Aug. 24, 2005
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State football team played host to its final intrasquad scrimmage of fall camp Wednesday at the Aztecs' on-campus practice facility. The workout lasted an hour and a half and was highlighted by the offense, which put up impressive numbers including 378 yards passing and 121 yards rushing.
The defense shut the offense down in the first two possessions of the day, limiting them to a combined eight yards on six plays. The offense, however, opened up scoring when Kevin O'Connell (Carlsbad, Calif.) found Jeff Webb (Pontiac, Mich.) on a 79-yard pass play.
The second Aztec quarterback, redshirt freshman Darren Mougey (Scottsdale, Ariz.), also found success through the air, completing seven straight passes in the next two drives. Mougey ended the scrimmage a perfect 8-for-8 for 126 yards.
The offense's second touchdown came on its seventh possession when quarterback Matt Dlugolecki (Cota De Caza, Calif.) engineered a seven-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 42-yard touchdown throw to running back Atiyyah Henderson (Rocklidge, Fla.).
O'Connell returned to the game the very next drive, completing each of his four pass attempts for 47 yards, before scoring on his own from 14 yards out.
The offense proved just as potent in the specialty situations, scoring four times on five tries in drives beginning at the four-yard line. Sophomore Brandon Bornes (Vista, Calif.) tallied a pair of four-yard touchdown runs, while sophomore Lynell Hamilton (Stockton, Calif.) and senior Michael Franklin (New Orleans, La.) each had a touchdown.
Senior Alex Thompson (San Marcos, Calif.) was the fourth different Aztec running back to log a touchdown on the ground, rounding out scoring with a two-yard effort.
Defensive end Antwan Applewhite (Torrance, Calif.) and linebacker Freddy Keiaho (Ventura, Calif.) each recorded a team-high five tackles, while three others had four apiece. Other defensive highlights included safety Reggie Grigsby's (Oceanside, Calif.) 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown and safety Brett Sturm's (Littleton, Colo.) diving interception in the end zone.
Upcoming Practice Schedule
The Aztecs have one final afternoon practice Thursday before the team's first off day of fall camp on Friday. SDSU will then begin its preparation for UCLA on Saturday and Sunday.
Thursday, Aug. 25 - Practice at 4 p.m. (half pads)
Friday, Aug. 26 - Players off
Scoring Summary
Webb 79-yard pass from O'Connell - 4 plays, 95 yards
Grigsby 89-yard fumble return
Henderson 42-yard pass from Dlugolecki (Palmer kick) - 7 plays, 65 yards
O'Connell 14-yard run (Palmer kick) - 8 plays, 65 yards
Thompson 2-yard run - 4 plays, 65 yards
Speciality Scoring Summary (Starting at opponent's 4-yard line)
Hamilton 4-yard run - 1 play, 4 yards
Franklin 1-yard run - 2 plays, 4 yards
Bornes 4-yard run - 1 play, 4 yards
Bornes 4-yard run - 2 plays, 4 yards
OFFENSIVE STATS
Rushing (carries-yards-touchdowns)
Brandon Bornes 7-39-2, Atiyyah Henderson 9-22-0, Lynell Hamilton 4-12-1, Kevin O'Connell 2-17-1, Darren Mougey 3-11-0, Alex Thompson 5-11-1, Ramal Porter 1-9-0, Michael Franklin 3-2-1, Matt Dlugolecki, 1-(minus 2)-0; TEAM TOTALS: 35-121-6
Passing (completions-attempts-interceptions-yards-touchdowns)
Kevin O'Connell 7-9-0 139 yards, 1 touchdown, Darren Mougey 8-8-0 126 yards, 0 touchdowns, Matt Dlugolecki 6-10-1 74 yards, 1 touchdown, Kevin Craft 4-11-0 39 yards, 0 touchdowns; TEAM TOTALS: 25-38-2 378, 2 touchdowns
Receiving (number-yards-touchdowns)
Atiyyah Henderson 4-70-1, Jeff Webb 3-88-1, Ramal Porter 3-53-0, DeMarco Sampson 2-31-0, Lynell Hamilton 2-29-0, Mekell Wesley 2-24-0, Michael Franklin 2-19-0, Armon Torres 2-12-0, Marcus Montgomery 1-37, Chazeray Schilens 1-8-0, Tobias Shanks 1-4-0, Waika Spencer 1-3-0, Robert Ortiz 1-0-0; TEAM TOTALS: 25-378-2
Field Goals (made-attempts)
Garrett Palmer 4-5 (27 good, 33 good, 38 good, 45 good, 51 short); Stephen Robles 1-1 (27 good)
Punting (number-yards-average)
Michael Hughes 9-391-43.4 (one inside the 20)
Defensive Stats
TACKLES (total-unassisted)
Applewhite 5-3, Keiaho 5-3, Hull 4-3, Allen 4-2, Barbier 4-1, Nelson 3-3, Bailes 3-2, B. Martin 3-0, Dunkle 2-2, Duran 2-2, Hodge 2-2, Moore 2-2, Parrington 2-2, Walker 2-2, Schantz 2-1, Armstrong 1-1, Baker 1-1, Edwards 1-1, Elimimian 1-1, Finkle 1-1, Howard 1-1, Laologi 1-1, Kahui 1-1, Milling 1-1, Russell 1-1, Sturm 1-1, Ulibarri 1-1, Demps 1-0, DeMartinis 1-0, Fifita 1-0, Grigsby 1-0, Osborn 1-0; TOTALS 62-42.
