Nov. 25
New Mexico 41 ... San Diego State 14
New Mexico jumped out to a 24-0 first quarter lead as Rodney Ferguson
started out his huge, 210-yard day with a 26-yard touchdown run, Chris
Nelson hit Travis Brown with a five-yard touchdown pass, and Blake Ligon
picked off a pass for a 24-yard touchdown. The Lobos got up 41-0 helped
by a 49-yard Ferguson run and a Chris Mark 20-yard score. San Diego
State finally got on the board in garbage time with two Kevin O'Connell
touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game ...
New Mexico RB Rodney
Ferguson ran 22 times for 210 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: New Mexico - Passing: Chris Nelson,
9-20, 87 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 22-210, 2 TD Receiving:
Travis Brown,3-19, 1 TD
San Diego State - Passing: Kevin O'Connell, 23-40,
272 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Kevin O'Connell, 12-56 Receiving:
Brett Swain, 8-108
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Thank
goodness there's one more game against Colorado State to make amends
because the last two weeks have been brutal. After the defense did
nothing to close down TCU's passing game in a 52-0 loss, the defensive
front got steamrolled over by Rodney Ferguson and New Mexico. The
offense moved the ball, but didn't get on the board until it was way too
late. There has to be some semblance of a running game again to crank
out long drives early, but nothing on offense will matter if the defense
doesn't come up with a stop.
Nov. 18
TCU 52 ... San Diego State 0
TCU obliterated San Diego State on five Jeff Ballard touchdown
passes and a four-yard scoring run with Donald Massey scoring three
times from 18, five, and 33 yards out as the offense rolled up 624
yards. The Aztecs gained just 87 yards, got six first downs and
converted just one of 13 third down chances. Shae Reagan caught a
44-yard touchdown pass and Joseph Turner ran for a 24-yard score.
Player of the game ... TCU QB Jeff Ballard completed 20 of 23
passes for 288 yards and five touchdowns and ran eight times for 30
yards and a score
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Kevin
O'Connell, 6-16, 53 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Atiyyeh Henderson, 12-22 Receiving: Brett
Swain, 4-22
TCU - Passing: Jeff Ballard, 20-23, 288 yds, 5 TD
Rushing: Joseph Turner, 11-83, 1 TD Receiving: Donald
Massey, 6-100, 3 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Fresh
off a win over UNLV, the Aztecs came up with their worst game of the
year with only six first downs against TCU while getting outgained 624
yards to 87. How bad were things? Kevin Craft, who combined with Kevin
O’Connell for an awful passing day, completed five of ten passes for
three yards.
Nov. 11
San Diego State 21 ... UNLV 7
San Diego State QB Kevin O'Connell came off the bench to
complete all seven of his throws and ran for a one-yard score as the
Aztecs came up with a surprisingly easy win. Ray Bass picked off a
Rocky Hinds pass and took it 49 yards for a first quarter score, but
it was a 15-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter finished off
by the O'Connell touchdown run. UNLV finally got on the board early
in the fourth on a two-yard Aaron Straiten catch, but the Aztecs
answered with a nine-yard Brandon Bornes score.
Player of the game ... San Diego State QB Kevin Craft
completed seven of seven passes for 68 yard and ran six times for 14
yards and a score
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Kevin
Craft, 7-7, 68 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Atiyyeh Henderson, 22-62 Receiving: Brett
Swain, 4-48
UNLV - Passing: Rocky Hinds, 20-39, 211 yds, 1
TD, 2 INT
Rushing: David Peeples, 17-47 Receiving: Casey Flair,
7-76
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... San Diego
State was planning on rotating the quarterbacks against UNLV, and
Kevin Craft wasn't bad, but Kevin O'Connell showed a little of why
he's the better option if the team is looking for wins down the
stretch, rather than just try to develop for next year. The run
defense was terrific and the offense did a nice job of controlling
the tempo and the flow of the game. The one time UNLV was in the
game early in the fourth quarter, the Aztecs answered. With two
straight road trips coming up, the team needed this win.
Nov. 4
Wyoming 27 ... San Diego State 24
San Diego State jumped out to a 17-3 lead helped by a 60-yard
touchdown catch from Chaz Schilens and a 23-yard T.J. McKay fumble
recovery for a score, and then the Wyoming running game took over. Joe
Harris pounded in two short touchdown runs and Wade Betschart caught a
five-yard scoring pass with all helped by the running of Devin Moore.
Aric Goodman nailed a 52-yard shot to put UW up by ten, which turned out
to be a needed score with Brett Swain closing out the scoring with a
66-yard Brett Swain catch. UW recovered the onside kick.
Player of the game ...
