July 27, 2002
SAN DIEGO - To say that San Diego State's 2002 football season represents a changing of the guard is a slight understatement. The season will actually represent a changing of the guard, the changing of a tackle, a couple of safeties, two or three linebackers, locker rooms, coaching staffs and an All-America running back.
In fact, very little remains in place from a year ago and San Diego State's 3-8 season. In chronological order, the Aztecs have changed facilities, lost a senior class that was 26 strong, and bid goodbye to a coaching regime that had been in place for eight seasons.
Rarely have more ingredients been in line for a change in attitude. And San Diego State appears ready for it after posting a record of 11-22 over the last three years, with half of the losses coming on fourth-quarter, game-breaking plays.
San Diego State now studies, dresses, lifts weights and obtains treatment in the plush surroundings of the new Aztec Athletics Center.
And the man now at the helm of the Aztec program is Tom Craft. He is yet to serve as head coach for one game at the Division I level, but he is already the king of the upset.
When Rick Bay, San Diego State's executive director of athletics, began his search for Ted Tollner's successor, he agreed to a "courtesy lunch" with Tom Craft, who was winning everything in sight at Palomar Community College, including three national championships and nine conference titles in 10 years. Still, despite those qualifications and despite the fact he was a San Diego State graduate, and despite a successful three-year run as SDSU's offense coordinator, Craft was a long shot.
Upset number one.
The lunch turned into a two-hour session and Bay was quickly convinced that Craft should appear before the search committee. He was penciled in next to established Division I head coaches, up-and-coming NFL assistants and deified NCAA Division I coordinators. The deck was stacked against him.
Upset number two.
The committee was more than a little impressed. He was the pick of the players' committee as well. It was unanimous among all involved. On Dec. 6, 2001, Tom Craft was introduced as the San Diego State head coach.
Upset number three.
He hit the ground running and the early results have been slightly startling. The Aztecs reeled in a recruiting class that is dotted with potential stars and was rated a consensus second in the conference. Returning players have shown stunning improvements and a few position adjustments look to provide immediate dividends.
That is the good news because upsets four, five and six may be even tougher to come by.
On the brink of his first season as head coach of his alma mater, Tom Craft faces a daunting 13-game schedule that includes eight road games, featuring trips to Colorado, Fresno State, Hawaii and defending Mountain West champ Brigham Young. Awaiting at home are games with UCLA and Arizona State and MWC bowl teams Utah and Colorado State.
Still there is optimism on The Mesa as Craft and his wide-open offense and aggressive defensive philosophies promise renewed enthusiasm at Qualcomm Stadium.
"I think our attitude was good in the spring," said Craft of his first team. "We got a lot done as far as philosophy and fundamentals. We need to grow in a couple of areas, including strength and conditioning. The type of standard at which we practice has to improve. That carries over into the games.
"We are learning at what pace and standard to practice, but we aren't consistent yet."
The following is a position-by-position breakdown of the Aztecs heading into fall camp.
Offense
Quarterback
No position will be more scrutinized in "Air Craft" than quarterback. Last year Aztec quarterbacks combined for five touchdowns and 15 interceptions and as a team, San Diego State averaged just 16.7 points per game. Aztec fans are anxious to see the fusion of a new system with the returning talent.
Adam Hall, the junior transfer from Texas who played in 10 games last season, including a start, looked to have the edge over two-year starter Lon Sheriff at the conclusion of spring drills. But a rematch is no doubt waiting in August.
"Adam was better than just good in the spring," Craft said. "He had an excellent spring and can be a good quarterback. He has some skills."
Hall transferred to San Diego State from Texas, where he was a heavily decorated prepster at Westlake High School (the alma mater of Chargers quarterback Drew Brees). He became the odd-man out in the Major Applewhite-Chris Simms feud in the Longhorn camp. He was impressive in the spring, concluding April without a turnover, despite digesting the new offense and several skirmishes with the first-team defense.
Still, Craft, who quarterbacked the Aztecs to a 10-1 season in 1976, expects the challenge to be renewed when the veterans report.
"We went over some fundamental things with Lon - things he could spend the summer working on that will make him a better quarterback. There is still a race."
With the departure of Jon Stoner and Danny Armstrong, walk-on Kevin Pierce completes the depth chart at quarterback.
The Bottom Line: With Hall's strong spring and the experience of Sheriff, the play of the quarterbacks could be much improved over the past three seasons. Turnovers figure to be the final grading sheet.
