Nov. 9, 2003
Complete SDSU Football Game Notes at Colorado State (Nov. 15) in PDF Format
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San Diego State Aztecs (5-5/2-3 Mountain West)
at Colorado State Rams (5-5/2-3 Mountain West)
Saturday Nov. 15, 2003 * 12:05 p.m. (Pac)/1:05 p.m. (Mtn)
Hughes Stadium (30,000) * Fort Collins, Colo.
Final Road Trip
The San Diego State Aztecs hit the road for the final time in 2003 when they visit the Colorado State Rams Saturday afternoon in Fort Collins. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. Mountain. San Diego State and Colorado State enter the game with identical records at 5-5 overall and 2-3 in league play. The Aztecs have won two straight while CSU has dropped two straight nailbiters, both on the road.
It's A Plus
The game at Colorado State will be televised regionally (and on Channel 4 San Diego) by ESPN+Plus. The contest will also be available on ESPN Gameplan. In the booth will be Gary Bender (play-by-play) and J.C. Pearson (analyst) with Anne Marie Anderson on the sidelines. That crew was on hand for Saturday's win at UNLV.
The Drive For .500
With the win at UNLV, San Diego State improved to .500 on the season at 5-5. It marks the first time that San Diego State has been .500 or better after 10 games since 1998 when SDSU was 6-4. The 1998 squad went on to post a 7-5 season that included an appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl. The win also assured that in a worst-case scenario, the Aztecs will be hosting Air Force in the season finale with a chance to finish at .500. SDSU has now won five games in a season for the first time since the 5-6 record of 1999.
The Drive For .500, Part II
The win over the Rebels also improved SDSU to 6-6 in Mountain West Conference play under Tom Craft. While attaining a break-even mark in conference play may not stop the presses, keep in mind that State's three-year Mountain West record prior to Craft's arrival was 8-13. SDSU is also 4-4 in Mountain West home games under Craft after a previous three-year home mark of 2-9 against league foes with both wins coming over Wyoming.
Going Higher
The wins over Wyoming and UNLV give the Aztecs consecutive conference victories for just the third time since the league was formed in time for the 1999 season. San Diego State opened conference play 3-0 last season and closed the 1999 campaign with two straight victories.
Three Feats
A victory at Colorado State would mark San Diego State's second three-game conference winning streak in two years. Last season, SDSU began Mountain West play with victories over Utah, Wyoming and UNLV. That run marked the Aztecs' longest conference winning streak since the 1998 team reeled off four win a row. Since 1990, San Diego State has had four winning streaks in conference play reach at least three games, including a six-game winning streak in 1991 when SDSU finished 6-1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Bowl Talk, For The Record
San Diego State enters week 11 still chasing bowl eligibility. The Aztecs need to win both games (Colorado State and Air Force) to become bowl eligible because two of their wins have come against I-AA opponents. However, reaching seven wins does not guarantee a bowl berth. League schools Utah, Air Force and New Mexico are already bowl eligible and Colorado State would become bowl eligible with a win over San Diego State. It should also be noted that bowls with Mountain West ties have a pecking order of choice and are not necessarily tied to selections based on conference finishes.
The Series
The San Diego State-Colorado State series dates back to 1978 with 22 all-time meetings. San Diego State leads the series by a 12-10 margin. The squads have split their last four games. The visiting team has won the last five games. In Fort Collins, San Diego State is 5-4 all-time, including two straight victories.
Road Work
San Diego State enters the Colorado State game as one of the league's top road teams in conference play. Only Colorado State, Brigham Young, Utah and San Diego State are over .500 when playing Mountain West road games, dating back to the league's inception in 1999. The Aztecs have a victory in every league stadium except Utah and a pair of victories at Colorado State, Wyoming and UNLV.
Road Work, Part II
Since the formation of the Mountain West Conference (1999 season), San Diego State is 2-0 in Fort Collins against the Rams. Colorado State has lost just four conference home games since 1999 with two losses coming against the Aztecs. Under Sonny Lubick, the Rams are 19-6 at home since 1999.
Rocky Mountain Highs
Despite the mild (some say perfect) climate in San Diego, the Aztecs have turned into a effective team when descending into the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains and its weather with attitude (altitude?). The Aztecs have won their last two games at Colorado State, their last two games at Wyoming and their last visit to the Air Force Academy.
Last Year In San Diego
The 17th-ranked Rams ran up 533 yards of total offense, ended the season of Aztec quarterback Adam Hall with a second-quarter concussion, and cruised to a 49-21 win at Qualcomm Stadium. Hall was 11-of-15 for 120 yards and a touchdown when he left the game with SDSU trailing by a 14-7 count. Colorado State's offense scored on four of its first five possessions. Quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt ran for two scores and threw for a pair in the CSU win.