Wyoming RB Devin Moore ran 22 times for
131 yards
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Kevin
Craft, 6-15, 98 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Atiyyeh Henderson, 9-30 Receiving: Atiyyeh
Henderson, 3-8
Wyoming - Passing: Karsten Sween, 15-25, 97 yds,
1 TD
Rushing: Devin Moore, 22-131 Receiving:
Tyler Holden, 6-35
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The
run defense has done nothing to slow anyone
down over the last few weeks with the linebackers and secondary having
to make way too many plays. The offense wasn't nearly consistent enough
against Wyoming needing a few big plays to get any production at all. 40
rushing yards isn't going to get it done. Kevin O'Connell has to get
100% healthy; he showed he can be a huge difference maker for the attack
providing far more poise and accuracy than Kevin Craft.
Oct. 28
Cal Poly 16 ... San Diego State 14
San Diego State PK Garrett Palmer missed a 48-yard field goal
with 32 seconds to play to complete the collapse against Cal Poly. The
Aztecs got up 14-3 in the first quarter on two Kevin Craft touchdown
passes to Ramal Porter, but struggled to get the offense going from then
on. The Mustangs scored the final 13 points of the game on a 28-yard
Ramses Barden touchdown catch and two Nick Coromelas field goals with
the 37-yard shot with 1:50 to play proving to be the game-winner.
Player of the game ...
Cal Poly's Kyle Shotwell made 12 tackles, four sacks, five tackles for loss
and forced a fumble.
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Kevin Craft,
10-15, 157 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Atiyyeh Henderson, 26-140 Receiving: Chaz Schilens,
5-69
Cal Poly - Passing: Matt Brennan, 4-13, 80 yds, 1
TD
Rushing: James Noble, 25-100 Receiving:
Ramses Barden, 3-80, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Just when it seemed like the Aztecs were going to build off the win over
Air Force, it comes up with a clunker against Cal Poly. The D didn't do
nearly enough against the run, while the passing game failed to generate
much of anything after the first quarter. Kevin Craft is fine, but the
offense needs Kevin O'Connell back. Atiyyeh Henderson came up with yet
another wonderful game, but the offense couldn't convert on the solid
drives. Now comes a Wyoming defense that's playing as well as any in the
Mountain West.
Oct. 21
San Diego State 19 ... Air Force 12
San Diego State got its first win for head coach Chuck Long
with a 30-yard Garrett Palmer field goal with two seconds to play after
going 58 yards in 12 plays. Marc Hull put a bow on the victory
recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff for a score. Air Force gained
297 rushing yards, but only managed a 24-yard field goal before scoring
twice in the fourth on a nine-yard Jacob Kendrick run and a 38-yard
field goal from Zach Sasser. The Aztecs got its longest scoring play of
the year in the second quarter on a 49-yard touchdown catch from Chaz
Schilens.
Player of the game ...
San Diego State
RB Atiyyeh Henderson ran 25 times for 142 yards.
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Kevin Craft,
12-19, 133 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Atiyyeh Henderson, 25-142 Receiving: Brett Swain,
4-28
Air Force - Passing: Shaun Carney, 4-7, 47 yds, 1
INT
Rushing: Jacob Kendrick, 19-92, 1 TD Receiving: Justin Handley,
2-34
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The monkey has gotten off the Aztecs' back at just the right time. With
the win over Air Force, San Diego State has some momentum at the same
time that starting QB Kevin O'Connell and RB Lynell Hamilton are just
about ready to come back. Atiyyeh Henderson has carried the offense over
the last few weeks, while Kevin Craft turned in an efficient performance
to beat the Falcons. The defense was fantastic with Joe Martin, Russell
Allen, and Brett Sturm keeping the Air Force running game in check
combining for 43 tackles. With an apparent layup against Cal Poly next,
the team should be hot going into the tough battle at Wyoming.
Oct. 7
BYU 47 ... San Diego State 17
BYU exploded with 40 first half points with two touchdowns
from Curtis Brown and three John Beck scoring passes. San Diego State
could only manage a first quarter Garrett Palmer field goal until the
game was well out of reach. Beck threw his fourth touchdown pass on an
18-yard play to Manase Tonga in the third quarter, while Brandon Bornes
and Tyler Campbell each ran for one-yard scores for the Aztecs.
Player of the game ...
BYU QB John Beck
completed 16 of 21 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Kevin Craft,
20-32, 216 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Atiyyeh Henderson, 21-93 Receiving: Ramal
Porter, 8-70
BYU - Passing: John Beck, 16-21, 267 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Fui Vakapuna, 4-56, 1 TD Receiving:
Curtis Brown, 4-33, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
San Diego State is doing its best with a third string quarterback and
without Lynell Hamilton running the ball, but the offense isn't showing
nearly enough in any phase to keep up with the decent teams on the
Mountain West schedule. On the plus side, Kevin Craft was able to get
some good throws in when the game was well out of reach in the second
half; the experience will serve the team will as the season goes on. The
secondary has to start slowing someone down, but to be fair, there's no
pass rush to hurry the quarterbacks.
