The primary signal of San Diego State's gridiron improvement in 2010 is that previous editions of the Aztecs would not have held up to Wyoming on Saturday. Instead, SDSU gutted out a 48-38 victory in Laramie and, in so doing, became bowl-eligible with a 6-2 record.
It was just a year ago that the Aztecs blew a 27-6 fourth quarter lead to the Cowboys at Qualcomm Stadium in a loss that knocked them out of contention for a bowl. This time, they took the Cowboys' best shots and kept firing themselves, with huge plays by QB Ryan Lindley, WRs DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown, P Brian Stahovich and a gutty defense led by DE Ernie Lawson and Aztec Andrew Preston.
Wyoming, if nothing else, is gritty and you have to tough it out to beat them. That the Aztecs did so was awesome and earning a bowl game for the first time in 12 years was a just reward. When Brady Hoke took over nearly three years ago (by the calendar), he told us that what needed changing most was the mindset. He was right more than we realized. We witnessed the result in Laramie.
---
So where do the Aztecs go? It depends, to a certain extent, on them. They still have to play the two unbeaten conference titans, at TCU in two weeks and at home vs. Utah the following Saturday -- and those teams play each other next week in Salt Lake City. If SDSU then upsets the winner, then the Mountain West Conference will get shut out of the BCS. The league champion will go to the Las Vegas Bowl, the second choice the Poinsettia Bowl here in San Diego and SDSU probably goes to the New Mexico Bowl to play a WAC team, probably Nevada.
If either TCU or Utah run the table, that team will go to a BCS bowl game, the second place club to Vegas and the Aztecs will play in the Poinsettia.
---
So how do the local bowls project as of now?
Poinsettia
Navy is contracted to come here if the Midshipmen are bowl-eligible. With five wins in the bag and upcoming games vs. Central Michigan and Arkansas State, the Middies can book their reservation without fear.
The only threat to SDSU in the MWC, other than circumstances listed above, is an Air Force team likely to finish 8-4, and bowl officials probably won't want a military academy rematch.
Holiday
They get the fifth pick in the Big 12, and the way things break down, two teams will go to the BCS -- the league champion and Missouri, which can mail in the rest of its schedule. Nebraska, if not the champ, will get taken by a bowl with a higher selection. If Baylor can get through its remaining slate with no more than one loss, the Bears will also be gone, but that might not happen. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both play the Bears, with the loser of the round-robin probably coming here.
From the Pac-10, the Holiday picks third. Again, I think Oregon and maybe Stanford go to the BCS, and Arizona will be gone before the Holiday makes its selection. That leaves USC or Oregon State as the best bets right now.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
No Outside Love for USD Hoops
Every so often, you hear something encouraging about the state of University of San Diego basketball, but rarely from outside of town, and now the preseason judgment has been passed -- media covering the West Coast Conference picked the Toreros men to finish last this upcoming season and the women to be sixth out of eight teams.
None of the men were picked for the All-WCC team. Only junior point guard Dominique Connors was selected for the women.
Clearly, no one is expecting much to happen at Jenny Craig Pavilion this season, and for good reason. Coach Bill Grier's men are undergoing a roster makeover after losing four senior starters and sending F Rob Jones packing, losing F Clinton Houston and seeing G Patrick McCollum transfer. This team of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores will have to play at Stanford, at New Mexico, and at North Carolina State a week after a tournament in Hawaii that includes some elite competition.
This is a big year for Grier, however. The follow-up to the NCAA Tournament upset of UConn has not been impressive, to say the least, and even though the record will not be fabulous in 2010-11, it would be nice to see if he has laid a foundation for the future with his new players. If not, his seat could grow warm.
Coach Cindy Fisher's women return four seniors, including the two leading scorers in Connors and Sam Child, and their best three-point shooter, F Morgan Woodrow. The schedule seems manageable, with the highlight being a tournament appearance by Texas.
BTW, I found it interesting that none of this stuff made the newspaper, which all of a sudden can't find enough room for all the San Diego State articles lately, even placing one on A-1 this week. Maybe that's because of what follows below.
---
Thursday could be a huge day for the men's team at San Diego State, which has never been ranked in the AP Top 25 in its history -- with good reason. That could change when the preseason rankings come out because Coach Steve Fisher returns all five starters and considerable depth from a 25-win team that came within a hair of defeating Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The hangup could be the early part of the schedule, which sees the Aztecs play five games away from home out of the gate, including a match at Gonzaga. For good reason, it could be that voters want to see how they really do out of the gate.
