Remember hearing about that exciting new Aztecs offense that was supposed to replace the
old, boring run-and-defense game?
Not so fast, Aztecs fans.
After an offseason of hype about a new coach and an up-tempo offense that would light up
the scoreboard, San Diego State on Saturday kicked off its new season much in the same way the team has for several years.
Their rushing attack and a stingy defense kept them in the game against Texas
A&M-Commerce at Snapdragon Stadium until they shifted to a new gear in the second half, turning in some explosive plays to claim a 45-14 victory and start a new era of Aztecs football.
“Found a way to play much, much better in the second half,” said new head coach Sean Lewis.
The Aztecs came in trying to erase the memory of a 4-8 season last year, seeking to
energize their fans not just with a new offense and head coach, but a rebuilt team with 55
newcomers.
The Lions, though, starting just their third year in NCAA Division I, came in as a nearly
five-touchdown underdog in the first football game between the two schools.
The Aztecs lost the coin toss and began their first drive, but went three and out, turning the
ball over on downs. The Lions couldn’t do much either, and they too turned the ball over to the
Aztecs for their second series.
But SDSU was again shut down and by the end of their second series, their vaunted
offense had gained a total of 11 yards, including three negative yards passing.
Danny O’Neil, the true freshman who had been named starting quarterback just a week ago,
struggled early, overthrowing receivers, leading to several incompletions.
The Aztecs finally started to get in a rhythm and in a faster tempo as the end of the first quarter approached, driving 48 yards in 5:27 for a 50-yard field goal by new kicker Gabriel
Plascencia.
Meanwhile, the Aztecs defense held the Lions at bay, even forcing them to substitute
quarterbacks. But Texas A&M-Commerce broke through toward the end of the
second quarter with a rushing touchdown. A missed extra point left the score 6-3 Lions at the end of the half.
Texas A&M-Commerce started the second half by again turning their starting quarterback, Eric Rodriguez, but they were forced to punt and the Aztecs finally benefitted from some big plays.
Transfer running back Marquez Cooper, who entered the game as the active leader in FBS in
rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, ran up the sideline for a 47-yard TD to make it 10-6 Aztecs.
Then, on their next possession, Texas A&M-Commerce made a critical mistake as Rodriguez
fumbled. The ball was recovered in the end zone by Aztecs linebacker Tano Letuli for a
touchdown.
“It was awesome,” said Letuli. “That was my first college touchdown. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
A missed extra point made it 16-6 Aztecs.
There was more to come, including a 44-yard touchdown pass by O’Neil to wide receiver Louis Brown IV, followed immediately by a two-point conversion run by tight end Michael Harrison that gave the Aztecs a 24-6 lead halfway through the third quarter.
Texas A&M scored a quick touchdown and conversion to make it 24-14. But the Aztecs scored
again, this time sparked by a 38-year run by Cooper, which pushed him over 4,000 total
yards in his career.
Cooper later added a 7-yard touchdown run up the middle to make it 31-14 Aztecs.
“I feel great,” said Cooper. “But I feel more good about how my teammates responded and the
coaches responded to the first half. The first half was rough.”
The Aztecs would add another score on a 45-yard interception, returned for a touchdown by senior safety JD Coffey III.
With a 38-14 lead, O’Neil added an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jordan Napier for the final 45-14 score.
After the game, Lewis lamented the team’s 15 penalties and said there was room for
improvement. Cooper called the first half a wake-up call.
Added Letuli: “Today was a good start, but it’s nowhere close to where we want to be.”
NOTES: After a slow start, quarterback O’Neil finished with 214 passing yards and two
touchdowns … Cooper had a monster game, rushing for 223 yards and two touchdowns … So
much has been made of the new Aztecs offense, but the defense had a strong game. It was
credited with four sacks, one interception for a touchdown, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