Sept. 30
San Jose State 31 ... San Diego State 10
San Jose State forced three turnovers and jumped out to a big
early lead on a trick-play 47-yard touchdown pass from RB James Jones to
John Broussard along with a one-yard Patrick Perry scoring run. The
Aztecs got all their points in the final six minutes of the first half
helped by a turnover converted into a one-yard Tyler Campbell touchdown
run. The Spartans owned the second half with Broussard catching a
68-yard scoring pass and Chester Coleman putting the game well out of
reach on a 12-yard Chester Coleman touchdown.
Player of the game ... San Jose State WR John Broussard
completed 17 of 21 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing:
Darren Mougey, 7-9, 69 yds, 1 INT
Rushing:
Atiyyeh
Henderson, 24-98 Receiving:
Brett Swain, 4-42
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis,
17-21, 234 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Patrick Perry, 12-60, 1 TD. Receiving:
John Broussard, 5-167, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... San Diego
State doesn't have its normal starting quarterback and is without top RB
Lynell Hamilton, but this is a far more talented team than the one
showing up lately. Darren Mougey is doing nothing to move the offense,
while there appears to be a general lack of focus evidenced by 11
penalties for 103 yards in the loss to San Jose State. Unless something
quickly changes, BYU will have its way with the Aztecs next week.
Sept. 23
Utah 38 ... San Diego State 7
Utah defensive back Eric Weddle scored three times returning
two interceptions for touchdowns and running for a two-yard score. The
Utah offense also got into the act with two touchdowns from Darryl
Poston on a one-yard run and an 18-yard catch. San Diego State only
managed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Brett Swain in the first quarter
before the Utes scores 31 unanswered points. The Aztecs threw five
interceptions and only gained 287 yards of total offense.
Player of the game
...Utah S Eric Weddle made four tackles, three
interceptions, returned two for touchdowns,
and ran three times
for 11 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: San Diego State- Passing: Darren
Mougey, 9-19, 83 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Atiyyeh Henderson, 12-98 Receiving: Brett
Swain, 4-28, 1 TD
Utah - Passing: Brett Ratliff, 12-26, 157 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Darryl Poston, 13-53, 1 TD Receiving:
Derreck Richards, 4-46
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The
offense desperately misses Kevin O'Connell. Darren Mougey made way too
many mistakes and didn't do nearly enough to move the offense for the
second week in a row. RB Lynell Hamilton isn't getting any room to run
and isn't making much happen on his own, so if the passing game isn't
clicking, the offense isn't going anywhere. With San Jose State coming
up, Chuck Long's team had better find something to hang its hat on
offensively of the BYU game is going to be brutally ugly.
Sept. 16
Wisconsin 14 ... San Diego State 0
Wisconsin got all its points in the second half as P.J. Hill
rumbled for a 53-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter and
sealed it up on a six-yard touchdown pass to Paul Hubbard in the fourth
quarter. The Badger defense was never really threatened with the Aztecs
failing to get into the red zone and only gaining 115 yards of total
offense and seven first downs.
Player of the game
...Wisconsin
RB P.J. Hill ran for 184 yards and the game’s first touchdown on 26
carries.
Stat Leaders: San Diego State- Passing: Darren
Mougey, 15-27, 102 yds
Rushing: Lynell Hamilton, 11-19 Receiving: Lynell
Hamilton, 6-26
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 12-23, 85 yds
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 26-184, 1 TD Receiving: Paul Hubbard,
3-18
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The first
game without starting QB Kevin O'Connell wasn't a good one with the
offense only coming up with 115 yards against Wisconsin. Darren Mougey
simply couldn't get any key plays and had no real chance to score.
Wisconsin was so confident in its defense that it took several chances
knowing the Aztecs wouldn't capitalize. Lynell Hamilton was a non-factor
with no room to move. On the plus side, outside of roughly two plays,
the defense did a great job of keeping the Badgers in check.
Aug. 31
UTEP 34 ... San Diego State 27
UTEP got out to a 27-3 lead in the third quarter helped by an
Alfonso Auelua fumble recovery in the end zone, two Jordan Palmer
touchdown passes and a five-yard scoring run from Marcus Thomas, but San
Diego State played far sharper over the final 20 minutes after
Darren Mougey came in to replace starting quarterback Kevin O'Connell.
Mougey ran for two touchdowns and Lynel Hamilton added a third to get to
within three, but Palmer connected with Jake Sears on a seven-yard
touchdown pass with less then five minutes to go to put the game away.