(and an update, the Aztecs were indeed ranked 25th)
---
I was thrilled to learn that three prominent SDSU alumni sent a letter to the BYU president demanding a thorough investigation into Replaygate, the video reversal that wasn't from the Aztecs' 24-21 loss to the Cougars -- and asking for a forfeit if malfeasance is found.
They accused BYU of stonewalling, but the Mountain West Conference is also trying to sweep this thing under the rug. State fans can't allow this to happen. That the MWC is treating SDSU like a second-class citizen is inexcusable.
None of the men were picked for the All-WCC team. Only junior point guard Dominique Connors was selected for the women.
Clearly, no one is expecting much to happen at Jenny Craig Pavilion this season, and for good reason. Coach Bill Grier's men are undergoing a roster makeover after losing four senior starters and sending F Rob Jones packing, losing F Clinton Houston and seeing G Patrick McCollum transfer. This team of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores will have to play at Stanford, at New Mexico, and at North Carolina State a week after a tournament in Hawaii that includes some elite competition.
This is a big year for Grier, however. The follow-up to the NCAA Tournament upset of UConn has not been impressive, to say the least, and even though the record will not be fabulous in 2010-11, it would be nice to see if he has laid a foundation for the future with his new players. If not, his seat could grow warm.
Coach Cindy Fisher's women return four seniors, including the two leading scorers in Connors and Sam Child, and their best three-point shooter, F Morgan Woodrow. The schedule seems manageable, with the highlight being a tournament appearance by Texas.
BTW, I found it interesting that none of this stuff made the newspaper, which all of a sudden can't find enough room for all the San Diego State articles lately, even placing one on A-1 this week. Maybe that's because of what follows below.
---
Thursday could be a huge day for the men's team at San Diego State, which has never been ranked in the AP Top 25 in its history -- with good reason. That could change when the preseason rankings come out because Coach Steve Fisher returns all five starters and considerable depth from a 25-win team that came within a hair of defeating Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The hangup could be the early part of the schedule, which sees the Aztecs play five games away from home out of the gate, including a match at Gonzaga. For good reason, it could be that voters want to see how they really do out of the gate.
(and an update, the Aztecs were indeed ranked 25th)
---
I was thrilled to learn that three prominent SDSU alumni sent a letter to the BYU president demanding a thorough investigation into Replaygate, the video reversal that wasn't from the Aztecs' 24-21 loss to the Cougars -- and asking for a forfeit if malfeasance is found.
They accused BYU of stonewalling, but the Mountain West Conference is also trying to sweep this thing under the rug. State fans can't allow this to happen. That the MWC is treating SDSU like a second-class citizen is inexcusable.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Turnovers, Padres Far From World Series
Turnovers don't just happen out of nowhere, in such a way that they can be prevented by a little more practice. My experience in following and covering football for many years is that fumbles and interceptions are mostly the result of one team being physically more talented than the other. Sometimes a team can be sloppy or careless, but mostly it happens because your opponent is better than you. They're quicker to the ball and strong enough to jar it loose.
I bring this up after another Chargers loss, 23-20 to New England, in which the Bolts lost three fumbles and an interception and the Patriots had zero turnovers. This game was kind of an outlier because two of the fumbles were bizarre -- Richard Goodman putting the ball on the ground before he was touched and Jacob Hester ignoring a screen pass that went backwards. Even so, that still leaves another fumble and the pick.
The fact is that the 2010 version of the home team lost too many good players from last year's entry, and the turnovers are the result. Turnovers and missed plays on special teams have been the hallmark of this year's team, and they are not something that is going to be corrected overnight.
Here are some stats to make you think:
1. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert combined to gain 20 yards on 10 carries. Talk all day about how the Chargers doubled the total yardage on the Patriots, but that was all Philip Rivers passing.
2. Buster Davis, for all the criticism he has received, caught six passes in the game.
3. New England gained four first downs from Chargers penalties. The Bolts were penalized six times to the Patriots seven -- their timing stinks.
---
It's easy to sit here and think that the Padres might have been just this close to the World Series, since the NL West rival Giants made it. However, watching the National League Championship Series made me realize just how far away this team is. Who among the Padres is the kind of dominant player that we saw with the Giants or the Phillies?