Last Time In Fort Collins
SDSU used a blue-collar effort on Sept. 22, 2001, to pull out a 14-7 win over Colorado State on the Aztecs' last visit to Fort Collins. Larry Ned carried the ball 40 times for 177 yards and the San Diego State defense limited Colorado State to just 212 yards of total offense. The Aztecs were cruising with a 14-0 lead in the fourth quarter when Bradlee Van Pelt was summoned from the bench and produced a 48-yard touchdown pass. He also led CSU on another late drive before the Aztecs sacked him to end the game. SDSU had 370 yards of offense and held the ball for 35:47 in its second straight victory in Fort Collins.
Opposites Attract On Saturday
San Diego State and Colorado State will enter Saturday's game with identical marks of 5-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play. However, the two teams have arrived at the intersection from vastly difference directions.
* - The Aztecs were picked to finish seventh in the preseason league poll and Colorado State was picked to win the league.
* - The Rams are seeking to become bowl eligible for the 10 straight year while SDSU is trying to accomplish that feat for the first time since 1998.
uColorado State could have the league's offensive player of the year in quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt while San Diego State could have the league's defensive player of the year in Kirk Morrison.
* - San Diego State has won two straight after an 0-3 conference start while Colorado State has dropped two straight after a 2-1 league start.
* - Colorado State scores over 31 points per game while SDSU is scoring 19.4.
* - San Diego State allows just 18.3 points per game while CSU gives up 25.4 ppg.
No. 1 vs. No. 1
When San Diego State visits Fort Collins on Saturday, the game will feature a matchup of the league's best offense against the league's best defense. Colorado State leads the league and is 14th nationally with an average of 459.80 yards of total offense per game. San Diego State's defense is 12th nationally and tops the MWC, allowing 286.70 yards of total offense. In the other battle, it's No. 6 vs. No. 7. The Aztec offense is sixth in the conference, averaging 335.10 yards per game. CSU's defense is seventh in the Mountain West, allowing 376.2 yards per game.
Scouting Colorado State
Colorado State is 5-5 overall and 2-3 entering Saturday's game with the Aztecs. The Rams have lost four games by a touchdown or less, including setbacks the last two weeks to Wyoming (35-28) and New Mexico (37-34). Both of those losses came on the road. Quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt leads the Mountain West in total offense (312 yards per game) and passing efficiency (162.88). He also rushes for 73 yards per game. Dexter Wynn leads the MWC and is ninth nationally in kickoff returns (28.06) and is 22nd nationally in punt returns (12.66 yards).
Healthy Choices
The weapons at Tom Craft's disposal this week are still to be determined. The Aztecs lost their leading receiver, leading rusher and starting quarterback in the win at UNLV. The status of signal caller Adam Hall (ankle) and receiver Jeff Webb (shoulder) are still to be determined. What is known is that the freshman season of running back Lynell Hamilton has ended with a broken ankle.
Fresh Numbers
Lynell Hamilton's first season in the red and back was impressive. He is currently 17th nationally with 1,087 yards and he will end his season with an average of 108.7 rushing yards per game. He is the first Aztec freshman since Marshall Faulk to rush for 1,000 yards and his season total is the 11th best in SDSU history. Entering the 2003 season, only 58 freshmen in the history of NCAA Div. I-A had rushed for 1,000 yards. Hamilton ran for over 100 yards on four occasions and had 94 yards when injured at UNLV. He also had a pair of 200-yard rushing games (220 vs. Samford and 218 against Wyoming).
Fielding The Position
One constant barometer for Aztec success this season is field position. In every win this season, San Diego State has enjoyed better average field position than the opponent. In every loss this season, the opponent has enjoyed better field position than the Aztecs. Against UNLV, SDSU's average starting field position was its 35-yard line.
The Bottom Line(s)
Through four-plus seasons, SDSU is 14-19 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 9-7 in conference road games and 5-12 in conference home games. San Diego State is 7-6 in its last 13 conference games.
UNLV Rewind
San Diego State is coming off a 7-0 win over UNLV in a game that saw the Aztecs limit the Rebels to just 175 yards of total offense. UNLV suffered its first shutout since 1999. The Aztecs won the turnover battle against a UNLV team that was sixth nationally in that category entering the contest. UNLV had just 80 yards of total offense through three periods. SDSU lost several chances to put the game out of reach, including a blocked field goal, a dropped pass at the UNLV 2, a fumble at the UNLV 8 and an interception at the Rebel 31. The Aztecs' final possession ended on the UNLV 8 when the game ended.
