Feb. 24, 2004
Stars, statistics and stability.
If the future of San Diego State football can be measured by what is returning to Montezuma Mesa in 2004, that ever-growing feeling of optimism is well-placed following a 6-6 campaign in 2003.
Stars
San Diego State returns 17 starters and 49 lettermen from its first .500 squad since 1998. Among those returning are several headliners from a year ago.
Linebacker Kirk Morrison is back for his senior season, one year after earning Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year honors and first-team All-America accolades. He could end his stay at State as the school's all-time leading tackler.
Also back is Lynell Hamilton. The freshman sensation will not be involved in spring contact as he recovers from a broken ankle. He will, however, be full strength come August. Hamilton was the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year in 2003, a first-team freshman All-America selection and just the second freshman in Mountain West history to be named first-team all-conference.
Junior linebacker Matt McCoy also returns. All he did was lead the Mountain West in total tackles and solo tackles while registering one of the best defensive seasons in Aztec history. He was a second-team all-league choice last season but will be hard to keep off the first-team list in the future.
The Aztecs also return perhaps the best offensive lineman in the league in senior-to-be Mike Kracalik, a second-team all-Mountain West choice as a junior, the league's leader in passes-defended in cornerback Jacob Elimimian and a pair of all-conference caliber safeties in two-year starters Marviel Underwood and Josh Dean.
Not yet on the radar but soon to be fighting for playing time are members of Tom Craft's first two full recruiting classes. Both the 2003 and 2004 classes were ranked best in the Mountain West.
Statistics
San Diego State's improvement under Tom Craft can be proven in black and white. In two seasons under Craft, San Diego State has had the nation's most improved passing offense (2002) and the nation's most improved defensive unit (2003).
San Diego State's 2003 defensive unit was eighth nationally in total defense and allowed just 17 touchdowns, tying national champion LSU for the fewest offensive touchdowns allowed.
Along with finishing eighth in the country in total defense, the Aztecs were fourth in passing defense and 13th in scoring defense.
Other interesting numbers that bode well for the future of Aztec football: returning a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time since 1997, its leading passer and its top three and nine of its top 10 receivers. San Diego State also welcomes back its top seven tacklers and two of the top four in the league (McCoy and Morrison).
Overall, a total of 49 lettermen are back in the fold with 17 starters. Also on hand will be an athletic redshirt class that should make immediate contributions in the defensive line, at receiver and in the return game.
Stability
Under Tom Craft, San Diego State's numbers are beginning to build due in part student-athlete retention.
San Diego State is also returning its entire coaching staff for the third straight season. The benefits in continuity were clearly evident last year when the Aztec defense, with basically the same starting lineup, improved from 95th nationally to eighth, thanks in part to familiarity with the coaching staff and the schemes.
The following is an overview of the Aztecs entering spring drills.
Offense
The eye-popping numbers from 2002 weren't around in 2003. However, what was on display may be even more promising for the long-term health of the football program.
A young, inexperienced offensive unit lost its leader when senior quarterback Adam Hall was injured on SDSU's fourth offensive play of the season. As a result, transfer Matt Dlugolecki, with no Division I experience, was thrown into the fire with his primary offensive weapon a true-freshman running back.
The Aztecs persevered and even improved as the season progressed. San Diego State won three of its final four games despite playing without its leading rusher, leading receiver and starting quarterback (Hall).
When the dust had cleared, the Aztecs ended the season with a new-found balanced attack that included a dangerous rushing game, a young but now experienced group of receivers and a quarterback who clearly played his best down the stretch.
It all adds up to an encouraging spring and summer.
"We're going to expose them to a lot of things in a short amount of time," Craft said of his spring plan. "We want them to understand our expectations for them for the spring, as well as the summer when they're on their own.
"We want to take a good look at the redshirt class and immerse them in our system as quickly as possible," he added. "This will be a great opportunity to develop our depth up front and at running back."