The Padres have one, closer Heath Bell. Adrian Gonzalez can be one but his injury-plagued 2010 makes me pause, and Mat Latos has the stuff but remains unproven. David Eckstein is a former World Series MVP but his body has taken a toll since.
Compare that to the NL champion Giants:
P - Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson
C - Buster Posey
Cody Ross did come through in the clutch in the NLCS and Madison Bumgarner gives them a fourth shutdown pitcher who is tender young like Latos. That's four for the Giants (and two possibles) to one for the Padres (and three possibles), but could you really imagine anyone but Bell coming through in the post-season? Me neither.
Try the Phillies:
P - Roy Halladay, P Roy Oswalt, P Cole Hamels
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Chase Utley
SS - Jimmy Rollins, though his best years might be behind him.
RF - Jayson Werth
The Padres just don't compare, making their 2010 performance even more remarkable. Manager Bud Black performed miracles and pitching coach Darren Balsley does everything but walk on water. The Padres will be competitive again in 2011, unless the off-season is a disaster, but some of these young guys like Latos, Kyle Blanks and Will Venable need to step up their games to a much higher level if they want to accomplish anything in the playoffs.
I bring this up after another Chargers loss, 23-20 to New England, in which the Bolts lost three fumbles and an interception and the Patriots had zero turnovers. This game was kind of an outlier because two of the fumbles were bizarre -- Richard Goodman putting the ball on the ground before he was touched and Jacob Hester ignoring a screen pass that went backwards. Even so, that still leaves another fumble and the pick.
The fact is that the 2010 version of the home team lost too many good players from last year's entry, and the turnovers are the result. Turnovers and missed plays on special teams have been the hallmark of this year's team, and they are not something that is going to be corrected overnight.
Here are some stats to make you think:
1. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert combined to gain 20 yards on 10 carries. Talk all day about how the Chargers doubled the total yardage on the Patriots, but that was all Philip Rivers passing.
2. Buster Davis, for all the criticism he has received, caught six passes in the game.
3. New England gained four first downs from Chargers penalties. The Bolts were penalized six times to the Patriots seven -- their timing stinks.
---
It's easy to sit here and think that the Padres might have been just this close to the World Series, since the NL West rival Giants made it. However, watching the National League Championship Series made me realize just how far away this team is. Who among the Padres is the kind of dominant player that we saw with the Giants or the Phillies?
The Padres have one, closer Heath Bell. Adrian Gonzalez can be one but his injury-plagued 2010 makes me pause, and Mat Latos has the stuff but remains unproven. David Eckstein is a former World Series MVP but his body has taken a toll since.
Compare that to the NL champion Giants:
P - Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson
C - Buster Posey
Cody Ross did come through in the clutch in the NLCS and Madison Bumgarner gives them a fourth shutdown pitcher who is tender young like Latos. That's four for the Giants (and two possibles) to one for the Padres (and three possibles), but could you really imagine anyone but Bell coming through in the post-season? Me neither.
Try the Phillies:
P - Roy Halladay, P Roy Oswalt, P Cole Hamels
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Chase Utley
SS - Jimmy Rollins, though his best years might be behind him.
RF - Jayson Werth
The Padres just don't compare, making their 2010 performance even more remarkable. Manager Bud Black performed miracles and pitching coach Darren Balsley does everything but walk on water. The Padres will be competitive again in 2011, unless the off-season is a disaster, but some of these young guys like Latos, Kyle Blanks and Will Venable need to step up their games to a much higher level if they want to accomplish anything in the playoffs.
Friday, October 22, 2010
No Soft Part of Schedule for SDSU
A Friday morning newspaper column says the San Diego State football team has reached "the cupcake portion of its schedule" with Saturday's game at winless New Mexico, a subsequent road contest at Wyoming and a home match vs. Colorado State.
Uh, no.
First of all, a program that compiled a 6-18 record the past two seasons can't have any part of its slate termed "cupcake."
Second, given the weak schedule this season, the opening Nicholls State-New Mexico State portion was where the cupcakes could be found.
Finally, the comment does not comport with the current facts.
-- The BYU game showed that SDSU's defense does not match up well with big, strong offensive lines, particularly on the road. New Mexico, if nothing else, has a big group of blockers. The Aztecs should win, but it will be no rout. I see this game as low-30s to low-20s-ish, especially since the Lobos are returning key players from injury.
