SDSU Athletic Media Relations Office 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182 (619) 594-5547 game no. 1 San Diego State Opens 83rd Season of Football at INSIDE... UCLA (0-0) at San Diego State (0-0) Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005 7:05 p.m. PDT (announced) Qualcomm Stadium (54,000) San Diego, Calif. Television ESPN2. Pam Ward (play-byplay), David Norrie (analysis), Alex Flanagan (sidelines) and Eric Posman (producer). Radio XEKTT 1700-AM, San Diego. Ted Leitner (play-by-play), John Kentera (analysis), Jack Cronin (sidelines) and Dick Warren (producer). Josh Rosenberg serves as host for the pregame show. Web Live audio and statistics are available on SDSU s official athletic department web site at goaztecs.com. Postgame coverage of Tom Craft s newsconference is available to All-Access subscribers. Tickets Tickets range in price from $20-40 and are available at the Aztec Ticket Office (Qualcomm Stadium Window E), Aztec Center Ticket Office, online at goaztecs.com or by phone at (619) 283-SDSU. As of Sunday, Aug. 28, more than 35,000 tickets were out for the game and that figure did not include SDSU students or UCLA ticket sales. Home Saturday Night Against UCLA San Diego State opens its 83rd season of football, 37th at the Division I level and fourth under head coach Tom Craft under the lights at Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday night (Sept. 3) in the Sony HD Classic against UCLA. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT and the contest will be broadcast live by ESPN2 and can be heard on XEKTT-1700 AM (San Diego). This marks the 11th consecutive San Diego State game that has appeared on television. San Diego State, one of just 19 Division I-A teams in the country that enters the 2005 season with at least a two-game winning streak, returns 21 starters and 41 letterwinners off a 2004 team that ended a 4-7 campaign (2-5 in the Mountain West Conference) with victories at Air Force and vs. UNLV. Last season, SDSU ranked among the nation s tophalf in total offense (56th of 117) and total defense (52nd) but a negative turnover margin in seven consecutive games helped keep the Aztecs from a second consecutive.500 or better campaign. San Diego State was one of four teams nationally to rank among the top-half in total offense and total defense and not finish at or above.500 (Kent State, Oregon and Rice). Saturday night, the Aztecs are expected to have six players make their first career start and 13 players are currently number one on the depth chart with five or fewer career starts. With just eight seniors slated to start, San Diego State ranks 14th nationally in fewest seniors scheduled to start in the opener. UCLA finished 6-6 overall and 4-4 in Pac-10 play a season ago. After opening up on the road, the Bruins will play four consecutive games at the Rose Bowl and will not travel outside of the Pasadena area for a game again until Oct. 15. UCLA received top 25 consideration in the preseason polls and received the 33rd highest vote total in the Associated Press poll and the 36th highest total in the USA Today coaches poll. This is the 21st meeting between the Bruins and the Aztecs with UCLA owning a 19-0-1 series lead. The series record is a bit misleading, as since the 13-13 tie in 1924, the Bruins have won three games by seven points or less. This is the fourth consecutive year the teams meet, and despite suffering losses, SDSU has been a handful. In 2003 at the Rose Bowl, the Aztecs limited UCLA to 65 yards rushing, forced four turnovers and was tied at halftime before losing, 20-10. Last season at the Rose Bowl, SDSU was outgained by a mere eight yards (410-402) had a 21-19 advantage in first downs, but the Bruins used two key second quarter turnovers to score 10 points on eight yards of total offense en route to a 33-10 win. Season openers have been good to the Aztecs, particularly under Craft. SDSU has won its last two lid-lifters and is 9-3 in its last 12 season openers. All-time, the Aztecs have posted a 44-33-5 record in season openers, including a 20-15-1 mark in the Division I era. In the first home game of the season, San Diego State has posted a 58-20-4 record, including an impressive 27-7-1 record in its last 35 home openers. The Aztecs are beginning a season at home for the third consecutive year, and are playing their first game of the season at Qualcomm/Jack Murphy Stadium for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons (opened at Fresno State in 2002). The Aztecs are beginning a 12-game schedule spread out over 14 weeks (the regular-season finale is exactly three months from Saturday s season opener). The UCLA contest marks the first of six games during the 2005 season against teams which participated in a bowl game last season. San Diego State Schedule/Results (0-0 Overall/0-0 MWC) SDSU-UCLA Series pg. 2 Craft Bio 11 Player Notes 12 Roster 28 Two-Deep 30 Statistics 31 Last Time 34 If the starters on the twodeep hold, the Aztecs will start just 13 upperclassmen, the lowest total in a season opener since starting 12 in 1995. That season, SDSU opened with a 33-9 victory over California en route to an 8-4 campaign. Forever Young, Page 7 Sophomore Lynell Hamilton, a freshman All- American who missed last season recovering from a broken right ankle and right fibula, returns to the lineup tonight. In games in which he has played, SDSU is 5-0 when he rushes for at least 94 yards. Come on Ride the Train, Page 8 The Aztecs enjoyed the third largest average attendance increase in the nation last season, going from 22,626 in 2003 to 35,995 in 2004. All indications are that the trend will continue as more than 110,000 tickets were already out for the first three home games as of Sun., Aug. 28. Big Crowd Expected for Opening Night, Page 8 Date Opponent TV/Video Result/Time Record Series Note Sept. 3 UCLA (Sony HD Classic) ESPN2 7:05 p.m. PT 0-0 0-19-1 Aztecs look for third straight season-opening win Sept. 10 *at Air Force ESPN360 Noon MT 0-0 8-15 SDSU has won last 3 in series, including 2 straight at AF Sept. 17 at Ohio State ABC (r) 3:36 p.m. ET 0-0 0-2 Aztecs dropped a 16-13 nailbiter in Columbus in 2003 Sept. 24 San Jose State (KGB SkyShow) SportsWest 5:05 p.m. PT 0-0 14-16-2 SDSU has won last 6 meetings; Last SJSU win was 1975 Oct. 1 *Brigham Young (Fleet Week Classic) ESPN Classic 7:05 p.m. PT 0-0 6-22-1 Last Aztec win vs. Cougars in San Diego was 1991 Oct. 8 *at UNLV ESPN+Plus Noon PT 0-0 8-6 SDSU has won last 3 meetings; Last year: SDSU won 21-3 Oct. 15 *at Utah TBA 0-0 11-12-1 Neither team has been shutout in the series (24 games) Oct. 22 *New Mexico TBA 0-0 20-11 Aztecs looking for first win over UNM since 2000 Oct. 29 *TCU (Homecoming) TBA 0-0 0-0 First meeting between Horned Frogs and Aztecs Nov. 12 *at Colorado State TBA 0-0 12-12 Aztecs are 4-6 all time in Fort Collins despite an avg. of 14.4 ppg Nov. 19 *Wyoming (Hall of Fame) TBA 0-0 12-14 SDSU has won 5 of last 6 meetings; Aztecs won 4 strt. in SD Dec. 3 at Hawai i TBA 0-0 15-8-2 Teams combined for 81 pts. and 944 yards in 2002 * - indicates Mountain West Conference game. r -indicates regional broadcast.
