*** NCAA Football Preview - San Diego State ***
From The My Sportsbook
By Gregg Xenakes, College Football Staff Writer
2003 SEASON IN REVIEW: In 2002 the Aztecs and head coach Tom Craft had one of the more potent passing attacks in not just the Mountain West Conference but in all of Division I-A, but the squad failed to have an effective rushing attack. Last year the roles were reversed as the team put up substantial yards on the ground but couldn't seem to get the aerial attack on track. The squad started off 2003 with a record of 3-1 and could have easily been a perfect 4-0 had they not dropped a tight 16-13 decision on the road to the defending national champion Ohio State. Unfortunately, victories over the likes of Eastern Washington, UTEP and Samford did little to impress people. Consecutive losses to UCLA, BYU, Utah and New Mexico over the next month were hard to overcome, although SDSU did finish out the year quite strong with conference wins over Wyoming, UNLV and Air Force, the lone setback over the final four games being a 21-6 defeat against Colorado State. The Aztecs posted a pair of shutouts (the Rebels and Miners) which is why they surrendered an average of just 17.3 ppg and had one of the strongest defenses in the league while giving up less than 290 yards a game in total offense.
2004 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: Junior quarterback Matt Dlugolecki is entering his third season in the San Diego State program and seems to have all the tools to get the team back on track and into contention for the MWC title in 2004. Last year he nearly pulled off the unthinkable against Ohio State, so why can't he be the savior this time around? Dlugolecki may have had twice as many interceptions (eight) as he had touchdown passes (four) last year, but that didn't stop him from completing better than 58 percent of his attempts and constantly trying the make the big play happen, which is something that should take place several times this season. While Dlugolecki has a couple of returning starters to search out downfield (wide receivers Devin Pitts and Jeff Webb), the offense again will be built around the running exploits of Lynell Hamilton. A first-team All-MWC performer and a freshman All-America, Hamilton averaged 108.7 ypg on the ground last season and carried the ball nearly three times as much as his closest teammate. He missed the last two games of the campaign after breaking his ankle, which means if he is completely healed now he could easily break any number of Marshall Faulk's team records. Obviously the offensive line will have a lot to do with his success, or failure, with two returning starters (Jasper Harvey and Mike Kracalik) back to shoulder the load and clear the road. He may not be a returning starter for the Aztecs, but you can be sure that junior lineman Robert Nelson is going to draw a lot of attention from everyone when he straps on the pads and heads out onto the gridiron in 2003. A transfer from Scottsdale Community College, Nelson will be blocking for his skilled teammates in Southern California with his 6-10 frame, which might make him the tallest player in college football in 2004.
DEFENSE: Defensive line could be a problem for the Aztecs this season, with just one returning starter able to come back to the fold, and in this case it is sophomore tackle Jonathan Bailes, which means he has very limited experience. Freddie McCutcheon, who missed all of 2003 because of academics, showed some impressive skills as a true freshman in 2002, and should be back this year to move forward with his development. While San Diego State might be lacking on the front line, the middle of the field and the secondary is chock full of experienced performers who can easily take over a game if the opportunity is presented to them. Senior linebacker Kirk Morrison, who had flirted with the idea of turning pro after last season, is back to anchor a squad that he hopes to lead to the postseason. Morrison, the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2003, also earned All-American recognition for his tenacious pursuit and aggressive play. Joining Morrison is Matt McCoy after he led the conference in tackles a season ago, with Stephen Larsen and Heath Farwell also getting their share of hits. In the secondary, an area which has been exploited by offenses in recent years, the Aztecs at least have the comfort of knowing that six of the top seven players at defensive back are set to make a return. Honorable mention All-MWC selections Jacob Elimimian at cornerback and Marviel Underwood at safety should have opponents thinking twice about trying to take that approach in 2004, especially since the former had four interceptions and returned one of those for a touchdown.
SPECIAL TEAMS: If it's not one thing it's another for the Aztecs, who this season may have a competent rushing-passing attack, but lack a returning kicker in the special teams department. Michael Hughes appears to be a lock for the punting position, while Ryan Bowling assumes the spot at placekicker. Garrett Palmer would be the backup at the position, which means the top three kickers for the Aztecs this season are all freshmen, a scary scenario for a team destined to move forward and not back.
OUTLOOK: Experts are expecting a lot from the Aztecs this season, and so is the team itself. A meeting with Idaho State in the season-opener should get SDSU off on the right foot, but a game at Michigan in the middle of September, with a date against UCLA on the road two weeks later, could set the team up for a disappointing first half of the season against non-conference opponents. Getting home dates versus Colorado State, Utah and UNLV down the stretch will certainly help the group in its pursuit of a postseason berth for the first time since the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl loss to North Carolina.