Running Back
There is one back in Tom Craft's offensive system and to replace All-American Larry Ned, that one back needs to be productive. Fortunately Craft is comfortable with three running backs and there is also a headliner on the way.
James Truvillion, a senior who redshirted a year ago to deal with hamstring troubles, is listed as the starter entering fall camp. He has been an offensive and special-teams contributor throughout his career and his 'best for the team' attitude has always impressed his coaches. He had an injury-free career prior to what would have been his senior season. He was healthy and full speed throughout spring drills and was at his best in the final scrimmage of April.
Two other running backs who emerged during spring camp were redshirt freshman Michael Franklin and converted safety DeAngelo Nedd.
"Those three running backs really began to separate themselves during the spring," Craft said. "I feel comfortable with all of them. DeAngelo did a great job returning to a position he played in high school and Michael Franklin had a brilliant spring."
Franklin is a 5-7, 170-pound stop-and-start back who is likely to see action on special teams as well as in the backfield. He has flashed big-play ability throughout his first year on campus and he will provide a spark San Diego State has been lacking.
Nedd was moved to the offensive side of the ball by the new staff and he produced at least one big play in all three major scrimmages of the spring. San Diego State can also go big in the backfield with Garric Simmons, a player who has seen a lot of action in his career.
Newcomer Frederick Collins, a prep star from Palm Springs who shunned Washington on signing day to ink with the Aztecs, will get some early attention as well.
The Bottom Line: With the departure of an All-American, this position would figure to have a fall off. However, with the depth and the new schemes, the backfield is far from a weak spot.
Offensive Line
The 2002 NFL draft marked the third time in five years San Diego State has had multiple members of the offensive line taken by the pros, including second-round pick Chester Pitts. One player not drafted in 2002 was senior all-conference lineman David Moreno, SDSU's most productive player up front over the last two seasons. There is obviously work to do in the trenches.
Johnathan Ingram returns as a starter at center and Brendan Darby is back at a tackle spot and that is it for the starters. Look for shuffling and heavy competition to dominate the fall camp.
"We will play the best five players up front, regardless of position," Craft said. "We are not a strong and weak side team that will flip our line. We will play the best people."
Mike Kracalik looks to have nailed down a starting spot on the left side at tackle. The mammoth (6-9, 330) sophomore has a big upside and he will get nothing but better.
Backing up Kracalik entering fall camp is newcomer Nicholas Penalosa, a 6-4, 300-pound junior who joined the Aztecs in January and participated in spring drills. Sikot Uipi, who redshirted a year ago while recovering from a knee injury is also in the picture.
Raul Gomez, who has been in and out of the starting lineup over the past two years, is a starter at left guard. The 6-3, 305-pound senior could be pushed, however, by some transplants. Two junior-college players, Zach Barnes and Gerald Sykes, are guards who could see action on both sides of the ball and Gomez, along with right-side starter Shawn Dickie, will be trying to fight off the challenge in the fall.
Sykes is considered a candidate to become a starter based on talent, as well as his experience in playing in Tom Craft's system at Palomar.
Another Palomar transplant, Damian Holman, was a late signee for San Diego State and will become an instant contender at right tackle. In front of him is returning starter Darby, who will fight to keep his position in an offensive front that will not lack for size or talent.
Ingram is solid in the middle of the line and was excellent down the stretch for the Aztecs in 2001. He will be one of San Diego State's candidates for all-conference honors.
Backing up the senior center will be enthusiastic youth. Redshirt freshmen Danny Negrete and Jasper Harvey will battle for depth-chart position. Both have big up sides and some versatility, but Ingram is firmly entrenched as the starter.
The offensive line will also receive an infusion of talent in the fall with high school players but most of those will be ticketed for redshirts.
The Bottom Line: The offensive staff will be busy sorting through the bodies and several players arriving in the fall could play an impact. The bonding process up front could be a key to the season.
Tight End
Craft pulls no punches and he tickets tight end as an area that will receive special attention during the fall. All-conference player Gray McNeill is gone and several players, including Raleigh Fletcher, Jason Dion, Tyson Thompson, David Gorman and Mike Lynch are all in the mix.
"Tyson Thompson was our most consistent tight end during the spring," Craft said. "We still have work to do at this position, though."