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 2 General Info. SAN DIEGO STATE 0-0/0-0 MWC Head Coach Tom Craft Career Record 14-22/4th SDSU Record 14-22/4th vs. UCLA 0-3 Location San Diego, Calif. Enrollment 34,174 Colors Scarlet & Black President Dr. Stephen Weber AD Jeff Schemmel SID Contact Mike May SID Phone (619) 594-5547 SID Fax (619) 582-6541 E-Mail mmay@mail.sdsu.edu Website goaztecs.com SCHEDULE/RESULTS S.3 UCLA 7:05 p.m. S.10 *at Air Force 11 a.m. S.17 at Ohio St. 12:36 p.m. S.24 San Jose St. 5:05 p.m. O.1 *BYU 7:05 p.m. O.8 *at UNLV Noon O.15 *at Utah TBA O.22 *New Mexico TBA O.29 *TCU TBA N.12 *at Colorado St. TBA N.19 *Wyoming TBA D.3 at Hawai i TBA All time Pacific UCLA 0-0/0-0 Pac-10 Head Coach Karl Dorrell Career Record 12-13/3rd UCLA Record 12-13/3rd vs. SDSU 2-0 Location Los Angeles, Calif. Enrollment 34,000 Colors Blue & Gold Chancellor Albert Carnesale AD Daniel Gurrero SID Contact Steve Rourke SID Phone (310) 206-6831 SID Fax (310) 825-8664 E-Mail srourke@athletics.ucla.edu Website uclabruins.com SCHEDULE/RESULTS S.3 at SDSU 7 p.m. S.10 Rice 7 p.m. S.17 Oklahoma 12:30 p.m. O.1 *Washington TBA O.8 *California TBA O.15 *at Washington St. TBA O.22 *Oregon St. TBA O.29 *at Stanford TBA N.5 *at Arizona TBA N.12 *Arizona St. 4 p.m. D.3 *at USC 1:30 p.m. All time Pacific SDSU vs. UCLA Comparison and History Series: UCLA leads 19-0-1 Total Score: UCLA 628, San Diego State 206 Average: UCLA 31.4, San Diego State 10.3 In San Diego: UCLA leads 7-0-1 Total Score: UCLA 261, San Diego State 105 Average: UCLA 32.6, San Diego State 13.1 SD UC Total Passing Rushing Date Site Result Score Rk - Rk FD - FD Yds - Yds TOs -TOs Yds - Yds Yds - Yds Temp Att. O.7.22 H- L 6-25 O.13.23 A- L 0-12 N.15.24 H- T 13-13 S.26.25 A- L 0-7 O.9.26 A- L 7-42 S.23.33 A- L 0-13 S.22.34 A- L 0-20 S.8.84 H-Jack Murphy L 15-18 - 4 18-25 408-380 3-0 288-185 120-195 93 49,220 S.21.85 A-Rose Bowl L 16-34 - 12 17-29 274-446 2-2 260-161 65-301 81 59,625 S.20.86 H-Jack Murphy L 14-45 - 19 12-18 172-381 2-1 169-134 63-291 65 50,338 S.5.87 A-Rose Bowl L 14-47 - 3 18-23 248-514 3-1 199-180 48-334 76 54,287 S.3.88 A-Rose Bowl L 6-59 - 5 13-29 234-538 0-2 197-223 37-315 90 46,487 O.13.90 A-Rose Bowl L 31-45 - 21-31 429-515 2-1 343-139 118-389 72 41,025 S.26.91 H-Jack Murphy L 12-37 - 19-34 322-644 4-2 182-382 140-262 78 37,333 S.26.92 A-Rose Bowl L 7-35 21-11 11-28 264-471 3-4 142-141 141-346 95 51,101 S.30.93 H-Jack Murphy L 13-52 - 23-22 380-521 3-1 350-252 30-269 80 44,669 S.28.02 H-Qualcomm L 7-43 - 17-17 271-391 5-0 208-238 63-153 70 33,610 S.27.03 A-Rose Bowl L 10-20 - 13-17 230-323 3-4 110-258 120-65 75 48,690 O.2.04 A-Rose Bowl L 10-33 - 21-19 402-410 2-1 263-205 139-205 77 52,038 Individual Single-Game Series Bests (Div. I Era Only) San Diego State Rushing Att. Yds. TD Faulk (92) 23 118 1 Maxey (90) 18 103 0 Hamilton (03) 20 87 0 Faulk (91) 15 79 1 Waters (84) 18 70 1 Franklin (02) 12 69 0 Bornes (04) 9 62 1 Franklin (03) 6 55 1 Faulk (93) 19 53 1 Passing A-C-I Yds TD Gutierrez (93) 47-30-2 350 1 McGwire (90) 46-23-1 343 3 Santos (84) 30-18-1 288 0 Dlugolecki (04) 42-23-2 215 0 Platt (88) 31-16-0 197 0 Santos (87) 42-22-2 186 2 Hall (02) 34-16-2 183 1 Santos (85) 25-16-0 164 1 Santos (86) 29-15-0 151 1 Dlugolecki (03) 37-19-2 110 0 Receiving No. Yds. TD P. Rowe (90) 11 224 1 Osgood (03) 10 145 1 Scott (93) 8 148 1 Warren (84) 5 126 0 Slaughter (85) 13 116 2 Shanks (84) 4 96 0 Aswalt (86) 5 86 1 P. Rowe (91) 6 83 0 Webb (04) 7 71 0 Glabreath (88) 4 71 0 Also: Franklin (04) 10 53 0 Tackles Solo Ast. TT Lewis (92) 9 7 16 Griffith (92) 10 3 13 Pieri (91) 8 5 13 Griffith (90) 13 0 13 Powers (85) 8 5 13 Foster (90) 9 3 12 Morrison (04) 8 3 11 Foster (91) 4 7 11 Hicks (87) 11 0 11 Brohn (84) 3 8 11 McCoy (04) 6 4 10 C. Johnson (92) 8 2 10 Richards (85) 5 5 10 Williamson (85) 8 2 10 Moore (84) 2 8 10 UCLA Rushing Att. Yds. TD Brown (90) 22 175 2 Drew (04) 21 161 1 Green (87) 19 135 1 Green (86) 16 131 3 Ball (88) 17 122 0 Washington (92) 14 114 2 Milliner (93) 8 109 1 Brown (90) 26 105 1 K. Williams (92) 19 96 1 Passing A-C-I Yds TD Maddox (91) 26-17-1 303 2 Olson (03) 28-18-0 258 2 Cook (93) 16-11-0 223 3 Paus (02) 21-12-0 216 2 Bono (84) 36-15-0 185 0 Aikman (87) 10-8-0 166 0 Olson (04) 29-14-1 158 1 Aikman (88) 17-13-0 155 3 Receiving No. Yds. TD Stokes (93) 5 164 3 Seidman (02) 6 134 1 Taylor (03) 7 110 1 Lachapelle (91) 5 93 0 Anderson (86) 2 90 1 Adams (91) 4 92 1 Anderson (87) 3 86 0 Bragg (03) 5 83 0 Tackles Solo Ast. TT Harvey (04) 6 8 14 London (03) 9 2 11 Chillar (03) 6 4 10 Havner (02) 9 1 10 Henderson (92) 5 5 10 Turner (90) 6 4 10 Pitts (84) 6 4 10 Season indicated to the right of the players name.
