Sept. 8, 2003
SAN DIEGO -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Aztecs On The Road Again
The San Diego State Aztecs, 1-1 on the season, will play on the road for the second straight game as they head to El Paso to take on the UTEP Miners Saturday night. Kickoff is 7:05 p.m. Mountain in the Sun Bowl. UTEP enters the game 0-2. There is no television coverage of the game.
Champions Challenged
San Diego State is coming off an impressive and frustrating 16-13 loss at Ohio State on Saturday. The second-ranked and heavily-favored Buckeyes did not clinch the game until earning a first down with 59 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. It was a game within SDSU's grasp despite four turnovers that led to 13 of Ohio State's 16 points. The Aztecs received a rousing ovation from fans in the southwest corner of Ohio Stadium as they left the field. San Diego State outgained the Buckeyes in total offense (216-196), doubled up the defending national champs on first downs (20-10) and had fewer penalties (8-12), more time of possession and a better return game.
Still In The Top Ten
There may have been some snickers when the NCAA team statistics were revealed last week. The Aztecs, who were porous in 2002, were No. 10 in total defense after the Eastern Washington game. No one is laughing now. SDSU will enter the UTEP game with the nation's fourth-ranked defense. It should also be noted that San Diego State leads the nation in defense for teams that have played more than one game.
Bucking The Buckeyes
San Diego State's defensive effort at Ohio State may go down as one of the best in Aztec history. The Buckeyes did not score an offensive touchdown and generated just 196 yards of total offense, their lowest since being held to 166 yards by UCLA in 2001. Ohio State was harassed into a 1-of-14 effort on third-down conversion attempts and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award candidate Craig Krenzel was 5-of-20 passing for 76 yards. He was picked off on the game's first play from scrimmage by Jacob Elimimian to set up San Diego State's first points of the game.
New And Improved
A year ago, San Diego State's offense was one of the most improved in the country. This season, the defense may get that honor. Through two games, the SDSU defense has allowed just one touchdown and it came in the last 90 seconds against Eastern Washington with the Aztecs protecting a 19-3 lead. In the box to the right is a statistical look at the Aztec defense over the past two years.
First Half and Have Nots
The Aztec defense has been strong overall but nearly inpenetrable in the first half of both games during the 2003 season. San Diego State held Eastern Washington to 66 yards of total offense and Ohio State was just 10 yards better with 76 yards. San Diego State's defense has given up nine first-half points (all field goals). Thanks to turnovers, the opposition drove a total of 69 yards for their points and it took 20 plays to reach the scoreboard.
Take Twos
The SDSU defense has allowed a total of 25 points through the first two games of the season. It is the best start by the scoring defense since the 1976 team opened the season with a 24-14 win over Arkansas State and a 7-3 win over Fresno State. The 1976 team, coached by Claude Gilbert and quarterbacked by Tom Craft, went on to post a 10-1 record with the only loss an 8-0 setback at Brigham Young. The 25 points in consecutive games are the fewest allowed by SDSU since the 2000 season that included a 34-0 win over Wyoming, followed by a 21-7 loss to Utah (a span of 31 games).
Turnover Turnaround
The defensive numbers posted through two games, including a bout with the second-ranked team, are even more impressive when considering the turnover factor. To date, 16 of the 25 points scored by the Aztec opposition were set up by turnovers. The only touchdown allowed came after a roughing the punter call that returned possession to Eastern Washington after the Eagles had been stopped on downs. It does not fit officially into the turnover category but served the same purpose. In essence, the Aztec defense has allowed three points this season based strictly on offensive execution by an opponent. Thirteen of the 25 opponent points have come on either "no drive" or drives that covered less than 10 yards. Ohio State scored 13 of its points on 12 yards of total offense.
Red Zone Security
SDSU opponents have penetrated the 20-yard line on eight occasions this season but have scored just one touchdown. Three times they have failed to score all together.
Third Thoughts
San Diego State's defense has been completely dominating on third downs this season. Entering the UTEP game, the Aztecs have limited opposing offenses to 4-of-33 on third down coversions (12 percent). Ohio State was 1-of-14 on third-down tries. Last season, SDSU gave up a first down on 42 percent of its third-down situations.
Sack Time
San Diego State completed the 2002 season with 28 sacks over 13 games. SDSU has already accumulated six sacks in two games. Over 12 games, that pace would give the Aztecs 36 sacks for the season. Five different Aztecs have been credited with a quarterback sack and, for the record, six Aztecs have been credited with breaking up a pass.
Did You Know?
Heading into the 2003 season, San Diego State's official all-time winning percentage of .572 ranks No. 45 in the country, according to the NCAA. Ten times in its history San Diego State has won at least nine games and seven Aztec squads have posted 10 wins in a single season. On four occasions, the Aztecs have gone undefeated.
