By Mick McGrane, GoAztecs.com Senior Writer
(@MickOnTheMesa)
Normally, Keith Ismael would be going home to take a step back, to catch his breath, to divorce himself from football if only for a few days.
Instead, the San Francisco-born Ismael, who is majoring in international security and conflict resolution, is stepping into a conflict he couldn't have dreamed would develop.
When the Aztecs open the season on Friday at Stanford, Ismael, SDSU's starting right guard, will be peering across the field at Tavita Pritchard, a man he idolized growing up, a man who hasn't left Stanford since arriving as a quarterback from Clover Park High in Lakewood, Wash., 12 years ago. A man who in his first collegiate start led the 41-point underdog Cardinal to a 24-23 win over USC after starter T.C. Ostrander suffered a seizure a week before the game.
A man who in December was named Stanford's offensive coordinator. A man who just happens to be Keith Ismael's uncle.
"It's really kind of unbelievable," Ismael said. "All the games we went to, tailgating, watching him play. My whole family is going to be there. It's a Friday night game, so it almost feels like homecoming. It's going to be so different, playing there and being on the other side of the field.
"It's not something I've really talked about. I've just kept my eye on (Pritchard) to see what was going to happen. But it's business. I felt like I played pretty well against them last year. You always get better playing against competition from the highest level."
If that's a compliment Stanford might be loathe to repay, it nonetheless was one it was compelled to offer after SDSU knocked off the Cardinal 20-17 last season in San Diego. The Aztecs had entered the contest 2-0, rolling up an average of 432.5 yards in the process behind an offensive line that included two redshirt freshmen and a sophomore.
But while UC Davis and Arizona State proved vulnerable to heavy doses of Rashaad Penny, surely Stanford would hold its ground. The Cardinal was No. 19 in the nation and featured one of the top defensive fronts in the West. Given the immaturity of SDSU's offensive line, there was ample reason why Aztec coaches had been holding their breath during the offseason.
"The big concern, obviously, is the offensive line," head coach Rocky Long said prior to the 2017 season. "They are big, strong, talented players, but you also have redshirt freshmen who haven't played at this level."
It didn't take long for those redshirt freshmen — Ismael and left tackle Tyler Roemer — to get up to speed. SDSU beat Stanford with one of its most balanced games of the season, rushing for 171 yards while throwing for 187. Moreover, the Aztecs possessed the ball for 41:14 compared to 18:46 for the Cardinal, as Ismael and Roemer did battle against a defense that would produce three NFL draft picks in 2018. Ismael's biggest task was helping to contain Stanford senior defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who was selected in the draft's third round by the Buffalo Bills. Phillips finished with 11 total tackles, but Ismael refused to be beaten back by discouragement. In the process, Phillips had provided Ismael with a measuring stick.
"I think I did pretty well against him," he said. "You're never going to get better unless you play against the best."
By the end of the season, opponents were playing against one of the best in Ismael, who, along with Roemer, was named to the all-Mountain West second team. And while Ismael was humbled by the honor, the distinction fell short of expectations — his own. In starting all 13 games as a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, Ismael made eight starts at center and five at right guard.
"I set the bar high for myself," said Ismael, who last season shared the team's Freshman of the Year award with safety Tariq Thompson. "Ever since I came here as a freshman, I've always wanted to compete. I wanted to play right away. I redshirted, but I also traveled my freshman year, so it was really a good learning experience for me. When you look at some of the guys who were here then — Nico Siragusa is with the Ravens, Daniel Brunskill is with the Falcons — I always tried to learn as much as I possibly could from them.
"Last year, I wanted to be named (all-Mountain West) first team as a redshirt freshman. It didn't happen, but being named second team definitely gave me something to build on going into this season."
Additional incentive came earlier this summer, when Ismael, along with Roemer, was named to the preseason all-league team. If that's not cause for concern among opponents, consider that Ismael, Roemer, sophomore center Dominic Gudino and junior left guard Daishawn Dixon potentially could end up starting together for at least three years. Also pushing for playing time is sophomore right tackle Zachary Thomas.
"I think the competitiveness among us as a group shows through in the room every day," Ismael said. "We want to show people what we can do and how we can compete, no matter who's in front of us. We're always going to play at the highest level possible. We've come a long way since spring ball. We've watched a lot of film from last year, seeing where we messed up and how we can get better. We've trained extremely hard, always pushing each other to become the best players we can possibly be.
"Ultimately, we want to be recognized as one of the best offensive lines in the country. To do that, we have to be able to raise the bar that much higher. If we do what we know we can do, we're going to have another 2,000-yard back this year. But we have to handle our business."
They certainly handled it last year as Penny finished as the nation's leading rusher, establishing a school record with 2,248 yards. He also led the country in rushing touchdowns (23), total touchdowns (28) and points (168). With the passing of the baton to junior tailback Juwan Washington, the Aztecs move forward with a player whose numbers after two seasons aren't merely on par with Penny's, in at least two categories they're superior. While Penny averaged 6.2 yards per rush and 15.0 yards per reception, Washington has averaged 6.6 and 18.5.
"He has the ability to (become the team's third straight 2,000-yard rusher), but we have to be the ones to help him get there," Ismael said. "Last year, Dom Gudino really stepped up (as a true freshman) at a time we needed him. When (former guard) Antonio Rosales went down, he stepped up to the challenge. He's coming on stronger than ever right now, and I'm excited to see what he can do. It's funny to look at Daishawn Dixon as one of the older guys, because he's only a junior, but he's really come into his own and it shows. He just has that fierceness about him, that fire to compete, and I think that really shows through in all of us. At the (right) tackle spot, Ryan Pope and Zach Thomas are both hungry. Both of them are always going to give you everything they've got to help make us as good as we can possibly be.
"I think we all have more confidence. We've gotten used to what we need to do. We have our groove on now. It's almost like football has become fun again. The first couple of years at college are hard, because you're always trying to get adjusted to the process. But now it's like getting back in touch with the game we love, the game of football."
And in the event football must briefly come before family, so be it. As Keith Ismael says, it's simply business.
"I'll let my family decide (who to root for)," he said of Friday's opener. "Since my uncle's not actually playing, I think there might be a few more cheers for me, but it'll be interesting and it'll be exciting, too. At the end of the game, everybody's family again, but you also want to win."
McGrane: Ismael's Homecoming to Test Family Ties
