Relatively pleased fans of San Diego State football who left last Saturday's 38-28 loss to BYU must have been awfully confused listening to coach Brady Hoke's comments that he was embarrassed by the performance of his team, which didn't play to win.
That was a bit of a head-scratcher, because the fans witnessed the belated arrival of the passing game and pressed a ranked team nearly all the way to the end. There was enough adversity to send some of Chuck Long's teams into a 50-point tank, yet it didn't happen. That the defense gave up more than 500 yards to the Cougars was as much a testament to how good they are on offense and the fact that QB Max Hall is at least a small part of the discussion about the Heisman Trophy.
If Brady Hoke left Qualcomm Stadium last Saturday embarrassed, he was one of the few. After chewing over his statements for a couple of days, I think I've stumbled on an explanation: he thinks his Aztecs are ready for the next step.
When Hoke arrived last December, he talked about his first priority being instilling physical and mental toughness back into the program. After looking at the first six games, 2-4 record or no, I'd say mission accomplished. The BYU game is a shining example. That huge Cougar RB, Harvey Unga, gained barely 3 yards per carry in something like 26 totes. He's been the type of guy who ran all over the Aztecs in previous seasons. Also, SDSU held in two 4th-and-short situations and I'm not sure anyone has converted such a play against the Aztecs this year in at least four tries (no I don't have time now to check the stats -- feel free).
So while we're celebrating the toughness exhibited by the Aztecs last week, it appears to me that Brady Hoke is moving on to the next step of overall concepts: getting the Aztecs to play winning football. Enough with the close games. Let's win some.
Again, the BYU game is a great example. Hoke talks about arm-tackling and whether the players believe they can tackle good opponents the way they're supposed to. I look at the BYU game and see two plays that made the difference, another horrible interception thrown by QB Ryan Lindley at the goal line that cost them a TD and the defense not being mentally alert in allowing Hall to walk into the end zone after he pretended to spike the ball at the two. That's a 14-point swing right there. Toss in some dropped third-down passes and there you go. The UCLA and Idaho losses also swung on just a couple of key plays. Eliminate those and you're playing winning football.
Hoke must think the Aztecs are getting close. We'll see.
The transition to this new stage of development comes at a good time. SDSU travels to Colorado State Saturday, and the Rams have lost four straight games. Then 0-6 New Mexico comes to town. Win those two and the Aztecs are 4-4 and who knows.
It will be tougher than it sounds. The Aztecs haven't won on the road since 2007 and the Rams have beaten Colorado of the Big 12, have an experienced offensive line and a wide receiver with the ability to destroy a weak SDSU secondary. New Mexico will be a blood bath perfectly suited for Halloween as both teams get hyped over the presence of Aztecs defensive coordinator Rocky Long, the former Lobos head coach. If they still hold bowl hopes, they better win the two games because TCU is up next and Utah isn't too far down the road.
Hoke might think the Aztecs are ready for the next step. The only question is when the team is able to take it.
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