Aztecs And Miners
San Diego State and UTEP will be meeting for the 21st time when they collide on Saturday. The first competition between the schools came in 1974. San Diego State owns a 17-3 series edge. The universities last met in 1998 and have only played three times since 1992. The Aztecs hold an 8-2 series advantage in El Paso. Overall, the Aztecs have won the last six meetings between the schools. See page 8 for the all-time series scores.
SDSU And The WAC
San Diego State is 74-48-8 against the current Western Athletic Conference membership. Since the WAC split (for the beginning of the 1999 season), SDSU is 0-2 against its former league with both losses coming last season (16-14 at Fresno State and 41-40 at Hawaii) in games decided in the final moments.
Craft And The Miners
SDSU head coach Tom Craft is perfect against El Paso. The Aztecs were 2-0 against UTEP during Craft's days as an Aztec quarterback. SDSU also won its only meeting with UTEP when Craft served as SDSU's offensive coordinator (1995, 45-16).
Scouting UTEP
The Texas-El Paso Miners will be looking for their first victory of the season when SDSU hits West Texas on Saturday night. In losses to Arizona and Cal Poly, the Miners have struggled out of the gate, being outscored 45-7 in the first half. Coach Gary Nord is in his fourth year in El Paso. He won a WAC title in 2000, his first season on the job. The Miners were 2-10 last season.
Starting Blocks
San Diego State (1-1) is looking for its first 2-1 start since the 1996 season. SDSU has suffered three 0-3 starts since the start of 1997 and has started 1-2 three times as well. The 1996 Aztecs used the 2-1 start as a springboard to an 8-3 season. In 1998, San Diego State's last bowl team started the season 0-3.
Road Kills
The Aztecs head to El Paso looking to end a nine-game losing streak in non-conference road games, dating back to a 1999 win at Kansas, 41-13. Prior to the win in Lawrence, SDSU had not posted a non-conference road win since 1983. In 2002, the Aztecs lost four non-conference road games by a total of 33 points, including a one-point setback at Hawaii to end the season.
New Faces
It is very likely that no team in America is younger at the skilled positions than San Diego State. Thanks to the injury to Adam Hall and the emergence of Lynell Hamilton, SDSU has played nearly all of the first two games of the season without one skilled player from the record-setting 2002 offense.
New Places
Against Ohio State, SDSU got its first-ever touchdown pass from Matt Dlugolecki (in his first career start) and its first touchdown reception by Wesley Williams. The Aztecs also were the beneficiaries of Jacob Elimimian's first career interception. The Aztecs got even more inexperienced as the game progressed. Walkon quarterback Tanner Engtrand, a Grossmont College product who joined SDSU in August, replaced Dlugolecki briefly when the sophomore quarterback went down at Ohio State.
Special Things Are Happening
SDSU coaches vowed that with some new-found depth, special teams play would figure to improve. Two games into 2002 the specialists have been truly special.
- Senior walkon kicker J.C. Mejia is 4-of-4 on field goals, including a 47-yarder at Ohio State that brought the Aztecs to within 16-13 in the fourth quarter. Last season, SDSU converted its first field goal in the third game of the season and two kickers combined to go 17-of-27 on three-pointers.
- A San Diego State kicker has not opened the season by converting four straight field goals since Peter Holt in 1996.
- The Ohio State game marked the first time since Nov. 18, 1989, that the Aztecs booted two field goals over 45 yards in the same game. In '89, Andy Trakas turned the trick against another top-10 team when SDSU faced No. 7 Miami, Fla. Trakas booted field goals of 49 and 50 yards against the Hurricanes.
- Walkon punter Seth Santoro has been impressive in two games and has made the loss of Ray Guy Award nominee Brian Simnjanovski almost painless. In two games, Santoro has punted the ball 12 times and has averaged 41.2 yards. He has had four punts downed inside the 20 and one inside the 10. He booted a 56-yarder at Ohio State that pulled the Aztecs out of a field-position hole.
- The Aztecs are averaging 16 yards per punt return in 2003 after averaging just 10.8 yards per return last season.
Cunning Conerly
Junior receiver Kyle Conerly solved SDSU's return-game woes last season when he took a punt back 86 yards for a touchdown against UNLV. It was his first game returning punts. He went on to earn honorable mention all-Mountain West honors as a punt returner. He could be on to bigger things in 2003. Through two games he has returned four punts for an average of 16.8 yards to rank 23rd nationally in that category and third in the Mountain West Conference. His lone kickoff return went for 27 yards at Ohio State.
L-Train Still On Track
Two games into his SDSU career and frosh running back Lynell Hamilton remains among the most intriguing Aztecs. He is averaging 91 yards per game after his 69 yards (on just 17 carries) against Ohio State. That performance came on the heels of his 113-yard effort against Eastern Washington when he became the first freshmen to break the 100-yard mark in a season opener. The Stockton product averaged 4.1 yards per carry against the Buckeyes, including an 18-yard scamper, and is averaging 4.7 yards per rush for the season.