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 3 Media Info. COVERING THE AZTECS SDSU Media Relations 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-4309 Phone: 619-594-5547 Fax: 619-582-6541 Mike May, Interim Director Peggy Curtin, Assistant Interview Opportunities/ Weekly Schedule Sunday: Coach Craft is available at 9 a.m. in the Aztec Athletics Center football offices. Call the media relations office to confirm. Players are off Sundays. Monday: Players are off on Mondays. Tuesday: Practice (8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.) MWC Conference call wtih Tom Craft (10:42 a.m. (Pacific)). Tom Craft Media Luncheon: Food available at 11 a.m., Tom Craft available at 11:30 a.m. Players available at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday: Practice 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Thursday: SDSU will practice from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Friday: The Aztecs will hold a brief walkthrough which is closed. No player interviews are avilable on Friday. Saturday: Postgame only. San Diego State-UCLA: The Series This is the 21st meeting between San Diego State and UCLA, with the Bruins owning a 19-0-1 series advantage. UCLA has won the last 17 meetings dating back to a 13-13 tie on Nov. 15, 1924. The teams first met on Oct. 7, 1922, a 25-6 UCLA victory. That game was the 15th game played in SDSU history and the first contest against a current Division I team. Only once in the last four meetings has UCLA recorded more first downs than the Aztecs (twice SDSU has posted more first downs and the other time was a tie). SDSU has played the Bruins closer than the score would indicate in the last four meetings. Using key statistical barometers from the 1993, 2002, 2003 and 2004 games, SDSU is nearly even in first downs and within 91 yards per game in total offense. One area in which the Aztecs have been hurt is a -7 turnover margin in the last four contests in the series. Some key stats from those meetings: Points First Downs Total Yards Turnovers Pts. off TOs UCLA 148 (37.0) 75 (18.8) 1,645 (411.3) 6 (1.5) 44 (11.0) SDSU 40 (10.0) 74 (18.5) 1,283 (320.8) 13 (3.3) 10 (2.5) Average field position in the last three games shows another reason for the outcome. The average field position since the teams starting playing yearly in 2002, has the Bruins starting drives on their own 36.7 yard line, while the Aztecs begin possessions at their own 23.0 yard line. This is the 24th straight season in which San Diego State has faced a member of the Pac-10 Conference (streak started in 1982). The Aztecs are 11-53-3 lifetime against the league, 8-37-1 since moving to Division I prior to the 1969 season. The Aztecs have dropped 15 straight to the league dating back to a 33-9 victory vs. California 10 years ago the day before the UCLA game (Sept. 2, 1995). Although SDSU has lost 15 straight against the Pac-10, it is important to note that 10 of the games were played on the road (only five at home), five were decided by 10 points or less and four were decided by a touchdown or less. SDSU-UCLA TIDBITS: This marks the fourth consecutive season the teams have met... Only eight of the 20 all-time meetings in the series have taken place in San Diego (UCLA leads 7-0-1)... In eight of the 12 games between the teams since 1985, SDSU has recorded more passing yards... In the last four meetings combined, UCLA has a 75-74 first down advantage... Senior running back Michael Franklin needs 81 rushing yards to match Marshal Faulk s SDSU career-best 250 yards rushing vs. UCLA... Sophomore Lynell Hamilton needs 116 yards to reach Faulk s 250-yard mark against the Bruins... San Diego State men s soccer team will play in the Pac-10 conference for the first time this season... The Aztecs will play at UCLA on Oct. 16 and the Bruins will return the trip to the SDSU SportsDeck on Nov. 13... Current SDSU men s basketball coach Steve Fisher is 1-0 lifetime against the Bruins, as his Michigan team overcame a 19-point deficit capped by a Jimmy King putback with less than two seconds remaining in overtime to lift Michigan to an 86-84 victory in the second round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament in Tucson, Ariz... That season, Fisher s Wolverine squad reached the national championship game for the second straight year, losing to North Carolina, 77-71, in the final. RECENT & MEMORABLE GAMES IN THE SERIES: Oct. 2, 2004 UCLA 33, San Diego State 10 Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. In 2002, UCLA generated 23 points off Aztec miscues to blow out SDSU, 43-7. In 2003, it was a 3-3 game at the half when two interceptions helped the Bruins to a 20-10 victory. In 2004, the Bruins' Spencer Havner intercepted Aztec quarterback Matt Dlugolecki and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown to give UCLA a 14-3 lead. Later, SDSU dropped a snap inside its own 15, which led to a Bruin field goal and a 20-3 halftime advantage. UCLA went on to win 33-10. After the Bruins scored on its first possession, the Aztecs held UCLA to 62 yards of total offense on five possessions before two critical second-quarter mistakes thwarted any chance of an SDSU comeback. Sept. 27, 2003 UCLA 20, San Diego State 10 Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. Both teams started slow and were held under 150 yards of total offense in the first half and combined to score only six points. The Aztecs got on the scoreboard first after a J.C. Mejia field goal from 27 yards out put SDSU ahead 3-0. Just over five minutes later, the Bruins responded with a field goal of their own to knot the score at 3-3. Then on UCLA's second possession of the second half, quarterback Drew Olson connected with Junior Taylor for a 41-yard touchdown to go up 10-3. Later, the Aztecs blew a scoring chance when Havner intercepted a Dlugolecki pass, returned SDSU vs. Pac-10 W L T Arizona 5 10 0 Arizona St. 0 9 1 California 3 3 0 Oregon 0 4 0 Oregon St. 2 1 0 Stanford 1 3 0 UCLA 0 19 1 USC 0 2 1 Washington 0 2 0 Washington St. no meetings TOTALS 11 53 3 Current Aztecs vs. UCLA Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TD Franklin 29 169 5.8 1 Hamilton 20 87 4.4 0 Bornes 9 62 6.9 1 Swain 1 23 23.0 0 Porter 2 12 6.0 0 O Connell 1 6 3.0 0 Dlugolecki 6-8 -1.3 0 Passing A-C-I Yds. TD Dlugolecki 79-42-4 325 0 O Connell 10-7-0 46 0 Receiving No. Yds. YPC TD Franklin 10 53 5.3 0 Webb 9 103 11.4 0 Ortiz 7 73 10.4 0 Porter 4 55 13.8 0 Hamilton 4 12 3.0 0 Franklin 2 5 2.5 0 Swain 1 7 7.0 0 Miller 1 5 5.0 0 Dlugolecki 1 2 2.0 0 Edwards 1 0 0.0 0 Defense S-A-T Other Demps 10-3-13 1 TFL Elimimian 4-3-7 - Bailes 4-1-5 1 TFL Baker 3-0-3 - Keiaho 3-0-3 - Miller 3-0-3 1 FR Martin 1-1-2 - Maze 1-0-1 - Grigsby 1-0-1 - Howard 0-1-1 - Osborn 1-0-1 -