Offensive Line
The Aztecs have some strong anchors with which to begin. But the depth will come in the form of newcomers and there are some incoming recruits who will be counted on immediately when they arrive in the fall. Still, SDSU is as athletic up front as it has been at any time in recent history.
Mike Kracalik will man one tackle spot. He was a second-team all-league performer last year and the Aztec coaching staff feels he should have gained even more honors. He graded out as San Diego State's best man up front over the course of the season and he could be SDSU's next all-conference lineman. Kracalik's backup is promising redshirt freshman Mike Kravetz. The Las Vegas native is one of several athletic big men in the 2003 recruiting class. The coaching staff has had its collective eye on Kravetz for the past year.
Danny Negrete, entering his junior season, is listed as a starter at guard. He has been in the program for four years and has at times been in the mix at guard and at center. He turned in some solid work as a backup last season and was in the starting lineup when the Aztecs faced New Mexico.
Another redshirt freshman is listed second on the depth chart. Behind Negrete is Brandyn Dombrowki, a prep product out of Nevada, whose development is eagerly awaited by the coaching staff and boasts size and athleticism.
Jasper Harvey returns as a solid starter at center and he's just a junior. He joins Kracalik as one of just two starters returning in the offensive line. Harvey has grown into a team leader and with the graduation of all-league tackle Brendan Darby, Harvey becomes the ring-leader of the front wall.
His backup is redshirt freshman Aleksander Blagojevich, another youthful big man. His development will be critical in the middle. A return of Negrete to center in case of injury is also a possibility.
The Aztecs will be extremely young on the other side of the line. Sophomore Patrick Justman is a starter entering spring drills at one guard spot. He saw very limited duty as a redshirt freshman but his intelligence and athleticism make him a good bet for success. His backup is Nephi Penerosa, who is entering his sophomore season and, like Justman, has limited playing time under his belt.
At tackle, redshirt freshman Will Robinson is listed as a starter entering spring drills. He may be the most athletic member of the redshirt linemen and was on the travel roster a year ago. Robinson has a bright future with the ability to carry much more weight as he matures.
Walkon Matthew Callahan is listed as the backup to Robinson. He has been impressive against the first-team defense and will have his chances to succeed.
"Spring is a critical for the offensive line," Craft said. "We need to develop individually and as a unit and depth will be an area in which we'll really concentrate during the spring."
Fall Outlook: With only two returning starters up front, this group's development will obviously be critical. Two of SDSU's highest rated signees in February were a pair of junior-college offensive linemen. Both of those players will be in the picture in the fall and have a chance to stabilize things. Despite the loss of three starters, the coaching staff feels the offensive line could be improved.
Tight End
The Aztecs return some experience at tight end. Jeremy Justice is back as the starter after a year in which he caught 17 passes for 202 yards. Justice is athletic and it would not be surprising to see him finish his career with a big senior season in an offensive that is just waiting for the tight end position to become a bigger factor.
Second on the depth chart is Adam Watson. He is probably the most physical of the candidates at tight end and is a solid blocker. He caught just one pass a year ago but will be on the field more often in passing situations during his senior season.
Fall Outlook: Consider this position a strength. Both Justice and Watson were in their first years of action last fall and at times suffered some growing pains. With both returning, the tight end could become a more viable option in a balanced Aztec attack.
Receiver
There is no doubting that San Diego State suffered through some inexperience at receiver in 2002, one year after losing two players to the National Football League. But in 2004, the receivers are likely to grow into a positive thanks to a large group of returning lettermen and some talented newcomers.
One year after SDSU returned a total of 40 receptions (of 352), the Aztecs welcome back nine of their top 10 receivers. In all, 208 of last season's 241 receptions return to the fold.
This is a group that can be successful by committee. However, the leading returning receiver is wideout Jeff Webb. He returned from a redshirt season in 2003 and led SDSU with 55 catches and 706 receiving yards in just over nine games. A shoulder injury forced him to miss all but a couple of series in the final three games of the year. Webb also led San Diego State with four touchdown receptions and his 70-yard score against Brigham Young was the Aztecs' longest pass play of the season. He was an honorable mention all-Mountain West performer.
