Sept. 17, 2011
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Postgame News Conference: Escobar, Parker, Long | Hillman, McFadden, Lindley
SAN DIEGO - Postgame notes following San Diego State's 42-24 victory over Washington State.
STREAKS EXTENDED
* SDSU's five game winning streak is its longest since a six-game winning streak from Sept. 28-Nov. 4, 1995.
* SDSU has won eight straight games against non-Top-25 teams. That's the program's longest since a 10-game winning streak from Oct. 16, 1976-Oct. 1, 1977.
* The Aztecs have won seven straight home games against non-top-25 teams. That's the longest since a 16-game winning streak from Oct. 16, 1976-Nov. 25, 1978.
STREAKS BROKEN
* SDSU broke a 19-game losing streak against the Pac-10/Pac-12. The Aztecs' last win versus a Pac-10/Pac-12 school was Sept. 2, 1995 (California, W, 33-9). It's been 5,858 days since the team's last win over a Pac-10/12 school. At that time, the No. 1 song was "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson and the No. 1 movie was "Mortal Kombat."
* SDSU broke a 23-game losing streak against automatic qualifying BCS conferences (Notre Dame is included). The Aztecs' last win against a team from an automatic qualifying BCS conferences was Sept. 25, 1999 (at Kansas, W, 41-13). The No. 1 song at that time was "Unpretty" by TLC, while the No. 1 movie was "Double Jeopardy."
SCHOOL RECORD
* Today's home attendance of 57,286 is a regular-season school record and the second-highest mark in program history. The previous regular-season home game record was 57,216 set on Sept. 4, 2004 against Idaho State (W, 38-21). The overall high was 59,473, set against Iowa in the 1986 Holiday Bowl (the NCAA considers that a San Diego State home game).
TEAM NOTES
The 3-0 Start
* San Diego State opens 3-0 for the first time since the 1981 season. The Aztecs were unsuccessful in the third game of the season the previous four times they opened 2-0 (1986, 1991, 1994 and 2010).
* This is the eighth time in the Division I era that the Aztecs have opened a campaign 3-0 (1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981 and 2011). In the previous seven campaigns, SDSU has gone on to post a cumulative record of 64-13. That breaks down to an average of 9.1 wins and 1.9 losses.
* San Diego State had gone 30 years without a 3-0 start to the football season, covering the complete tenure of the previous six head coaches.
* Below are some pop culture items from Oct. 3, 1981, the last time prior to today that the Aztecs won a game to improve to 3-0.
U.S. President - Ronald Regan (President Regan was in the first year of his first term. Since then, George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have all been in office)
No. 1 Song - "Endless Love" by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
No. 1 Album - "Tattoo You" by The Rolling Stones (album featured "Start Me Up" and "Waiting On a Friend")
No. 1 Movie - "Zoot Suit," staring Daniel Valdez and Edward James Olmos (movie received a 6.4 rating from IMDB)
SI Cover - Super Fine! - Sugar Ray Batters Thomas Hearns
Time Cover - We, The Jury - The Irksome, Boring, Vital, Rewarding Experience
MLB - Milwaukee Brewers and Montreal Expos clinch postseason berth
More on the BCS Streak
* In his first attempt, Rocky Long does what the three previous coaches before him were unable to do, defeat a team from an automatic qualifying BCS conference. The 23-game losing streak to such teams covers the tenures of Ted Tollner (lost his final seven games against automatic BCS teams), Tom Craft (nine games), Chuck Long (three games) and Brady Hoke (two games).
More on the Pac-10/Pac-12 Streak
* In his first attempt, Rocky Long does what the three previous coaches before him were unable to do, defeat a team from a Pac-10/Pac-12 Conference. The 19-game losing streak to such teams covers the tenures of Ted Tollner (lost his final 11 games against Pac-10 teams), Tom Craft (five games), Chuck Long (two games) and Brady Hoke (one game).
* SDSU's margin of victory tonight is its biggest over a Pac-12 foe since beating California, 33-9, to start the 1995 season ... It is the Aztecs' fourth-largest margin of victory ever over a Pac-12 conference school ...The margin is the biggest vs. a BCS opponent since downing Kansas in 1999 (41-13).
Other Notes
* San Diego State is 12-4 since the beginning of the 2010 season. That is the best 16-game record for the Aztecs since San Diego State posted a 12-4 mark from Sept. 10, 1977 to Oct. 21, 1978.
* SDSU has scored 14 points or more in the first quarter of a game for the seventh consecutive outing ... The Aztecs have scored 21 or more points in 17 consecutive contests, the program's longest such streak since doing so in 19 straight from Oct. 17, 1977 to Oct. 21, 1978.