Picking Up The Load
San Diego State has had a turnover turnaround over the last two games and not surprisingly the squad has two wins to show for it. The Aztecs are a combined plus-3 on turnovers in the two wins over Wyoming and UNLV after entering the two-game stretch minus-4 for the season. And in the red zone, SDSU has allowed just six points in its opponents' last five trips.
INT-eresting
After intercepting just one pass in its previous five games, San Diego State's defense has picked off six passes the last two weeks. The six picks have come from six different players with Kirk Morrison, Jacob Elimimian and Brandon Rager intercepting passes against Wyoming. Against UNLV, the pickoffs came from Josh Dean, Marviel Underwood and Jeff Shoate. The six picks in two games represent the best total by the Aztecs since 2001 when SDSU defenders intercepted Wyoming's Casey Bramlet six times in the same 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 12th nationally just one season after the Aztecs finished 95th in total defense. The inset (right) illustrates the SDSU defense in two seasons under Tom Craft.
The Dark Side Defense
San Diego State continues to lead the Mountain West in total defense. SDSU has never led any conference in which it has been a member in total defense (for league games). Currently, Brigham Young is second in the Mountain West, allowing 310.4 yards per game. SDSU led the Mountain West in total defense for all games (304.5 yards per contest) in 1999.
Chart Watching
San Diego State enters the Colorado State game ranked No. 12 nationally in total defense, allowing 286.70 yards per game. San Diego State is the highest rated non-BCS school in the country. San Diego State also ranks 10th nationally in pass defense (167.20 ypg), and 20th nationally in scoring defense (18.30 ppg).
Historically Speaking
The San Diego State defense has a chance to be one of the best in Aztec history. If San Diego State ends the season allowing its current 286.70 yards per game, it would be the best mark by Aztec defenders since the 1976 team allowed 267.3 yards per game. In fact, SDSU's 2003 "Dark Side" defense figures to be at least the second best defense, statistically speaking, since 1976. The '99 squad allowed 304 yards per game. The 2003 squad is the first to register two shutouts in a season since the 1975 squad. The Aztecs have allowed just four rushing touchdowns this season.
Conference Talk
Entering the Colorado State game, San Diego State leads the Mountain West in total defense (286.70 yards per game), pass-efficiency defense (102.54 rating), pass defense (167.20 yards per game), scoring defense (18.30 points per game) and red-zone defense.
First And Fourth
San Diego State linebacker Kirk Morrison, an all-conference selection as a sophomore in 2002, continues to lead the Mountain West Conference in tackles with an average of 9.8 per game. Morrison also leads the conference with 16 tackles for losses (30th nationally). Ranking fourth on the tackle chart is Aztec sophomore Matt McCoy, who averages 9.7 tackles per game. McCoy is third in the conference with three forced fumbles. SDSU's Jacob Elimimian leads the league with 1.3 passes defended per game and SDSU's Jeff Shoate is second (1.2 per game).
J.C. And Lou Groza
SDSU walkon placekicker J.C. Mejia' Cinderella story continues. The San Diego State student who joined the team for this, his only season, has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, presented to the nation's top placekicker. Mejia etched his name into the Aztec record book against Wyoming when he tied a school record with four field goals in a game. Mejia connected from 35, 44, 36 and 21 yards in the win. He became the sixth Aztec to accomplish the feat. The record has now been tied twice in the last 11 games. Tommy Kirovski had four field goals in the 2002 season finale at Hawai'i. Mejia is three field goals from the tying the Aztec single-season record of 18. He heads to Fort Collins having connected on 15 of his 21 field-goal tries this season with two of his six misses have come from beyond 50 yards. Inside the 40, Mejia is 10-of-12 on the season. Andy Trakas hold the Aztec single-season record with 18 field goals in 1990.
Darby Doing It
San Diego State senior offensive lineman Brendan Darby has now started 35 straight games for the Aztecs. It is the longest starting streak on the squad and ranks 24th nationally for consecutive starts by an offensive lineman. The Aztec record is 45 straight starts by defensive lineman Jerome Haywood.
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.
Seth Sez
San Diego State senior Seth Santoro has provided quick help for a team looking to replace three-year punter Brian Simnjanvoski. Santoro has punted 58 times this season for an average of 42.1 yards with a long of 64. Seventeen of his punts have been downed inside the 20 with only six touchbacks. Thanks to Santoro, the Aztecs are 24th nationally in net punting (37.85) and the opposition has a total of 175 punt-return yards. Santoro's final punt at UNLV pinned the Rebels at their own five on their final possession of the game.
The Aztec Family
San Diego State is continuing 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.