Oct. 12, 2003
SAN DIEGO -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game Time
The San Diego State Aztecs, now 3-4 on the season and 0-2 in the Mountain West Conference, return home to Qualcomm Stadium this week when they host the New Mexico Lobos in a 6:07 p.m. Homecoming contest. San Diego State has dropped three straight since opening the season at 3-1. New Mexico enters the contest on a two-game winning streak and 3-3 overall. The Lobos are 0-1 in conference play after losing a 10-7 decision to Brigham Young on Sept. 13th. The Lobos are coming off an open week following a 34-7 win over Utah State.
This Is It
San Diego State's postseason hopes rest squarely on the next two games. The Aztecs follow up Saturday's game with New Mexico with another home game against Wyoming and then head into their only open week of the season. The Aztec-New Mexico series has been extremely tight despite the 20-9 SDSU advantage in the series. The Aztecs have won their last four games against the Cowboys. A sweep of the homestand would put SDSU at 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the league heading into the open week. It would also mean that SDSU would need two wins in its final three games (with two of the three at home) to become bowl eligible.
Media Watch
Channel 4 San Diego will carry SportsWest's production of the game live beginning at 6 p.m. The game will also be televised live in Albuquerque.
Aztecs And Lobos
San Diego State leads the series with the Lobos by a 20-9 count. It is the biggest series lead for the Aztecs over a Mountain West Conference school. In San Diego, the Aztecs hold a 10-5 advantage. However, New Mexico has won its last three games at Qualcomm Stadium and two straight in the series overall. New Mexico's two wins at Qualcomm since the Mountain West was formed in 1999 have come by a combined eight points.
Close Calls
The last five meetings between the Aztecs and Lobos have been down-to-the-wire affairs. Those five games have been decided by a total of 19 points, including a one-point game (17-16 SDSU in 2000) and an overtime game (36-33 SDSU in 1998).
Last Year In Albuquerque
New Mexico knocked off San Diego State in Albuquerque for the first time since 1983 in a hard-fought 15-8 decision. The contest was played in constant 40-miles-per-hour winds in the only game of the season in which the Aztecs failed to score a touchdown. SDSU managed just 183 yards of total offense and got just six points off of four possessions inside New Mexico territory. SDSU held an 8-7 lead at the half. New Mexico generated just 237 yards of total offense. The game ended with SDSU inside the Lobos 20, needing a touchdown and conversion for overtime. Adam Hall was 18-of-35 for 153 yards in the game. Both squads recorded a safety in the contest.
The Lobos
New Mexico is 3-3 on the season and 0-1 in the Mountain West after a 10-7 loss to Brigham Young on Sept. 13th. The Lobos are coming off a 7-7 season (5-2 in the Mountain West) that included an appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl. It was just the second bowl appearance for New Mexico since 1961. All-conference running back DonTrell Moore averages 86 rushing yards per game and veteran quarterback Casey Kelly is passing for 194 yards per contest. As a team, New Mexico is scoring 29.7 points per game and generating 390.2 yards of offense per outing. New Mexico was picked to finish second in the 2003 Mountain West race by the league's coaches and media.
Bye-Ing Wins
New Mexico enters Saturday's game coming off a bye week. That usually means good news for the Lobos. New Mexico is 6-0 under Rocky Long when coming off an open week and has won nine straight after open weeks overall.
In Salt Lake...
San Diego State dominated Utah in the first half but nursed just a 6-0 lead at halftime. At intermission, the Utes had generated just 84 yards of offense and never dented the Aztec 40-yard line. However, in the second half, Utah scored on five straight possessions to pick up a 27-6 victory and avenge a 36-17 loss to San Diego State in 2002. The Aztecs' longest drive of the second half covered just seven plays.
Conference Starts
San Diego State will be looking to avoid the bad kind of history when it hits the field Saturday night. The Aztecs will be trying to avoid their first 0-3 conference start since the 1994 season. In fact, that 1994 season marks the only time in the post-Don Coryell era that the Aztecs have started a league season 0-3.
Inspiration
If the Aztcecs are feeling down over a three-game losing streak, they need look no further than the opposing sideline for inspiration. Last season, New Mexico got off the deck following a 2-4 start to reach the Las Vegas Bowl. Included in the early-season setbacks were losses to New Mexico State and Utah State. The Lobos regrouped to post a 5-2 conference record. On the home front, San Diego State's last bowl team (1998) started the season at 0-3 before rallying for seven wins in eight games to earn the trip to Las Vegas against North Carolina.