Entering fall drills, he is backed up at the wideout by Wesley Williams. Williams developed into a contributor during the course of his junior season with 19 catches, including a touchdown reception at Ohio State.
The depth chart at slot receiver is manned by former walkon Robert Ortiz. He is coming off a strong sophomore season in which he finished third on the team with 33 catches. His TD reception at UNLV accounted for the only points in a 7-0 Aztec victory.
Ortiz will have company in the form of redshirt freshman Brett Swain. The Carlsbad product adjusted well enough and fast enough last season that coaches considered taking him off the redshirt list. His availability during the spring is still to be determined as he is also a member of the Aztecs' baseball squad.
Devin Pitts tops the chart at flanker after a junior season that saw him catch 39 passes for 478 yards, totals second only to Webb. At 6-3, Pitts is a big target who should be poised for a nice senior season.
Pitts' backup entering spring drills is redshirt freshman Chazeray Schilens. Another football player who could see time on the baseball diamond, Schilens developed into a big-play receiver on the scout team and his size and hands remind observers of former Aztec and current San Diego Charger Kassim Osgood.
Seniors Lonnel Penman, Adam Gray-Hayward and Kyle Conerly, along with sophomore Ramal Porter, will all contribute and any of the three could wind up in the starting lineup. All four earned playing time at critical moments a year ago.
Another redshirt freshman who will see the field is speedster Corey Boudreaux, who was a two-way star at Mater Dei High School.
"I think the inexperience showed last year and we were running quarterbacks in and out of the lineup, which didn't help a young group of receivers," Craft said. "We should make some significant progress at receiver this season."
Fall Outlook: The Aztecs will be better than a year ago across the board. There is a lot of experience returning and some athleticism in the redshirt class.
Quarterback
Matt Dlugolecki's season of waiting in the wings and watching Adam Hall run the "Air Craft" attack ended suddenly, very suddenly. Hall's senior season never got off the ground as he was injured on the Aztecs' first series of the year. Even during his returns, he was fighting an assortment of ailments that prematurely ended his season for the second straight year.
The growing pains the Aztecs experienced a year ago will pay immediate dividends this spring and fall. Dlugolecki now enters his junior season with much more experience and thanks to some late-season success, a good amount of confidence. He saw more playing time than Hall last season and completed 58 percent of his passes.
Dlugolecki's 1,248 passing yards included just four touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. However, he threw just one interception in his last 56 attempts and was flawless in SDSU's season-ending 24-3 win over Air Force, despite missing the team's top receiver and running back against the Falcons.
And it was Dlugolecki who engineered SDSU's near-upset at No. 2 Ohio State.
He enters spring drills as the starter and the rest of the quarterbacks will have to play themselves into the picture.
On deck is redshirt freshman Kevin O'Connell. A local product with good size and arm strength, the spring will be an important time for him after spending a season on the scout team. He has the tools but lacks the experience.
Also in the picture is Grossmont College product Tanner Engstrand. He was thrown into the mix early and saw playing time at Ohio State. He is the lone senior signal caller.
"We really want to put some definition into the quarterback position," Craft said. "Matt closed the season really well. He led us to a win over an upper-division team in Air Force and was a much different player late in the season than he was early on.
"We really want to see what Kevin is capable of doing and we'll expose him to a lot during spring ball."
Fall Outlook: Figure this position to be at least as strong as it was last season and perhaps even improved. Dlugolecki is in reality a returning starter and O'Connell has the physical tools to contribute. Newcomer Darren Mougey will arrive in the fall with mobility that could add a new dimension to the Aztec attack.
Running Back
Lynell Hamilton was the headliner of a 2003 recruiting class ranked No. 38 in the country. It took him one game to live up to the hype and one season to make history.