Quarter Horses
San Diego State had its string of consecutive quarters with points scored snapped at 11 when Ohio State blanked the Aztecs in the second period on Saturday. However, SDSU got on the board in both periods after intermission and has scored in 13 of the last 14 quarters, dating back to last season.
Totally Offensive
In 15 games under the direction of Tom Craft, SDSU has outgained the opposition nine times and been even in total offense on another occasion. The opposition has outgained SDSU just five times.
5-5, .500
With the loss to Ohio State, the Aztecs are now 5-5 in their last 10 games. While it is no cause for celebration, it does mark the first time that San Diego State has been at .500 in a 10-game stretch since the final four games of 1998 and the first six games of 1999.
Quarterback By Committee
Through just two games, SDSU has already used three quarterbacks (Adam Hall, Matt Dlugolecki and Tanner Engstrand). However, "Air Craft" seems fine in all six hands. The Aztecs are completing 55.4 percent of their passes as opposed to 41.5 percent by their opponents.
WR By Committee
A year ago, SDSU's receiving corps was dominated by the record-setting duo of J.R. Tolver and Kassim Osgood. With Tolver now a Dolphin and Osgood now a Charger, the Aztecs' 2003 unit is still finding its sea legs, but balance will be the operative word. After just two games, 11 SDSU playershave caught a pass and 35 of the 41 receptions have come from players not active at San Diego State in 2002. Jeff Webb has 16 catches to lead the squad and is 10th nationally in catches per game (8.0).
One For The Books
Matt Dlugolecki is the first quarterback in at least 20 years at SDSU to earn a victory in his first appearance. In other debuts, Aztec quarterbacks either lost or entered for the first time with the game already in hand. His 97 yards passing are the most in a debut since Dan McGwire threw for 361 yards against Air Force in 1989 (a 52-36 loss). His completion percentage of 57.9 is the highest in a debut since that same game by McGwire.
Aztec Rewind
San Diego State could make the case that it is coming off its most successful losing season ever. The Aztecs finished 4-3 in Mountain West play for their best record in conference action since the league was formed in 1999. San Diego State was the nation's most improved passing team in 2002, jumping from 89th in 2001 to fifth nationally in 2002 with 330 passing yards per game. San Diego State was fourth nationally in total offense improvement in Tom Craft's first year, making the jump from 98th to 29th nationally.
The Aztec Family
San Diego State will continue a long tradition this season; it is the tradition of the Aztec Family and the immediate family. Once more SDSU will have a handful of roster members that are connected to former Aztec football players. Safety Josh Dean is the son of former Aztec and Washington Redskin Vernon Dean. Safety Shane Russell is the brother of former Aztec safety and current Minnesota Viking Brian Russell. Safety Marcus Demps is the younger brother of former Aztec safety and current Baltimore Raven Will Demps. Receiver Devin Pitts is the younger brother of former Aztec and current Houston Texan Chester Pitts. Freshman receiver Brian Spinks and frosh running back Lynell Hamilton are cousins. In 1999, SDSU had two brothers start in the same game when Kabeer and Akbar Gbaja Biamila lined up in the defensive front against Kansas.
Watch Lists
A pair of Aztecs have garnered some preseason notoriety. Junior linebacker Kirk Morrison is on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Lombardi Award and the Butkus Award. Senior quarterback Adam Hall, meanwhile, is on the watch list for the Dave O'Brien National Quarterback Award Watch and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Not In Your Program
There are at least two Aztec walkons who figure to play prominent roles this fall. Kicker J.C. Mejia is a 5-9, 170-pound senior from Salinas by way of Hartnell Community College who is 4-of-4 on field goals. He will wear No. 18. On the defensive line, Alohaii Leolofi wears No. 63, and is a product of Barstow High School before playing at College of the Desert. He is in the Aztec defensive line rotation at end or tackle.
The "All" Guys
San Diego State enters the 2003 season with a healthy list of players who could contend for all-conference honors. Returning to the defense will be two players who have already been honored by the league: first-team all-conference linebacker Kirk Morrison and second-team all-Mountain West safety Jeff Shoate. The offense returns a pair of honorable mention all-Mountain West players in quarterback Adam Hall and tackle Brendan Darby. Also back is honorable mention all-league punt returner Kyle Conerly.
Conference Calls
Kirk Morrison currently leads the Mountain West with five tackles for losses. Defensive end Brandon Rager is third in that category with 3.5 tackles for losses. Jacob Elimimian leads the MWC with five passes defended and Jeff Webb tops the conference with eight catches per game.
Starting Blocks
Defensive tackle Brook Miller, offensive tackle Brendan Darby and linebacker Kirk Morrison are the only returning Aztecs who started every game last season. Darby leads the Aztecs with a string of 24 straight starts.