QUARTERBACK SACKS (number-yards)
Nelson 1-2; TOTALS 1-2
TACKLES FOR LOSS (number-yards)
Applewhite 1-3, Nelson 1-2, Allen 1-1; TOTALS 3-6.
PASS INTERCEPTIONS (number-yards)
Sturm 1-0; TOTALS 1-0.
PASSES BROKEN UP
Elimimian 2, Q. Edwards 1, Finkle 1, Howard 1; TOTALS 5.
FUMBLE RECOVERIES (number-yards)
Grigsby 1-89 (TD), Osborn 1-8; TOTALS 2-97.
FORCED FUMBLES
Baker 1; TOTALS 1.
HEAD COACH Tom Craft QUOTES
On today's scrimmage
"We were limiting the first team and we got good work out of them today. They moved the ball well. You always like to see who performs under stress and game situations."
On the running backs
"Lynell (Hamilton) is anxious, but we don't want him to go too long and beat him up. Brandon Bornes has been pretty dynamic and Michael Franklin gives us a different dimension back there. We feel really good about all three."
On Kevin O'Connell
"Kevin O'Connell played exceptionally well today. He was sharp, ran the ball well and made good decisions."
On the health of the team
"We've had a grueling camp. They're doing some good things, even though they're tired. There is an aspect of mental and physical toughness that is starting to emerge. I'm excited for the football team."
AZTEC PLAYER QUOTES
Wide Receiver Jeff Webb
On the rest of fall camp leading up to the team's first game:
"This is our last scrimmage of (fall camp). I am a senior this year and I look forward to the challenge of Sept. 3. We're just staying focused and preparing for UCLA tomorrow."
On his touchdown reception during today's scrimmage:
"The offensive line blocked really well protection-wise, (Kevin) O'Connell delivered the ball and I came up with it. It was a pretty good (thrown) ball and that's what we have to do. We have to execute and build chemistry and become a unit."
Quarterback Kevin O'Connell:
On SDSU's defense:
"The defense is going to make plays as it did last year and like a lot of our guys have said, it's the system. It's a great system and the players just funnel right into it. They are going to be awesome. As an offense, we know we have to score points to keep (the defense) off the field."
On Lynell Hamilton:
"This whole camp he has been kind of showing flashes of his old self and it's been awesome. It's fun to watch him. He is one of those guys who can change the game at any time and I'm just happy that he is on our side."
On Jeff Webb:
"He is the kind of guy who we hope can get going early this year and have that success go for all 12 games. Hopefully, (it will be) 13 (games) if we are successful."
Nose tackle Jonathan Bailes
On the difference between last year's defense and this year's:
"I feel like this year is spread out (from a) leadership (standpoint). We have a bunch of guys who have been here, who may have not been in the limelight in the whole scheme, but I feel like there are a bunch of guys who are working together collectively. I feel like we're going to build the leadership amongst each other and hold each other accountable."
On the biggest strength of the defense:
"The biggest strength of this year's team is basically the whole speed of the defense. I feel like we might even be faster than last year with some of the guys we have back in the secondary, and the linebacking core is young, but it's really fast. So I feel like that's one thing a lot of teams are not going to be able to beat - to beat us to the corners."
On his expectations for the defense:
"I don't really have a goal, but I just hope everybody plays to their full potential, and what it is, is what it is. At the end of the day, if we gave 100 percent, and it's where we are, that's what I want. I know if we give 100 percent and we're in our right gaps and our right assignments, I know it's going to work out for the best."
Safety Reggie Grigsby
On the momentum of the defense:
"The momentum that we want to carry from these final scrimmages is going to be big in preparing for UCLA. We want to take in all the momentum we can. We have to make plays when the opportunity arises. It was a crucial down and distance, being in the red zone, so you definitely want to keep (the offense) out of the endzone."
On what he did to recover the fumble in Wednesday's scrimmage:
"Donnie Baker made a great play coming up and hitting Ramal (Porter) as soon as he turned. It was overall a good call for the scheme that we ran on the blitz call, so it worked out very well."
On whether he thinks the defense is developing a personality:
"I think we are. The personality, I don't think it's really been lost from the last couple years. I think it's more that the guys are kind of understanding their role. Guys knew their roles last year coming in and are understanding how to perform now. We know what's expected of us."
On how prepared the team is:
"I don't think we're far at all. I think we have our own thing to worry about going in, preparing ourselves mentally. Physically, we can hang with anybody, that's not a problem. Mentally, we need to prepare ourselves as much as we can."