Nov. 8, 2014
Past Michael Klitzing 2014 football features
Aztecs make strong first impression (Aug. 30)
Pumphrey's dominance is no passing fancy (Sept. 27)
Injury bug can't keep these Aztecs off the field (Oct. 19)
Barrett's big play helps SDSU keep big goals within reach
By Michael Klitzing
@mikeklitzing
SAN DIEGO -- With three games remaining, the San Diego State football team still has some lofty goals in its sights. One win means bowl eligibility. Two means a fifth-straight winning season and a likely postseason bid. Three? With a little bit of outside help, that could mean a Mountain West Conference Pacific Division title.
As the KGB SkyShow lit up the night sky Saturday, the Aztecs could bask in the afterglow of their win over Idaho and keep dreaming big dreams about where this season's journey may yet take them.
But save for one big play, it all could have gone up in smoke like the gunpowder-scented haze that hung over the Qualcomm Stadium well into the evening. Fact: The 35-21 final score was not indicative of how harrowing this one was.
The Vandals (1-8) quickly closed a 14-point second-half deficit and were marching for the tying score with 11 minutes to play. On third and two at the SDSU 7, Idaho's Jerrel Brown took the handoff, hit the hole ...
And Alex Barrett stepped up big.
Mere minutes after exiting the game in obvious pain with a shoulder bruise, the sophomore defensive tackle kept SDSU's bowl hopes from being similarly battered by separating Brown from the ball. Josh Gavert recovered, and 46,293 fans let out a collective noise that was half roar, half sigh of relief.
"A big defensive swing like that to give the ball back to our offense that late in the game --- that was huge," said linebacker Calvin Munson. "Something like really gives you momentum."
Quarterback Quinn Kaehler, who looked as sharp as he's been all season, seized that momentum and put the game out of reach. The senior, who entered the game with only four touchdown passes during this injury-riddled campaign, capped a 5-minute drive by tossing his career-best-tying third of the game --- this one beautifully lofted into the waiting arms of Ezell Ruffin for a 28-yard connection.
It was the second touchdown of the game for Ruffin, who appears to be returning to form nicely after missing five contests with a broken collarbone. Eric Judge added another in the third quarter, catching a quick slant and turning on the afterburner to leave the Vandals secondary in the dust for a 58-yard score.
Few expected SDSU to need late heroics or an aerial display to put away struggling Idaho, but the Aztecs defense struggled mightily to contain scrambling quarterback Chad Chalich, who ran wild in the first half. He converted key third down after key third down with his scrambling, energizing the Idaho sideline and turning what many expected to be a rout into a nailbiter.
So what to make of this?
In the end, the Aztecs took care of business, but needed a big play late to pull it off against a scuffling foe.
The Aztecs (5-4) remain in position to make this a memorable season, but they lack a marquee win and they are now staring into the teeth of their most difficult stretch of conference play.
Next week is Boise on The Blue. The week after they host a vastly improved 7-win Air Force team. And to close it out, they face San Jose State --- a team that has given SDSU fits in the previous two meetings.
Daunting, sure. But as head coach Rocky Long tells it, it's absolutely doable.
"In my opinion, in college football today it doesn't matter who you're playing --- it's how you play," Long said. "I watch TV too. There are teams that have super talent and there are people beating them or scaring the heck out of them, just like we got scared tonight. The talent level is fairly close, and the team that's hot at the time has the best chance to win.
"So it doesn't matter who we're playing, it's how we play that decides whether we win or lose."
SDSU may yet be the team that sizzles down the stretch in Mountain West play. And if that happens, Alex Barrett's forced fumble could go down as the spark that ignited it all.