Hamilton ran for 1,087 yards and earned first-team freshman All-America and first-team all-Mountain West honors last season. His season ended two games early with a broken ankle and will not go through contact drills during the spring. He should be at full speed by early summer.
With Hamilton healthy but out of the picture, SDSU will sort out the depth situation during the spring. Michael Franklin leads the ranking understudies. He is a proven commodity and had two straight 100-yard days on the ground to close the 2003 season.
Senior Jason Van and redshirt freshman Brandon Bornes are also on the depth chart entering the spring. Both players are former local prep stars. Injuries have slowed Van's development since a solid freshman season and he had just eight carries last year. Bornes appears primed to make an impact in many areas during the fall. He is a strong, fast youngster who became hard to contain on the scout team.
Mid-year enrollee Reggie Ross will get his first look during spring drills as well. Fale Poumele, the former local prep star, was a situational player a year ago who could see his time in the backfield increase.
Fall Outlook: This is a strong position for SDSU. The Aztecs return an all-conference running back with quality depth waiting for a chance to shine.
Defense
Everyone on the Aztec campus knew San Diego State would be improved on the defensive side in 2003. However, few could have predicted the shocking leap from a team that allowed 411 yards per game to one of the nation's premier defensive units.
And the run doesn't appear to be over. San Diego State returns eight starters from "The Dark Side" and 17 of its 22-member two deep will be back in the fold. Six starters from the back seven are all returning. Up front, SDSU will be young but talented with a nice blend of size and speed.
There are proven stars and stars waiting to happen for a defense that appears to be the anchor of the 2004 team.
For the record, San Diego State ended the season as the nation's most improved defensive unit, and the Aztecs had the nation's most improved passing defense, rising from 86th nationally to fourth. And for toppers, SDSU had the nation's most improved scoring defense, climbing from 92nd, allowing 31.6 points per game, to 13th nationally, allowing just 17.2 ppg.
Defensive End
No place on defense took a bigger hit than the defensive end spot. The Aztecs lost a pair of seniors in Brandon Rager and Ryan Iata. Those two combined for 5.5 quarterback sacks and 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Rager was an active defensive end who also had a pass interception and Iata was a sixth-year senior with lots of experience.
Replacing them will not be an easy task but there are plenty of candidates. Entering spring drills, the starters at the end are Blake Lobel and Robert Miller. Lobel has played all across the defensive front in his career and had 17 tackles last season. He is a high-energy player and very mobile.
Miller, a junior, began to make an impact last season. He has excellent size and has been waiting his turn behind older players.
The two second-team defensive ends, at least entering spring drills, are redshirt freshmen Antwan Applewhite and Nicholas Osborn. The coaching staff felt both freshmen could have helped the squad last season and are eagerly looking forward to seeing the athletic newcomers in the mix for playing time.
Kurt Kahui, an undersized and high-energy player, will be in the mix as well. His 2003 campaign was ended prematurely with injury but he was seeing lots of playing time when he went down just four games into the season.
Fall Outlook: It's a mixed bag at defensive end. Gone is lots of experience but waiting in the wings is lots of athleticism. The staff feels SDSU can at least stay at the same level of play it enjoyed last year.
Defensive Tackle
The Aztecs lose a starter and gain a starter at defensive tackle. Returning from 2003 is true sophomore Jonathan Bailes, who became a starter early in his first season as an Aztec and had a strong campaign. His 20 tackles and three tackles for loss do not do justice to his season. His occupation of opposing fronts allowed Aztec linebackers to roam free and turn in stellar seasons.
The other starting spot was vacated by the graduation of steady Brook Miller. Miller had 29 tackles and four stops behind the line of scrimmage. He is likely to be replaced by 2002 starter Freddie McCutcheon, who is back in the fold in the middle and is listed as a starter entering the spring.
McCutcheon played in six games as a true freshman but was sidelined by a sprained knee for part of the season. His return after a year away gives the Aztecs a pair of young but experienced tackles.