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 4 MWC Info. MWC STANDINGS MWC Overall SDSU 0-0 0-0 Air Force 0-0 0-0 BYU 0-0 0-0 Colorado St. 0-0 0-0 New Mexico 0-0 0-0 TCU 0-0 0-0 UNLV 0-0 0-0 Utah 0-0 0-0 Wyoming 0-0 0-0 MWC SCHEDULE Friday, September 2 Arizona at Utah, 5 PT Saturday, September 3 UCLA at SDSU, 7:05 p.m. TCU at Oklahoma, 9 a.m. AFA at Washington#, 12:30 p.m. Boston College at BYU, 12:30 p.m. CSU at Colorado, 12:30 p.m. Wyoming at Florida, 3 p.m. # at Qwest Field Monday, September 5 *UNLV at New Mexico, 10 a.m. Saturday, September 10 *SDSU at Air Force Eastern Illinois at BYU Colorado St. at Minnesota New Mexico at Missouri TCU at SMU Idaho at UNLV Utah State at Utah La.-Monroe at Wyoming All time Pacific. * - Indicates Mountain West Conference game. MWC COACHES TELECONFERENCE The MWC football coaches will participate in a weekly teleconference on Tuesday mornings. The calls are scheduled every Tuesday from August 30-November 15. 9:30 Call opens 9:32 Kyle Whittingham, Utah 9:42 Gary Patterson, TCU 9:52 Rocky Long, UNM 10:02 Sonny Lubick, CSU 10:12 Fisher DeBerry, AFA 10:22 Mike Sanford, UNLV 10:32 Joe Glenn, Wyoming 10:42 Tom Craft, SDSU 10:52 Bronco Mendenhall, BYU 11:02 Craig Thompson, MWC All times Pacific it 50 yards and set up a Bruin field goal spoiling any thoughts of an SDSU rally. Sept. 28, 2002 UCLA 43, San Diego State 7 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, Calif. The Aztecs played the Bruins tough early, trailing 7-0 after one quarter, but the second quarter was a different story. UCLA exploded for 26 points in the second stanza to take a 33-7 lead into halftime. In all, the Bruins scored the first 23 points on just 58 yards of total offense despite a strong defensive effort by SDSU. The onslaught began when Aztec quarterback Adam Hall's pass ricocheted off his own player setting up a brief seven-yard touchdown drive by UCLA. Then the Bruins blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a score. Things got worse when, on third-and-28, UCLA's Craig Bragg beat SDSU's defenders for a 37-yard touchdown. Nothing went the Aztecs way, as one minute later, an Aztec snap sailed over Brian Simnjanovski's head on a punt, resulting in a safety. Oct. 13, 1990 UCLA 45, San Diego State 31 Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. Despite outgaining UCLA through the air, 343-139, and a 224-yard receiving performance by Patrick Rowe, the Aztecs still fell to the Bruins, 45-31, in Pasadena. A high-scoring first half highlighted the contest beginning with both teams matching touchdown-for-touchdown in the first quarter. It wasn't until the second quarter that the Bruins pulled away. UCLA controlled the second period by shutting down the Aztec offense and putting up three scores of its own. SDSU did not find the scoreboard again until Dan McGwire threw a 38-yard strike to Rowe with three seconds remaining in the half to cut the Aztec deficit to 35-21. The SDSU loss overshadowed McGwire's 343 yard (23-for-46), three-touchdown performance and Rowe's 11 catches. Sep. 8, 1984 (4) UCLA 18, San Diego State 15 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, Calif. Playing in front of 50,318, then the third largest crowd in school history, the Aztecs held UCLA to six field goals, but still fell to the Bruins, 18-15. SDSU had three opportunities to avert the loss in the final quarter but Aztec Casey Brown lost a disputed fumble at the UCLA three-yard line, Dan Gaston later fumbled the ball at the UCLA 18 and Chris O'Brien's 44-yard field goal attempt with 16 seconds left was wide. Quarterback Todd Santos completed 18-of-30 passes for 288 yards for, the game. SDSU-UCLA CONNECTIONS: SDSU freshman Tony DeMartinis father, Jack, lettered on the UCLA football team in 1974-75... SDSU s team physician and director of athletic medicine Dr. Greg Gastaldo received his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine... Several members of the UCLA coaching staff have ties to San Diego State... UCLA offensive coordinator Tom Cable served as a graduate assistant coach at San Diego State in 1989... Bruin wide receiver coach Dino Babers served in the same capacity at SDSU in 1994... Bryan Halsey, a UCLA graduate assistant coach in his second year at UCLA, is a 2001 graduate of SDSU... Chazeray Schilens (SDSU) and Junior Taylor (UCLA) are both from Mesa, Ariz. Season Openers San Diego State is 44-33-5 in 82 season openers, with a 20-15-1 mark during its Division I era. The Aztecs are a remarkable 17-2 in season openers at home since moving to the Division I ranks prior to the 1969 season. The lone losses during that stretch have come at the hands of Pac-10 opponents (10-7 to Arizona State in 2000 and 23-10 to Arizona in 2001). The Aztecs are 0-5 lifetime against UCLA in season openers (1925, 1933, 1934, 1987 and 1988), with two of the losses coming in the Divison I era. Against Pac-10 competition, SDSU is 2-6-1 in openers in the Division I era and 2-10-1 all-time. The Aztecs have dropped their last two season-openers against the league (see above). The last San Diego State season-opening win against the Pac-10 came on Sept. 2, 1995, when the Aztecs posted a 33-9 victory over California. That also marks the last time SDSU defeated a member of the Pac-10. Recent Season Openers (since 1990) Recent Home Openers (since 1990) Sept. 8, 1990 at Oregon L, 21-42 Sept. 15, 1990 Long Beach State W, 38-20 Sept. 8, 1991 Long Beach State W, 49-13 Sept. 8, 1991 Long Beach State W, 49-13 Sept. 5, 1992 vs. USC T, 31-31 Oct. 17, 1992 Texas-El Paso W, 49-27 Sept. 4, 1993 Cal St. Northridge W, 34-17 Sept. 4, 1993 Cal. St. Northridge W, 34-17 Sept. 3, 1994 Navy W, 56-14 Sept. 3, 1994 Navy W, 56-14 Sept. 2, 1995 California W, 33-9 Sept. 2, 1995 California W, 33-9 Sept. 7, 1996 Idaho W, 40-21 Sept. 7, 1996 Idaho W, 40-21 SDSU-UCLA Prep & Jr. College Connections A total of 37 players (21 San Diego State and 16 UCLA) were teammates in either high school or junior college. Birmingham High (Van Nuys, Calif) - Russell Allen and Siaosi Fifita (SDSU) and Dennis Keyes (UCLA) Bishop Amat High School (West Covina, Calif.) - Shane Russell, Jonathon Soto, Will Robinson (SDSU) and Jamel Greer, Wesley Walker (UCLA) Centennial High (Corona, Calif.) - Brett Martin (SDSU) and Danny Nelson (UCLA) Crenshaw High (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Jacob Elimimian (SDSU) and Chinonoso Anyanwu, Reggie Carter Aleksey Lanis (UCLA) Edison High School (Stockton, Calif.) - Lynell Hamilton, Brian Spinks (SDSU) and Brandon Breazell (UCLA) El Modena High (Anaheim, Calif.) - Nick Sandford (SDSU) and Michael Pitre (UCLA) La Costa Canyon High (Carlsbad, Calif.) - Kevin O'Connell, Jon Toledo, Joran Ohnstad (SDSU) and Philip Rauscher (UCLA) La Jolla High School (La Jolla, Calif.) - Matt Barbier (SDSU) and Will Peddie (UCLA) Palomar Junior College (San Marcos, Calif.) - Alex Thompson, Eder Arosemena, Taylor Schmidt and Chris Pino (SDSU) and Marko Dragovic (UCLA) Rancho Bernardo High School (San Diego, Calif.) - Frederick Amano (SDSU) and Nathaniel Skaggs (UCLA) Rancho Buena Vista High (Vista, Calif.) - Brandon Bornes (SDSU) and Marko Dragovic and Nikola Dragovic (UCLA) Santa Monica High (Santa Monica, Calif.) - Terrell Maze (SDSU) and Olukayode Oredugba (UCLA)