The Bottom Line(s)
Through four-plus seasons, SDSU is 12-18 in the Mountain West. SDSU has at least one win over every league school and at least one loss to every league school excluding Wyoming. SDSU is 8-7 in conference road games and 4-11 in conference home games. San Diego State is 5-5 in its last 10 conference games but has dropped its last two at Qualcomm Stadium.
Crafting Home Success
Under Tom Craft, SDSU is 4-4 in games played at Qualcomm Stadium. Prior to Craft, SDSU had gone 2-9 in its previous 11 home games. Also under the second-year head coach, San Diego State is 2-2 in Mountain West home games. In the previous three seasons, SDSU was 2-9 in Mountain West home games with both wins coming over Wyoming.
Coming Home
San Diego State University will celebrate Homecoming this week. The Aztecs are 43-19-2 all-time in Homecoming games, including last season's 31-21 win over the UNLV Rebels. SDSU has won 13 of its last 15 Homecoming games but one of the losses came in 1999 when New Mexico left town with a 24-21 victory.
Loving Lobos
San Diego State assistant head coach and defensive line coach Jim House is a close friend of New Mexico head coach Rocky Long. So close, in fact, that the Long and his wife, Debby, are the Godparents of House's son, J.D. House and Long worked together on the coaching staff at Wyoming in the '80s. San Diego State secondary coach Fred Bleil spent 1992-1995 on the Lobos sideline as New Mexico's defensive coordinator. He also served a stint as head coach and athletic director at New Mexico Highlands.
Foli's Journey
One of the most inspirational stories of the season in the SDSU camp is the return of Anthony Foli. The Newbury Park senior spent three years as a key player in the Aztec defensive line before being moved to the offensive side last spring. In the last scrimmage of the spring, the new offensive lineman suffered a traumatic knee injury. Early indications were that Foli would miss at least the first eight games of the season and many feared his career was over. On Saturday night in Salt Lake, Foli made his first-ever start on the offensive line, playing approximately 55 snaps against the Utes.
The Dark Lord
San Diego State linebacker Kirk Morrison continues to turn in what might be the best season in the Mountain West Conference to date. Morrison is second in the Mountain West Conference in tackles with 70. He is fifth in the league in sacks (3.5) and first in tackes for losses (13). He is eighth in fumbles forced (2). He leads SDSU in each of those categories.
Kirk Has Company
San Diego State's ringleader on defense is Kirk Morrison. But there is room for sharing at the top of the defensive charts. Aztec sophomore linebacker Matt McCoy (Tustin HS) is coming off a career game. In Salt Lake, McCoy recorded a career-best 15 tackles, including a tackle for a loss and a 25-yard fumble return. McCoy has 65 tackles this season, second only to Morrison on the team.
2-3
The Aztec linebacking duo of Kirk Morrison and Matt McCoy rank second and third in the Mountain West Conference in tackles. Morrison is second with 70 stops and continues to lead the league in tackles for losses with 13. McCoy is third in tackles with 65 (10 tackles per game).
Encore?
One season after SDSU's passing offense became the most improved in the country, the Aztec defense is trying to turn the trick. SDSU's defense is currently ranked 16th nationally just one season after the Aztecs finished 95th in total defense. The inset (left) illustates the SDSU defense in two seasons under Tom Craft.
Chart Watching
San Diego State remains entrenched among the nation's top 20 defenses after seven games. SDSU enters the New Mexico contest No. 16 nationally, allowing 296.29 yards per game.
Total Defense
San Diego State continues to lead the Mountain West in total defense, allowing 296.29 yards per game. SDSU has never led any conference in which it has been a member in total defense. Currently, Brigham Young is second in the Mountain West, allowing 318.1 yards per game.
Adam's Back
Adam Hall has shown no rust in his return from an ankle injury that caused him to miss most of the Eastern Washington game and all of the Aztec contests against Ohio State, UTEP, Samford and UCLA. Hall has completed 51.2 percent of his passes for 609 yards. Barring injury, he will enter SDSU's career top 10 in passing and total offense this week against New Mexico.
Youthful Glow
The mini-revival that seems to be growing under Tom Craft is being led by a young squad. San Diego State has 12 first-year starters (including kickers) in the lineup, including the quarterback for tfour games, all of the starting receivers, running back and tight end. In short, SDSU's entire "skills position" corps is in its first year in the starting lineup. In addition, 32 players off of SDSU's top 44 (two-deep) will return in 2003.