Player of the game ... UTEP LB Troy Collavo made 13
tackles and three tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: UTEP - Passing: Jordan
Palmer, 19-28, 205 yds, 3 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Marcus Thomas, 17-24, 1 TD. Receiving:
Johnny Lee Higgins, 6-82, 1 TD
San Diego State - Passing: Darren Mougey,
12-16, 178 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Darren Mougey, 13-41, 2 TD. Receiving:
Chaz Schilens, 6-67
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
There might be a new coaching staff in place,
but against UTEP, San Diego State looked an awful lot like the San Diego
State team that struggled so much to play up to its talent level. The
quarterback situation is now way up in the air going into the trip to
Wisconsin with Darren Mougey looking far better than Kevin O'Connell.
Star RB Lynel Hamilton has to run hard and with a purpose on every carry
and can't be held to just 40 yards on 20 carries. On the plus side, the
run defense was excellent.
2006 San Diego State Preview
San Diego State Preview |
Offense |
Defense |
Depth Chart |
Further Analysis
San Diego State always appeared to be on the verge of turning the
corner under former head coach Tom Craft, but it never happened
thanks to little overall luck and no consistency whatsoever.
How could a team beat Utah, come within three of TCU, and get
blown out by New Mexico and Air Force? The Aztecs pounded BYU, but
lost to UNLV. The talent and potential are there to win big in San
Diego as long as new head coach Chuck Long and his staff can win the
little ones they're supposed to while coming up with more clutch
wins.
Yeah, yeah, ifs and nuts, but if just two of the four losses to
non-bowl teams last year went the other way, the Aztecs would've
gone bowling. Considering the team beat three teams that ended up
playing in
the post-season, the possibilities to dream of big things are there.
The program doesn't need the attitude
change most need when getting a new coaching staff, and it doesn't
need a major influx of talent to be better in Mountain West play. It
needs better overall defense while keeping the offense at the same
level it was at by the end of last season.
While he won't have nearly the same
talent he enjoyed as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, Long has
pieces in place to build around and do big things with. Running back
Lynell Hamilton has next-level skills and can carry the offense if
needed. Quarterback Kevin O'Connell is a productive veteran who can do a
little of everything well. The cornerback tandem of Terrell Maze and
Donny Baker is one of the best in the league, and end Antwan Applewhite
has the potential to be the Mountain West's best pass rusher.
Can the run defense
stop someone with a pulse? Can someone else help out Applewhite and get
to the quarterback? Can the receiving corps overcome the loss of Jeffrey
Webb and Robert Ortiz? This is hardly a complete enough team to win the
Mountain West title, but it's more than good enough to be a major player
in the race as long as there's a stop to those annoying misfires.
Long was a bit of a hot commodity because of his name and his growing
reputation in the coaching circles. While former Oklahoma assistant
coach Mike Stoops went to Arizona a few years ago, Long took a lesser
job at San Diego State. Is this a stepping stone job for him? Aztec fans
can only hope to finally change things around to make the program good
enough to warrant calls from the big boys.
The
Schedule: The non-conference slate only has one killer, at
Wisconsin, but the opener against UTEP won't be a walk in the park.
Playing San Jose State and Cal Poly should help pad the record. The
Mountain West slate has a few breaks getting Utah and Colorado State at
home, but road dates at BYU, TCU and New Mexico should kill any
conference title hopes.
Best
Offensive Player: Junior RB Lynell Hamilton. The only question is
whether or not he can stay healthy for a full season. The best back the
program has seen since Marshall Faulk has size, speed, power, and hands.
He's a tough back who has had a few bad breaks, but if he can stay 100%
for a full season, he has Mountain West Player of the Year capabilities.
Best
Defensive Player: Senior CB Terrell Maze. Fellow corner Donny Baker
and end Antwan Applewhite will also be in the mix for the honor of being
the team's best defensive player. Maze is a big bigger than Baker and a
bit better a coverman. All three Aztecs are good players to build a
defense around.
Key player
to a successful season: Junior WR Chazeray Schillens. He hasn't had
to be a top target in the offense yet with Jeff Webb and Robert Ortiz
doing most of the heavy lifting, but the Aztec offense needs him to be a
star early until the rest of the receiving corps comes around. Once
everyone gets their feet wet, Schillens will likely be lapped as a the
go-to guy.
The season
will be a success if ... the Aztecs win eight games. It's not that lofty a goal if the
new coaching staff can get a little more production out of the run
defense and more efficiency and consistency out of the offense.
Key game:
Sept. 23 vs. Utah. The Aztecs stunned the Utes 28-19 in Salt Lake
City last year. A win in the Mountain West opener against one of the
preseason favorites for the title would set the tone for the rest of the
season. It also might be necessary to avoid an 0-2 conference start with
at BYU coming up two weeks later.
2005 Fun
Stats:
- San Diego State opponent first quarter scoring: 58 - San Diego State
opponent second quarter scoring: 119
- Rushing touchdowns: Opponents 30 - San Diego State 17
- Punt return average: Opponents 11.3 yards - Opponents 6.3 yards