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 5 Rankings SDSU in the Computer Polls BL MS SA PS 78 75 76 S.4 S.11 S.18 S.25 O.2 O.9 O.16 O.23 O.30 N.6 N.13 N.20 N.27 D.4 Final BL - Billingsley, MS - Massey, SA - Sagarin. Bold indicates highest ranking that week. Sept. 5, 1997 Navy W, 45-31 Sept. 5, 1997 Navy W, 45-31 Sept. 7, 1998 Idaho W, 40-21 Sept. 7, 1998 Idaho W, 40-21 Sept. 4, 1999 South Florida W, 41-12 Sept. 4, 1999 South Florida W, 41-12 Aug. 31, 2000 Arizona State L, 7-10 Aug. 31, 2000 Arizona State L, 7-10 Aug. 30, 2001 Arizona L, 10-23 Aug., 30, 2001 Arizona L, 10-23 Tom Craft Era Tom Craft Era Aug. 29, 2002 at Fresno State L, 14-16 Sept. 14, 2002 Arizona State L, 28-39 Aug. 30, 2003 Eastern Washington W, 19-9 Aug. 30, 2003 Eastern Washington W, 19-9 Sept. 4, 2004 Idaho State W, 38-21 Sept. 4, 2004 Idaho State W, 38-21 Season Opener Bests A quick look at some of the best season-opening performances in San Diego State history (since the Division I era began in 1969). INDIVIDUAL Rushing Yards (12 100-yard games) 220, M. Faulk (vs. USC, 9/5/92) 181, M. Faulk (vs. CS Northridge, 9/4/93) 147, G. Jones (vs. California, 9/2/95) 145, L. Ned (vs. South Florida, 9/5/99) 137, R. Slack (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) 123, E. Steward (at No. Illinois, 9/12/70) 121, J. Watson (vs. Idaho, 9/7/96) 115, T.C. Wright (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) 113, L. Hamilton (vs. Eastern Washington., 8/30/03) 106, M. Franklin (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) 103, T. Booker (at Oregon, 9/8/90) 100, F. Geary (at Arizona, 9/14/74) 113, S. Stapler (at Missouri, 9/8/79) 109, J. Beautrow (at Air Force, 9/11/82) 101, S. Fogel (at Air Force, 9/11/82) 101, D. Pearson (vs. CS Fullerton, 9/10/77) Receptions 10, J. Webb (vs. Eastern Washington, 8/30/03) 10, J.R. Tolver (vs. Fresno State, 8/29/02) 10, M. Gilbreath (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) Receiving Touchdowns 2, R. Ortiz (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) 2, A. Hakim (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 2, W. Blackwell (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) SDSU Highest Computer Ranking of the Week Best PS 47th by Solecismic S.4 S.11 S.18 S.25 O.2 O.9 O.16 O.23 O.30 N.6 N.13 N.20 N.27 D.4 Final Rushing Attempts 27, M. Faulk (vs. CS Northridge, 9/4/93) 27, M. Faulk (vs. USC, 9/5/92) Rushing Touchdowns 3, G. Jones (vs. California, 9/2/95) 3, M. Faulk (vs. CS Northridge, 9/4/93) 3, M. Faulk (vs. USC, 9/5/92) Longest Run 74, R. Smith (vs. CS Fullerton, 9/10/77) (TD) Passing Yards (5 300-yard games) 371, K. McKechnie (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 361, D. McGwire (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) 359, M. Kofler (at Colorado St., 9/12/81) 330, T. Santos (vs. Long Beach St., 9/6/86) 306, B. Blanton (vs. Idaho, 9/7/96) Passing Attempts 57, J. Hawley (vs. Arizona St. 8/31/00) Passing Completions 35, M. Kofler (at Air Force, 9/11/82) Passing Touchdowns 4, K. McKechnie (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 4, T. Gutierrez (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) Longest Pass Play 78, K. McKechnie to T. Johnson (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) Receiving Yards (12 100-yard receiving games) 174, A. Hakim (vs. Idaho, 9/7/96) 173, I. Curtis (vs. Oregon St., 9/8/72) 172, A. Hakim (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 163, T. Johnson (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 158, J.R. Tolver (vs. Fresno State, 8/29/02) 127, K. Burrow (at No. Illinois, 9/12/70) 122, C. Penrose (at Arizona, 9/14/74) 114, W. Slaughter (vs. Long Beach St., 9/14/85) Best Punt Avg. (Min. 4 punts) 46.5, G. Roeszler, (at Iowa St., 9/16/78) Longest Punt 64, J. Santos (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) 62, M. Jezulin (at Brigham Young, 9/13/80) 58, B. Simnjanovski (vs. Fresno St., 8/29/02) Most Punt Return Yards 136, R. Peterson (vs. CS Northridge, 9/4/93) Longest Punt Return 86, M. Jacobs (vs. UTEP, 9/6/75) (TD) Most Kickoff Return Yards 136, M. Gilbreath (at UCLA, 9/5/87) Longest Kickoff Return 85, A. Hakim (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) (TD) Most Field Goals 4, P. Holt (vs. Idaho, 9/7/96) Longest Field Goal 50, M. Morales (at Tulsa, 9/3/83) 50, S. Duncan (vs. CS Fullerton, 9/10/77) Most Points Scored 18, A. Hakim (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 18, G. Jones (vs. California, 9/2/95) 18, M. Faulk (vs. CS Northridge, 9/4/93) 18, M. Faulk (vs. USC, 9/5/92) Most Tackles 17, E. Imo (vs. CS Fullerton, 9/10/77) 16, J. McChristian (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 16, H. Brohn (at Tulsa, 9/3/83) 16. W. Walton (vs. CS Fullerton, 9/10/77)
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 6 Awards SDSU MWC Player of the Week Nominees Offense UCLA Air Force Ohio State SJSU BYU UNLV Utah New Mexico YCU CSU Wyoming Hawii Defense UCLA Air Force Ohio State SJSU BYU UNLV Utah New Mexico YCU CSU Wyoming Hawii Specialist UCLA Air Force Ohio State SJSU BYU UNLV Utah New Mexico YCU CSU Wyoming Hawii Bold indicates player won award. Most Interceptions 2, E. Kertel (at Arizona, 9/14/74) 2, G. Ohnesorgen (at Utah St., 9/22/73) Most Pass Breakups 4, M. Mitchell (vs. Long Beach St., 9/14/85) Most Sacks 3, K. Gbaja-Biamila (vs. South Florida, 9/5/99) Most Fumble Recoveries 2, T. Nixon (at Air Force, 9/1/84) TEAM Most Points 56, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) 49, (vs. USC, 9/5/92) 49, (vs. CS Los Angeles, 9/27/69) Most Points in 1st Quarter 24, (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) Most Points in 2nd Quarter 28, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) Most Points in 3rd Quarter 30, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) Most Points in 4th Quarter 10, (vs. South Florida, 9/5/99) Most Points in One Quarter 30, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) (3rd) Most Points in 1st Half 42, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) 31, (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) Most Points in 2nd Half 36, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) Most Points in One Half 42, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) Largest Margin of Victory 49, (vs. CS Los Angeles, 9/27/69) Most First Downs 30, (at Iowa St., 9/16/78) Most Rushing Attempts 53, (at Iowa St., 9/16/78) 51, (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) Most Rushing Touchdowns 4, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) 4, (vs. CS Los Angeles, 9/27/69) Most Passing Yards 371, (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) Fewest Passing Yards Allowed 11, (at Iowa St., 9/16/78) 58, (at No. Illinois, 9/12/70) 59, (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) 73, (vs. UTEP, 9/6/75) Most Passing Attempts 57, (vs. Arizona St., 8/31/00) Most Passing Completions 35, (at Colorado St., 9/12/81) Fewest Interceptions 0, (vs. Fresno St., 8/29/02) 0, (vs. Idaho, 9/7/96) 0, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) 0, (vs. CS Northridge, 9/4/93) 0, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) 0, (at Oregon, 9/8/90) 0, (at UCLA, 9/3/88) 0, (vs. CS Los Angeles, 9/27/69) Most Def. Interceptions 4, (vs. Idaho, 9/7/96) Most Total Yards 581, (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) 