The tight end wears many hats in Craft's system. It adds diversity to the running game and is an important cog in pass protection as well as the traditional tight end role. It also serves as an H-Back, a position that can evolve into many things in the Aztec attack. This position will likely be a work in progress throughout the season.
The Bottom Line: The Aztecs are not punchless at tight end, but replacing Gray McNeill and Brian Gelt will be on the to-do list this fall.
Receiver
It hardly comes as a surprise that a gigantic part of the passing offense is predicated on the ability to catch. And in 2002 there will be plenty of opportunities to catch the ball. San Diego State has three senior receivers eager to display their talents; however, two of them have never caught a pass at San Diego State.
Ronnie Davenport, a transfer from California, and Kassim Osgood, a Division I-AA All-American at Cal Poly, will be eager to make an early splash in their only years as Aztecs.
"It is an unusual situation," Craft said. "There is some talent there, but since everyone is new I am not sure how much being a senior is really a factor. They both have experience, but not with what we are doing."
Another senior is two-time all-conference selection J.R. Tolver, who could end his career as the most prolific receiver in San Diego State's history, which is heavy on the forward pass.
"J.R gives us some flexibility as an inside player or an outside player. He's impressive," Craft added. Tolver enters his senior season with 134 career receptions, including 125 receptions over the last two seasons.
With the Aztecs lining up with two, three, four or even five receivers on a given play, there is certainly room for more faces and no position is likely to get a bigger boost from the incoming class than receiver.
Receiver Clint Bingham was rated as one of the top 100 junior-college players in the country. Another impact newcomer could be Jermaine Moore, who picked San Diego State over Alabama.
Wesley Williams, a former Purdue signee, is the biggest of the lot at 6-4, 210 and will likely play off of Tolver's skills.
Two freshmen, speedster Ramal Porter from Van Nuys and Brian Spinks from Stockton, could also figure in the mix.
Players on campus who saw their roles change in the spring include Adam Gray-Hayward, Lonnel Penman and walk-ons Robert Ortiz and Kyle Conerly. There will be plenty of opportunities for everyone. Gray-Hayward showed up in the stats in each of the three spring scrimmages, while Penman was a fast starter. The two walk-ons are ticketed for playing time as well.
The Bottom Line: There is talent and depth on paper at receiver. The adjustment from theory to Saturdays will be a key to the San Diego State offense.
Defense
They are still fast. The lineup is still dotted with stars. But the San Diego State defense will have a different look in 2002. Gone is the heart and soul of the squad, tackle Jerome Haywood, who started 45 straight games. Also missing are playmaking linebackers Dylan Robles and Jomar Butler. The faces will be new, but San Diego State still figures to be strong on the defensive side.
Defensive End
"I think we have three quality defensive ends," said Craft at the conclusion of spring drills. Ryan Iata had a great spring and Amon Arnold was playing well at the end. Akbar Gbaja Biamila also finished strong."
The Aztecs certainly look the part on the outside. Iata's spring was cut short by a shoulder injury, but he should be at full speed in the fall. At the time of his injury, he may have been playing the best football of his career. Arnold has been a part-time starter throughout his career and he may be poised for a big senior season as well.
Gbaja-Biamila is returning for his senior season (we promise this is his last year) after being granted another season due to injury. It is the third consecutive season that Gbaja-Biamila has been listed as a senior. After a year at tackle, he is returning to the outside, where his brother, Kabeer, is making a living with the Green Bay Packers.
The Bottom Line: With talent and experience returning, this position should be improved from a year ago and serve as the foundation of the front seven.
Tackle
Haywood is gone and Gbaja-Biamila is back on the end, leaving San Diego State with job openings in the middle. The interior front was a big concern entering fall drills, but things looked brighter at the conclusion.
"Jared Ritter was our biggest bright spot in the middle," Craft said. The senior-to-be has been a part-time contributor in the past who looks to be a starter this fall.
Anthony Foli, who has played inside and outside during his career, was also strong at tackle. He was having a nice 2002 season when he went down with a back injury at Ohio State, costing him the final month of the season.
Brook Miller, who redshirted last season after transferring from Bakersfield College, also raised some eyebrows.
"Brook had a good spring - he has some potential," Craft said.
Another newcomer who could make an impact in September is Cody Ballard.
The Bottom Line: It will be difficult for San Diego State to maintain last year's level in the middle. Barring injury, though, this is an area that figures to get better as the season progresses.
