or longer. Lewis' five career touchdown receptions now average 54.0 yards.
Breaking Out
* After being limited to just six receptions for 83 yards in SDSU's first three games, wide receiver Derrick Lewis appears to once again be showing the talent that made him one of the MWC's most feared deep threats last season. Lewis hauled in a team-high five receptions for 58 yards at Oregon State, then came back with a two catches for 47 yards at Wyoming, including a 40-yard touchdown.
* For the year, Lewis ranks second on the team with 13 receptions for 188 yards (14.5 ypc). Last year, Lewis recorded 26 catches for 551 yards.
Mr. 7-11
* Wide receiver J.R. Tolver was just like 7-11 in the Aztecs' game at Wyoming -- always open. Tolver's 129 yards on seven receptions were both career highs. It is 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.
* With a team-leading 23 receptions for 299 yards already this season, wide out J.R. Tolver has significantly stepped up his production over last year. Tolver, opened the season with a career- and co-game high seven catches for a then-career-best 77 yards. He added five receptions for 38 yards at Arizona.
* Tolver's 23 receptions represent a quarter (25 percent) of SDSU's completions this season, while his 299 yards are nearly 31 percent of the Aztecs' total aerial yardage.
* Tolver entered the season with just nine career receptions for 101 yards.
Sheriff Steps Up
* Making just his third career start, sophomore quarterback Lon Sheriff had a breakout performance at Wyoming.
* After passing for a combined 280 yards versus Arizona and Oregon State, Sheriff completed 19-of-27 (70.4 percent) for 317 yards, including scoring strikes of nine and 40 yards, versus the Cowboys. His 317 yards passing were a career high, while his second quarter 9-yard touchdown pass to Sean Pierce was the first of his career.
* Sheriff also received a solid bump in his passing efficiency rating, jumping form 73.04 to 105.85 on the heels of his performance at Wyoming.
Noting Pierce
* Senior wide receiver Sean Pierce had a career outing versus Wyoming, hauling in four receptions for 74 yards, including the third touchdown of his career.
Boys to Men
* San Diego State's young defensive line turned potential into action at Oregon State and Wyoming as the trio of sophomore Amon Arnold, freshman Anthony Foli and sophomore Ryan Iata and junior Andrew Brigham all registered at least one sack.
* Arnold led the way at Oregon State with six tackles, including three for losses of 11 yards, two of which were sacks. He came back at Wyoming with three stops, including a pair of sacks and two forced fumbles.
* Foli, who made his first career start at Arizona, also had six stops at OSU, including a tackle for loss and a three-yard sack. Versus the Cowboys, Foli accounted for four tackles, one for loss.
* Iata's totals included three tackles and a sack against the Beavers as well as three stops at Wyoming.
* Brigham, a junior college transfer from Mesa (Ariz.) junior college, posted start No. 1 at Wyoming and finished the game with five solo tackles, including a six-yard sack.
Donte's No Gamble
* Junior walk-on Donte Gamble has paid big dividends for the Aztecs this season. A transfer from El Camino Junior College, Gamble worked his way from obscurity to starter during training camp, leap-frogging five contenders to earn the starting cornerback spot opposite Ricky Sharpe. He has gone on to force a turnover in four of five games this season, including interceptions against Arizona State and Wyoming and forced fumbles versus Illinois and Arizona. Gamble has also recorded 20 tackles and a team-high six pass break-ups.
Quarterbacking the "D"
* Senior safety Brian Russell appears to have made the most of his switch to defense midway through last season. SDSU's starter at quarterback for the first two games of the '99 campaign, Russell has started all five games at free safety in 2000, recording turnovers in two of the last three.
* Russell ranks fifth on the team in total tackles with 31.
* 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.
* In the opener, Russell finished the game with six tackles, including five solo stops. He was even more impressive against Illinois, posting a career-high 10 stops.
* 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.
He Just Makes Plays
* Linebacker Jomar Butler is proving to be an impact player among SDSU's linebacking corps. Butler, who is new to the weak-side linebacker spot this season, made his first start at Arizona, finishing with seven tackles and knocking down an Ortege Jenkins lateral that was recovered by safety Garret Pavelko. He came back with an even better effort at Oregon State, leading the Aztecs in tackles with 11 (seven solo). Last week, Butler posted a co-team-high six stops (all solo) against Wyoming and now ranks sixth on the team in tackles with 29 .
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 five games thus far as the Aztecs' middle linebacker, enters the Utah game third on the team in tackles with 34, including 27 solo stops. However, he may have had his best outing as an Aztec at Wyoming, accounting for 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.
Demps the Man
* Junior safety Will Demps was named the Mountain West Conference's inaugural defensive player of the week Sept. 4, after accounting for a career- and game-high 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops, versus ASU. The former walk-on also registered three tackles for loss and seven of his 15 stops resulted in gains of two yards or less. Demps finished with five tackles against Oregon State and enters the Utah game leading the team in tackles with 37. He had 40 tackles for the entire 1999 campaign.
Walking into Starting Roles
* San Diego State has a proud tradition of walk-ons who have gone on to make big impacts as starters. The 2000 season continued that trend as the Aztecs opened the year with five players who joined the program as walk-ons filling starting roles against ASU. SDSU's walk-ons-turned-starters include strong safety Will Demps, offensive lineman Mike Houghton, offensive tackle Chester Pitts, cornerback Donte Gamble and kickoff specialist Brian Simnjanovski.
Family Ties
* A trio of Aztecs, senior H-back Bill Hammett, junior free safety Garret Pavelko and freshman safety Josh Dean, followed in their father's footsteps by accepting scholarships to SDSU. The elder Hammett, Bill Hammett III, was a standout linebacker for the Aztecs during the 1972 and '73 seasons, while Galen Pavelko, Garret's dad, lettered at SDSU in 1969 and '70. Josh Dean's father, Vernon, starred at SDSU from 1980-81.