546, (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) 518, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) 512, (vs. CS Los Angeles, 9/27/69) 503, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) Fewest Total Yards Allowed 125, (vs. CS Los Angeles, 9/27/69) 184, (vs. Oregon St., 9/8/72) 194, (vs. UTEP, 9/6/75) 198, (at No. Illinois, 9/12/70) Fewest Fumbles Lost 0, (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) 0, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) 0, (vs. USC, 9/5/92) 0, (at Oregon, 9/8/90) 0, (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) 0, (at UCLA, 9/3/88) 0, (at Air Force, 9/11/82) 0, (at Colorado St., 9/12/81) 0, (vs. CS Fullerton, 9/10/77) 0, (at No. Illinois, 9/12/70) Fewest Punts 2, (vs. Navy, 9/5/97) 2, (vs. UTEP, 9/6/75) Longest Possession Time 35:32, (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) Most Third-Down Conversions 9, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/8/91) Most Sacks 6, (vs. South Florida, 9/5/99) 6, (vs. California, 9/2/95) Fewest Sacks Allowed 0, (vs. Eastern Washington, 8/30/03) 0, (vs. South Florida, 9/5/99) 0, (vs. Air Force, 9/2/89) Most Rushing Yards 290, (vs. Idaho St., 9/4/04) Most Fumble Recoveries 5, (vs. Oregon St., 9/8/72) Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed -44, (vs. CS Los Angeles, 9/27/69) 11, (vs. Long Beach St., 9/6/86) 31, (vs. Idaho, 9/7/96) 36, (vs. South Florida, 9/5/99) 38, (vs. Fresno St., 8/29/02) Fewest Turnovers 0, (vs. Navy, 9/3/94) 0, (at Oregon, 9/8/90) Fewest Penalties 2, (at Air Force, 9/1/84) Fewest Penalty Yards 25, (at Air Force, 9/1/84)
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 7 Craft Era CRAFT 2005 ERA STK Overall 0-0 14-22 W2 MWC 0-0 9-12 W1 LOCATION Home 0-0 9-7 W1 Away 0-0 5-15 W1 MONTH August 0-0 1-1 W1 September 0-0 4-7 L1 October 0-0 4-8 L5 November 0-0 5-5 W2 December 0-0 0-1 L1 COMPARISON More 1st Dns 0-0 7-11 L4 More ToP 0-0 8-6 W1 Fewer Pens. 0-0 2-10 L1 Fewer TOs 0-0 9-6 W2 Equal TOs 0-0 0-2 L3 More TOs 0-0 5-14 L6 OFFENSE 500+Total Off. 0-0 2-2 W2 200+Rushing 0-0 4-0 W4 300-Passer 0-0 2-5 L2 100-Rusher 0-0 9-4 W1 100-Receiver 0-0 4-10 L2 No Turnovers 0-0 1-1 W1 No Ints. 0-0 2-4 W2 No Fumb. Lost 0-0 7-5 L2 DEFENSE <300-yd Total Off. 0-0 8-6 W1 <200-yd Passing 0-0 9-11 W1 <100-yd Rushing 0-0 6-4 W1 4 or more TOs 0-0 5-4 W2 2 or more Ints. 0-0 8-3 W3 2 or more FR 0-0 4-4 W4 3 or more Sacks 0-0 5-8 W1 Def. Scores 0-0 4-4 W1 SPECIAL TEAMS 100+yds Returns 0-0 5-6 W1 Scores TD 0-0 2-0 W2 AZTECS Scoring First 0-0 13-9 W2 Lead After 1Q 0-0 9-2 W4 Tied After 1Q 0-0 5-6 W2 Trail After 1Q 0-0 0-14 L14 Lead at Half 0-0 9-6 W1 Tied at Half 0-0 1-1 W1 Trail at Half 0-0 4-15 W1 Lead After 3Q 0-0 13-2 W9 Tied After 3Q 0-0 0-1 L1 Trail After 3Q 0-0 1-19 L1 Forever Young If the depth chart holds on Saturday, San Diego State will start the fewest number of upperclassmen in a decade. On the current two-deep, SDSU has a mere eight seniors and five juniors in the starting offensive and defensive units. The last time an Aztec squad started 13 or fewer upperclassmen was Sept. 2, 1995 against California when SDSU started seven seniors and five juniors. SDSU defeated the Golden Bears 33-9 that night at home and went on to post an 8-4 season. Included in the starting lineup that night were future NFL players Will Blackwell, Kyle Turley, Az Hakim and La Roi Glover. The complete starting lineup from the game is listed below. Offense Defense SE Will Blackwell, So. LE Roger Blake, Sr. LT Ephraim Salaam, So. LT La' Roi Glover, Sr. LG Robert Whitman, So. RT Doug Tom, Sr. C Dan Nilsen, So. RE Avo Avetisyan, Sr. RG Chris Finch, Sr. OLB Sam Lawanson, Jr. RT Kyle Turley, So. MLB Joey Tuipala, Fr.-RS TE Zach Smith, Sr. OLB Craigus Thompson, Jr. FL Az Hakim, So. LCB Eric Lewis, Fr.-RS QB Billy Blanton, Jr. SS Julius McChristian, So. RB George Jones, Jr. WS Jason Moore, So. HB Ray Peterson, Sr. RCB Ricky Parker, Jr. Feels Like The First Time In keeping with the youth movement theme, six players currently at the number one spot on the depth chart are scheduled to make their first career start against UCLA, including five on defense (flanker Chazeray Schilens, defensive tackle Nick Osborn, strong-side linebacker Andrew Schantz, middle linebacker Freddy Keiaho, strong safety Reggie Grigsby and cornerback Terrell Maze). In addition, the first teamers have a combined total of 145 career starts (99 on offense and 46 on defense). That sounds like a high total until you divide it by 22 players to get an average of 6.6 starts per player. On defense, the number drops to 4.2 starts per player. That figure is still misleading because of a couple of high totals. On offense, center Jasper Harvey has 22 career starts, split end Jeff Webb has 19 career starts, left guard Taylor Schmidt and slot receiver Robert Ortiz each have 11 career starts. The four players account for 63 career starts, while the other seven combine for just 36 starts. On defense, seven players are scheduled to make either their first career start (players listed above), their second career start (cornerback Donny Baker) or their third career start (weak-side linebacker Joe Martin and defensive end Antwan Applewhite). Only three players on the defensive side of the ball have made more than two career starts (nose tackle Jonathan Bailes (19), free safety Marcus Demps (17) and defensive end Kurt Kahui (6)). Last season, SDSU special teams consisted of collegiate rookies at the snapper, holder, punter and place kicking positions. This year it will be all sophomores all the time as snapper Tyler Schmitt, holder and starting quarterback Kevin O'Connell, place-kicker Garrett Palmer and punter Michael Hughes all reprise their roles as sophomores. Youth Movement Another example of how young San Diego State is can be found in the number of senior starts. The Aztecs currently have eight seniors at the number one position on the depth chart. A survey of sports information directors showed that only 13 schools in the country expect to start fewer seniors in the season opener. In addition, three SDSU senior starers have combined to start just 10 games. Middle linebacker Freddy Keiaho will be making his first career start and classmates left tackle Chris Pino (four career starts) and defensive end Kurt Kahui (six career starts) are relatively new to the starting lineup. Although starting just 13 upperclassmen is unusual for SDSU standards, starting only eight seniors is not. Six times in the last 11 years (including this season) the Aztecs have had eight or fewer seniors on the field. In fact, in 1998, just four seniors opened the game against Idaho (a 40-21 SDSU victory). Rookie Starters There are 14 players in the current two-deep who could see action for the first time on Saturday. The only player currently with the starting group that has never seen game action before is redshirt freshman Andrew Schantz at strong-side linebacker. Youth Movement Below is a look at SDSU s projected starters by class. Off. Def. Tot. Seniors 5 3 8 Juniors 0 5 5 Sophomores 6 2 8 Freshmen 0 1 1 TOTALS 11 11 22 Opening Night Upperclassmen Starters Below is a look at SDSU s seniors, juniors and upper-classmen for San Diego State in the season opening game. The figures below include starting offense and defense players (22 total) and do not include specialists. Sr. Jr. Total 1995 7 5 12 1996 5 13 18 1997 14 4 18 1998 4 14 18 1999 16 4 20 2000 7 9 16 2001 12 6 18 2002 10 5 15 2003 8 7 15 2004 10 6 16 2005 8 5 13 The 2005 numbers are projections off the two-deep. Fewest Senior Starters in 05 Rk. Team No. 1. Rice 3 2. Cincinnati 5 Central Florida 5 Illinois 5 Kansas State 5 6. Connecticut 6 Florida State 6 Fresno State 6 Navy 6 Wake Forest 6 11. Baylor 7 Louisiana-Lafayette 7 Tulsa 7 14. SDSU 8 others tied at 8 Other players currently on the two-deep who have yet to play in a game include junior left guard Robert Nelson, right tackle Eric Rouser, true freshman flanker DeMarco Sampson, junior split end Justin Amaral, freshman quarterback Darren Mougey, freshman defensive end Siaosi Fifita, junior defensive tackle Josh Ulibarri, freshman defensive tackle