* SDSU won for the first time when it trailed in a game entering the fourth quarter since beating New Mexico, 23-20, on Oct. 31, 2009.
Turnovers
* San Diego State's school-record streak of consecutive games without a turnover came to an end in the second quarter on an interception ... It was the Aztecs' first giveaway of the season and first overall since a fumble in the UNLV contest on Nov. 27, 2010, a span of 213 consecutive offensive plays (no TOs vs. Navy, Cal Poly or Army) ... SDSU also surrendered its first fumble of the season in the second quarter.
PLAYER NOTES
Ronnie Hillman, So., RB
* Hillman scored a rushing touchdown for the sixth consecutive game and the 22nd time in his career in the first quarter ... Has scored a rushing TD in the first quarter in three-straight outings ... Added another rushing score at the end of the first quarter for his fourth-straight outing with multiple rushing TDs, his seventh such game of his career ... Tallied his third rushing TD of the evening in the fourth quarter, his third career outing with three or more TDs ... Came back with his fourth rushing score on a season-best 59-yard effort, tying his career-best for rushing TDs in a game (also vs. New Mexico State in 2010) ... Hillman has 11 rushing touchdowns in his last four games and 12 overall (one receiving) ... Has moved into fourth in SDSU career history in career rushing scores with 25.
* Hillman recorded his ninth, 100-yard rushing game in just his 16th career game at the college level (252nd in school history). He is tied for seventh with Chris Hardy in school history in most 100-yard rushing days (NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk tops the list with 23). Today is Hillman's eighth 100-yard rushing effort for more than 150 yards.
* Hillman recorded his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game dating back to last season (152 yards vs. UNLV, 228 yards vs. Navy, 189 yards vs. Cal Poly, 117 yards at Army). The last time an Aztec ran for over 100 yards in five consecutive games was in 1995, when George Jones had eight in a row. The five-game streak is the third longest in school history, trailing only Jones (8) and Marshall Faulk's 10-game streak in 1991-92.
* Hillman had his eighth game of at least 150 rushing yards. The eight 150-yard rushing contests are tied with George Jones (1995-96) for the second most in school history. Only NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (16, 1991-93) has more 150-yard rushing games.
* Hillman surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in career rushing yards on his 59-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. He is the 12th Aztec to reach that milestone and the first since Lynell Hamilton in 2007.
* Hillman fumbled for time this season in the third quarter. He recovered his own fumble, however, he snapped a streak of 131 consecutive offensive touches without putting the ball on the ground. Previously, Hillman fumbled just twice both in 2010, losing only one of those on his first career carry vs. Nicholls in the season opener.
Ryan Lindley, Sr., QB
* Lindley became just the second player in Aztec history to throw for 10,000 yards in his career. He entered the day with 9,886 yards and reached the milestone mark in the second quarter on an 11-yard pass play to tight end Bryce Quigley ... Lindley ranks second behind only Todd Santos (11,425) in school history in passing yards and is third active player player in the NCAA FBS to reach the 10,000 mark (joins Boise State's Kellen Moore and Houston's Case Keenum).
* Lindley threw a touchdown for the 13th consecutive outing (73rd overall) in the third quarter. He ranks second in the NCAA FBS among active players in that category. He added another in the fourth quarter, giving him 74 career touchdown passes.
* Lindley saw his streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception come to an end at 112 in the second quarter ... It was Lindley's first interception thrown since the Utah game on Nov. 20, 2010 (span of 5 games).
Larry Parker, Sr., DB
* Recorded his first two interceptions of his career in the second half ... It is the Aztecs' first interceptions of the season ... It marks the first time an Aztec has had two interceptions in a game since Donny Baker had two versus UTEP on Aug. 31, 2006.
OTHER NOTES
* Aztec tight end Alston Umuolo logged his first receptions of the year in the first quarter (first overall since the second game of 2010).
* SDSU senior Logan Ketchum caused his first career fumble and sophomore Rene Siluano recovered his first career fumble in the second quarter ... Sophomore Marcus Andrews forced another fumble later in the second quarter (first career) ... Junior linebacker Rob Andrews recovered his first career fumble in the fourth quarter ... SDSU has forced eight fumbles this season and seven in the last two games alone ... The Aztecs have recovered six fumbles in 2011.
* Senior punter Brian Stahovich posted his fifth kick of 50 or more yards out of 14 attempts this season with a 54-yard effort in the first half.
* Junior Leon McFadden logged a career-long and team season-long punt return of 26 yards in the first half ... On the defensive side, McFadden had two pass breakups for the second consecutive game.