Linebacker
Big talent, small numbers. That, in a nutshell, is San Diego State's linebacker situation. There are some playermakers at the position, but any significant injuries could take a quick toll.
Kirk Morrison is the anchor in the middle. The frosh All-American became an instant star when injury provided him with an opportunity. Beau Trickey, the starter in the middle before suffering a knee injury against Air Force, is healthy and had a strong spring. He is the starter on the outside with redshirt sophomore Stephen Larsen on the other end.
"I think Larsen, Morrison and Trickey give us three excellent linebackers who can all run," Craft said. "Morrison had a great spring."
There is some untested talent behind the starters. Matt McCoy is a redshirt freshman who is listed behind Trickey on the weak side. He seems to have the knack for being in the right place at the right time.
Rodney Allen is listed second behind Morrison. The talented senior has had an injury-plagued career but he can make plays and has been a good performer on special teams.
Another name at linebacker is Heath Farwell. The transfer from San Jose State will earn his share of playing time and gives new defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer more options in the front seven.
The Bottom Line: Dylan Robles and Jomar Butler were all over the stat sheets in 2000 and 2001. Morrison is already a star and Trickey was born to be a linebacker. If the Aztecs stay healthy, any drop in production from the corps will be minimal.
Cornerback
San Diego State is blessed at cornerback with a pair of returning starters. Ricky Sharpe will be entering his third year as a starter while Jeff Shoate, a transfer from Montana, is back for his second straight season. Both had good springs and should help relieve stress from San Diego State's green safeties.
Sharpe has been an all-league candidate for the last two years while Shoate solidified things across the field and was second on the team with three interceptions.
"Ricky had a very consistent spring, he's a good player," Craft said. "Shoate was a little up and down because he likes to take chances. We are working with him on his decisions."
The depth at secondary is still being developed and a newcomer in the rotation would not be a surprise. Sophomore Hubert Caliste showed dramatic improvement during the spring and the New Orleans sophomore who spent his true freshman season as a special-teams player will be more of a factor in 2002.
Redshirt freshman Jacob Elimimian was also making strides when he went down with a shoulder injury. His status for the fall is still to be determined.
Five members of the incoming class are considered secondary players with junior-college transfer LaVance Ray figuring to be in the picture at corner. He is a physical six-footer with some versatility.
The Bottom Line: Cornerback is probably the most experienced area of the team in term of career starts and that usually results in good things. Look for this area to be a strength.
Safety
Gone are savvy senior safeties Will Demps and Garret Pavelko. They were playmakers and leaders and San Diego State will rely on youth to fill the void.
Josh Dean, son of former Aztec and NFL star Vernon Dean, was manning the strong safety spot in April.
"Josh had a good spring and was a surprise for us," Craft said. "He has solidified one position for us."
The free-safety spot lists Marviel Underwood, a converted corner, as a starter. Marcus Demps, a redshirt freshman and the younger brother of two-time all-Mountain West safety Will Demps, is listed as a backup at both positions. He has speed and could develop into a big contributor as a rookie.
"One thing that we do well is recover quickly on defense. I feel that defense is reaction and recovery and we do that well," Craft said. "We are quick in our recovery phase and that gives you a chance. We need to develop depth at linebacker and we need to solidify our safeties. We need to continue to learn how to play angles correctly."
The Bottom Line: It will be hard to be as consistent at safety as the Aztecs were in 2001. Physically, the fall-off is minimal, but the learning curve will determine whether this spot is a strength or a weakness.
Special Teams
The Aztecs return one of the nation's best punters in senior Brian Simnjanovski. He was on the Ray Guy Award watch list last season and he has two of the top seven single-season averages in Aztec history.
Also returning is Simnjanovski's cousin, placekicker Tommy Kirovski. He was 10-of-13 on field goals last season, including 9-of-11 inside the 40. The Aztec legs are strong.
The return game has been non-existent for San Diego State since Damon Gourdine led the nation in punt returns in 1998.
Punts could be fielded by J.R. Tolver, Michael Franklin and Kyle Conerly. There are sure to be other candidates when camp arrives, including newcomer Clint Bingham.
"We will have to make special teams a positive factor for us," Craft said. "We just aren't good enough on both sides of the ball just to play neutral on special teams. We will be aggressive."
The Bottom Line: The specialists are there, it is the rest of the squad that will determine the success of the special teams in 2000.