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 8 The L-Train SDSU Career Rushing Yards Name Yards 1. Marshall Faulk 4,589 2. Larry Ned 3,562 3. Jonas Lewis 2,843 4. George Jones 2,810 5. Norm Nygaard 2,619 6. Wayne Pittman 2,389 7. Chris Hardy 2,341 8. David Turner 2,234 9. Paul Hewitt 2,056 10. Ken Carson 1,911 --- -- Michael Franklin 1,180 -- Lynell Hamilton 1,087 -- Brandon Bornes 578 SDSU Career 200- Yard Rushing Games Name Games 1. Marshall Faulk 7 2. George Jones 4 Larry Ned 4 4. Lynell Hamilton 2 Chris Hardy 2 Paul Hewitt 2 David Turner 2 8. 9 tied with 1 SDSU Most Rushing Yards First 10 Games of Career (Div. I Era) Name Yards 1. George Jones 1,591 2. Marshall Faulk 1,429 3. David Turner 1,126 4. Lynell Hamilton 1,087 5. Tony Allen 1,034 SDSU Career 200- Yard Rushing Games in First 10 Games of Career Name Games 1. George Jones 3 2. Lynell Hamilton 2 Marshall Faulk 2 David Turner 2 Peter Nelson, junior nose tackle Ornan Nwansi, freshman nose tackle Mike Schmidt, defensive end Tony DeMartinis, freshman middle linebacker Russell Allen and freshman free safety T.J. McKay. Big Crowd Expected for Opening Night As of Sunday afternoon, more than 35,000 tickets were out for Saturday s seasonopening game against UCLA. That figure does not include SDSU students, who can begin picking up tickets on Monday, or sales from the UCLA ticket office. The 35,000 figure already surpasses the crowd the last time the teams got together in 2002 when 33,610 attended the game. The strong sales numbers continue as SDSU has already surpassed 45,000 tickets out for the Sept. 24 game against San Jose State which will feature the annual KGB SkyShow. There are more than 30,000 tickets out for the third home game on Oct. 1 against Brigham Young, despite the fact the game is more than a month away. Last season, SDSU averaged 35,995 fans per game, the school s highest average since 1993. SDSU home average increase of 13,369 over the 2003 average, represented the third largest increase in home attendance in the nation in 2004. The large attendance has helped SDSU on the field as well. The Aztecs are 9-5 in their last 14 home games dating back to the conference portion of the 2002 season. Tom Craft has guided San Diego State to winning records at Qualcomm Stadium each of the past two seasons after the Aztecs went four consecutive years (1999-00-01-02) without posting a single winning record at the Q. The Aztecs have drawn 30,000 or more fans to four of the last five home games, and that stretch will grow to seven of the last eight with crowds of more than 30,000 already guaranteed for UCLA, San Jose State and Brigham Young. Progress as Promised Entering his fourth season at the helm, Tom Craft has breathed life into the football program at his alma mater. In his first three seasons, Craft has won three more games and more than double the amount of wins at homes as the Aztecs had in the three seasons before Craft (1999-00-01). Below is a look at the before and after: Close Record Conf. Home Away Losses Craft Era (3 Seasons) 14-22 9-12 9-7 5-15 7 Previous 3 Seasons 11-22 8-13 4-12 7-10 5 Close losses are those games lost by eight points or less. Of the 22 losses in the last three seasons, five have come to nationally-ranked teams (at Colorado, Colorado State, at Ohio State, at Michigan and Utah). Take those games away and the Aztecs have played near.500 football the last three seasons (14-17). Also, SDSU opened the 2002 campaign with five straight losses, meaning the last two-and-a-half years the Aztecs are 14-17 against all teams, and 14-13 against non-ranked teams since Oct. 12, 2002. In his three seasons at the helm, Craft has guided the Aztecs offense to upper-half NCAA finishes in total offense, including a ranking of 29 in 2002. He has been equally impressive on the other side of the ball, posting two upper-half NCAA finishes in total defense, including a number eight national ranking in 2003. Last season, despite near catastrpohic injuries, the Aztecs finished in the top-half of both total offense and total defense charts for the first itme since 1999. Come on Ride The Train Sophomore running back Lynell Hamilton is back. After breaking his ankle in the 10th game of his 2003 freshman season, the Stockton, Calif. product is back after more than a full year off to recover from a broken right ankle and right fibula suffered in the game at UNLV on Nov. 8, 2003. Hamilton rushed for 1,087 yards on 234 carries in 2003, He averaged 108.7 yards per game and had four rushing touchdowns. Despite an injury cutting his season short, Hamilton earned firstteam freshman All-America honors by The Sporting News and Rivals.com in 2003. He was the only freshman offensive player that season named to a conference first team and he became just the second player in Mountain West Conference history to earn first-team all-league accolades as a freshman. A look at some of the more impressive numbers Hamilton has compiled in just 10 career games: The Aztecs are 4-0 when he reaches 100 yards rushing, averaging 28.8 points in those games. In games in which Hamilton has played, SDSU is 5-0 when he rushes for 94 or more yards and 0-5 when he is held below 94 yards rushing. Largest Home Crowds Rk. Opponent Year Att. 1. Idaho State 04 57,216 2. Brigham Young 91 56,737 3. Arizona 75 53,611 4. USC 92 52,168 5. Miami 92 52,108 6. Florida State 77 50,453 7. UCLA 86 50,338 8. UCLA 84 50,318 9. Hawai i 92 50,021 10. North Texas 69 48,817 11. Pacific 69 48,632 04 Largest Home Att. Increases Rk. Opponent Avg. Inc. 1. California 25,714 2. Texas-El Paso 21,200 3. SDSU 13,369 4. Arizona State 8,393 5. USC 7,425 NCAA Rankings Below is alook at SDSU s projected starters by class. Nat l Ranking Tot. Off. Tot. Def. 2000 103 45 2001 98 34 Craft Era 2002 29 95 2003 88 8 2004 56 52 Hamilton By Quarter Lynell Hamilton s career rushing yardage by quarter. 2003 1 2 3 4 Tot. EWU 3 17 68 25-113 at OSU 37 15 7 10-69 at UTEP 18 26 62 1-107 Samford 108 55 57 nc - 220 at UCLA 31 31 15 10-87 BYU 33 20 19 2-74 at Utah 18 22 9 nc - 49 UNM 30 8 7 11-56 Wyo. 81 48 23 66-218 at UNLV 39 23 30 2-94 at CSU - injured AFA - injured nc - no carries that quarter.