Derrick Durbin and Va'ati Maka are listed as the backups up front. Both players saw action a year ago in their first seasons on campus. Aztec coaches are hopeful that both players reach a new level in their development and spending a spring with the Aztecs should accelerate the progress.
Fall Outlook: With two experienced players in starting roles and two experienced reserves, SDSU enters the season in a much better position up front than last season. Miller was a steady senior, but most of the rotation returns with help also on the way in the 2004 recruiting class.
Linebacker
This position might not be the best place to make a name as a young player. San Diego State welcomes back its entire two-deep from last season's outstanding linebacking corps.
The linebacker group includes the Mountain West player of the year and All-American Kirk Morrison (middle linebacker) and the MWC's leading tackler in second-team all-league choice Matt McCoy.
Also back are starters Stephen Larsen and Heath Farwell. In all, Aztec linebackers finished first, second, fourth and sixth on the squad in tackles and also led the squad in tackles for loss and forced fumbles.
SDSU may also have the nation's most experienced set of linebackers. In the middle, Kirk Morrison has been starting for nearly all of three seasons. McCoy, Larsen and Farwell have two seasons as starters under their belts. And some of the most athletic linebackers are yet to see the field.
In the middle, Morrison is backed up by converted running back Freddie Keiaho. The athletic junior has also returned kicks for SDSU and coaches are eager to get him on the field. His progress was slowed last season by an early knee sprain.
On the outside, Larsen and Farwell split time at one position. Both seniors are playmakers and interchangeable, combining for 80 tackles a year ago.
McCoy, who figures to contend for national honors over the next two seasons, is backed up by Joe Martin at the other outside spot. Martin is a walkon who the coaches hold in high regard.
There are several redshirts who are also pinning for playing time and linebacker Kwan Howard has been contributing on special teams.
Fall Outlook: SDSU figures to have the best linebackers in the Mountain West and maybe in all of America. The group has a blend of experience, speed and success.
Cornerback
The blossoming of The Dark Side was enhanced in part by the play of the corners. Jacob Elimimian emerged as a new starter last season and all he did was lead the team in interceptions (four) and the MWC in passes defended (18). He was an honorable mention all-conference selection who has a knack for big plays with two of his interceptions setting up scores. He returned another 85 yards for a touchdown.
Jeff Shoate was very steady on the opposite side of the field and he may be the toughest senior to replace from last year' squad. The candidates include Hubert Caliste, Terrell Maze and Marcus Demps.
Caliste has been a safety and corner in his career but has played mostly on special teams. He will be given a long look this spring, while Maze is a sophomore with good feet but little experience.
The Aztec coaches consider Demps to be one of the best players on the squad and he will, quite frankly, be in the starting lineup somewhere as a safety or a corner. Look for him to line up at corner during the spring.
Fall Outlook: Elimimian is a known product at one corner and auditions are underway across the field at the other corner. SDSU's ability in man coverage was a large reason for the success of The Dark Side last season.
Safety
SDSU has quality and quantity returning at safety with a two-deep that could match most teams in America.
Marviel Underwood is back for his third season as a starter at free safety. He is one of SDSU's fastest players and his honorable mention all-league selection last season was surprising and not in a good way. Underwood was third on the squad last season with 68 tackles. He had two picks and parlayed those thefts into 106 return yards.
Underwood is backed up by junior Reggie Grigsby, a physical North County product who had 21 tackles last season. He will be an impact player this fall and his playing time will increase.
Josh Dean returns for his third season as a starter at strong safety. He missed some playing time last season due to injury but is a steady and physical player.
Demps also figures in the picture here as well. He had trouble getting on the field prior to Dean's injury, but went on to earn the starting nod before he suffered an injury of his own.
Fall Outlook: This is as quality a two-deep at safety as one is likely to find in college football. Former Aztec safeties such as Robert Griffith, Brian Russell and Will Demps are now in the NFL. The foursome in place for 2004 should carry on that tradition.