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 9 The NFL The following 26 former San Diego State players were on NFL rosters when camp began. Obafemi Ayanbadejo 6 years (Arizona Cardinals) Brendan Darby 1 year (San Francisco 49ers, currently in NFL Europe) Will Demps 4 years (Baltimore Ravens) Heath Farwell rookie (Minnesota Vikings) Marshall Faulk 12 years (St. Louis Rams) Akbar Gbaja-Biamila 3 years (Oakland Raiders) Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila 6 years (Green Bay Packers) La'Roi Glover 10 years (Dallas Cowboys) Robert Griffith 12 years (Arizona Cardinals) Az-Zahir Hakim 8 years (New Orleans Saints) Jonathan Ingram 2 years (Kansas City Chiefs) Mike Kracalik rookie (New York Jets) Stephen Larsen rookie (Chicago Bears) Derrick Lewis 2 years (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Matt McCoy rookie (Philadelphia Eagles) Kirk Morrison rookie (Oakland Raiders) Kassim Osgood 3 years (San Diego Chargers) Chester Pitts 4 years (Houston Texans) Devin Pitts rookie (Houston Texans) Brian Russell 4 years (Cleveland Browns) Ephraim Salaam 8 years (Jacksonville Jaguars) Jeff Shoate 2 years (Denver Broncos) Brian Simnjanovski 1 year (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) J.R. Tolver 2 years (Carolina Panthers) Joe Tuipala 3 years (Washington Redskins) Marviel Underwood rookie (Green Bay Packers) Hamilton has enjoyed his playing time at Qualcomm Stadium. In five career games in the Q, the sophomore has three 100-yard games and two 200-yard contests. In all, he has averaged 136.2 yards rushing per game on 5.1 yards per carry, with all four career touchdowns coming at home. Of the 38 quarters in which he has recorded a rush, he has seven quarters with at least 50 rushing yards, including a remarkable 108 yards rushing in the first quarter of the game against Samford. Despite playing only 10 games as a freshman, his 1,087 yards rushing is the 11th highest total in school history and the second best total by a freshman trailing only Marshall Faulk (1,630). Hamilton s 1,087-yard total is the fourth highest in school history following the first 10 games of a player s career. Of the three people in front of him (page 8), only Marshall Faulk s first 10 games occurred during his freshman campaign. Meet The Three-Headed Monster As if sophomore Lynell Hamilton wasn t enough, the Aztecs have quality depth at the running back spot with senior Michael Franklin (left) and sophomore Brandon Bornes (right) in the backfield. Last season with Hamilton sidelined, Bornes and Franklin combined to carry 240 times for 1,041 yards and eight touchdowns. The back by committee system worked for the Aztecs as Bornes and Franklin both played in every game and were able to overcome major injuries to the offensive line to combine to post a 1,000-yard rushing season. Bornes, a powerful and bruising runner, carried 133 times for a team-high 578 yards. He had a sensational fall camp and will certainly see time in the Aztec backfield in 2005. Franklin, an undersized back at 5-7 and 180 pounds, is a quick, darty runner with the ability to change direction and speed simultaneously. Last season, he carried 107 times for 463 yards and enters his senior campaign with 1,180 yards. His style is a great change of pace to that of the other two backs. Combine the career total of all three backs and you may have one of the most impressive trios in the backfield in the country. The three backs have produced 2,845 yards and 15 touchdowns in five total seasons. O Connell Takes the Reigns Sophomore Kevin O Connell, who started the final five games of 2003 season, emerged from a quarterback duel with freshman Darren Mougey and was named the Aztecs starting quarterback on Sunday, Aug, 21, following the second scrimmage. O Connell played in nine games as a redshirt freshman, and started the final five games of the campaign. For the season, he passed for 1,328 yards and the dual-threat quarterback added 347 rushing yards. The learning curve was quick for O Connell who produced veteran type numbers in the final two games last season and in just his fourth and fifth career starts. In those two SDSU wins, he was 33-of-57 (57.9 percent) with 407 yards, two touchdowns and just one interception. Other impressive tidbits from his first season. O Connell did not throw an interception in his final game last season and enters the season having gone 47 attempts without an interception. After throwing nine picks in his first 189 attempts (one interception every 21.0 attempts), he has no interceptions in his last 47 attempts. Has a touchdown pass in six consecutive games. In his career, he has a touchdown pass in every game when he has at least 14 attempts. Rushed for 101 yards against Brigham Young last season to become just the third quarterback in SDSU history to rush for 100 yards (joined Matt Kofler 102 vs. New Mexico on 11-22-80 and Joe Turpin 116 vs. Cal Poly SLO on 9-30-67). Hamilton Home at the Q Hamilton s career number broken down by home and away games. 2003 G Att. Yds. TD Avg. Home 5 134 681 4 5.1 Away 5 100 406 0 4.1 Rushing yards per game - Home 136.2, Away 81.2. Run MLB The career totals for Michael Franklin, Lynell Hamilton and Brandon Bornes. Run MLB has combined for 2,845 career yards. G Att. Yds. TD PC Franklin 33 255 1180 5 4.6 Hamilton 10 234 1087 4 4.6 Bornes 11 133 578 6 4.3 Totals 54 622 2845 15 4.6 Coming of Age It didn t take long for Kevin O Connell to get acclimated to college football. As a freshman, he showed dramatic improvements from his first four games (all in a relief performance), to his first three starts and to his final two starts of the 2004 season (both SDSU wins). A-C-I Yds. TD First 4 gms. 57-24-2 275 2 First 3 starts 122-58-6 646 4 Last 2 starts 57-33-1 407 3 Totals 236-115-9 1328 9 Pct. QB Rat. First 4 gms. 42.1 87.19 First 3 starts 47.5 93.00 Last 2 starts 57.9 131.73 Totals 48.7 100.95 In that game against Brigham Young, he became the first player in SDSU history to pass for 200 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game. His quarterback rating of 101.0 ranked fifth among all freshmen nationally, trailing only Oklahoma State s Donovan Woods, Michigan s Chad Henne, Iowa State s Brett Meyer and Washington State s Alex Brink. Of the four freshmen in front of O Connell last season, three went to bowl games. How well did O Connell play in the final two starts? His 131.73 quarterback rating would have ranked 45th nationally and second in the Mountain West (behind Alex Smith) for the season.
SDSU Game Notes vs. UCLA - Page 10 Harvey Going for Hardware San Diego State senior center Jasper Harvey is one of 39 players who have been named to the Rimington Trophy watch list. This is the second consecutive season that Harvey has been named to the national list. Harvey is one of 30 seniors on the list and is one of six Mountain West Conference centers to be considered for the award. The six-year old trophy, named after former two-time Nebraska All-American and Cincinnati Bengals center Dave Rimington, is awarded annually to college football's top center in the country. SDSU on the Rimington Award Watch List 2002 Johnathan Ingram 2003 Jasper Harvey 2004 Jasper Harvey The Rimington Trophy recipient is determined by a consensus of The Walter Camp Football Foundation, America Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America and "The Sporting News." This is the third time in four seasons that a SDSU player has been named to the Rimington Trophy watch list as former Aztec Johnathan Ingram was recognized in 2002. Aztec History: September 3 San Diego State owns a 1-2 mark in games played in their history on September 3. In 1983, the Aztecs suffered a 34-9 loss at Tulsa and in 1988 on the date fell at UCLA 59-6. The fifth-ranked Bruins got 122 yards rushing from Eric Ball and Troy Aikman was 13-of-17 for 155 yards and three touchdowns passing. San Diego State won its last contest played on the date in 1994 defeating Navy 56-14. Historically football has started later in September but the trend of opening play on Labor Day weekend started in the mid 1980s. That is the reason that SDSU will playing for just the fourth time on September 3rd in school history. Next week, SDSU will open Mountain West Conference play at Air Force. The Sept. 10 date will mark the earliest San Diego State has played a conference game since 1992, when the Aztecs won at Brigham Young, 45-38. The last time an SDSU squad played a conference game prior to Sept. 10, was in 1989 when the Aztecs opened the WAC season with a 52-36 loss at Air Force on Sept. 2.