-- Wyoming is just 2-5 but by one formula has played the fifth-hardest schedule in the country, and Laramie has never been fun for Aztecs teams in rebuilding mode. The team with the fourth-hardest is BYU, which physically manhandled the defense before resorting to cheating in the replay booth to hold onto the victory.
-- Colorado State has seven freshmen and sophomores in its starting lineup, including first-year players at quarterback -- Peter Thomas of Valhalla High -- and and center. In the last two weeks, the Rams gave Air Force a game in Colorado Springs and creamed UNLV. They're improving rapidly.
I can see the Aztecs going anywhere from 3-0 to 1-2 in this stretch of games so, at worse, they'll be left a game away from bowl eligibility with the sorry Rebels still to be played. But this won't be an easy part of the schedule, by any means.
---
BTW, maybe it's just me, but TCU does not look as powerful as last year. I bet Utah takes them in Salt Lake City, and it would not shock me if Air Force comes off their loss here last week by upsetting the Froggies in Fort Worth.
---
Interesting to see that opposing coaches want to see Steve Fisher's SDSU men's basketball team to prove itself before placing them in the Top 25. They'll begin the season in the coaches' poll 26th. I can't say I blame them, frankly.
The schedule has no big-name opponents other than Gonzaga unless you follow hoops closely. Saint Mary's, Wichita State and UC Santa Barbara are all very good. Long Beach State and Cal are pretty good, too. The AP writers poll will come out soon enough, and we'll see what they say. Five other polls -- magazines and stuff -- SDSU ranked.
If they hit mid-December with only one loss, they'll be in the Top 25.
I'm really looking forward to see if now-eligible transfer James Rahon (Torrey Pines High) can fit Fisher's system and maintain his long-range shooting touch, and just athletic freshman Jamaal Franklin really is.
Uh, no.
First of all, a program that compiled a 6-18 record the past two seasons can't have any part of its slate termed "cupcake."
Second, given the weak schedule this season, the opening Nicholls State-New Mexico State portion was where the cupcakes could be found.
Finally, the comment does not comport with the current facts.
-- The BYU game showed that SDSU's defense does not match up well with big, strong offensive lines, particularly on the road. New Mexico, if nothing else, has a big group of blockers. The Aztecs should win, but it will be no rout. I see this game as low-30s to low-20s-ish, especially since the Lobos are returning key players from injury.
-- Wyoming is just 2-5 but by one formula has played the fifth-hardest schedule in the country, and Laramie has never been fun for Aztecs teams in rebuilding mode. The team with the fourth-hardest is BYU, which physically manhandled the defense before resorting to cheating in the replay booth to hold onto the victory.
-- Colorado State has seven freshmen and sophomores in its starting lineup, including first-year players at quarterback -- Peter Thomas of Valhalla High -- and and center. In the last two weeks, the Rams gave Air Force a game in Colorado Springs and creamed UNLV. They're improving rapidly.
I can see the Aztecs going anywhere from 3-0 to 1-2 in this stretch of games so, at worse, they'll be left a game away from bowl eligibility with the sorry Rebels still to be played. But this won't be an easy part of the schedule, by any means.
---
BTW, maybe it's just me, but TCU does not look as powerful as last year. I bet Utah takes them in Salt Lake City, and it would not shock me if Air Force comes off their loss here last week by upsetting the Froggies in Fort Worth.
---
Interesting to see that opposing coaches want to see Steve Fisher's SDSU men's basketball team to prove itself before placing them in the Top 25. They'll begin the season in the coaches' poll 26th. I can't say I blame them, frankly.
The schedule has no big-name opponents other than Gonzaga unless you follow hoops closely. Saint Mary's, Wichita State and UC Santa Barbara are all very good. Long Beach State and Cal are pretty good, too. The AP writers poll will come out soon enough, and we'll see what they say. Five other polls -- magazines and stuff -- SDSU ranked.
If they hit mid-December with only one loss, they'll be in the Top 25.
I'm really looking forward to see if now-eligible transfer James Rahon (Torrey Pines High) can fit Fisher's system and maintain his long-range shooting touch, and just athletic freshman Jamaal Franklin really is.
Monday, October 18, 2010
After Six Games You Are Your Record
Six games have been played in the local professional and college football seasons, and as you approach, or have arrived at, the mid-point of the schedule, you pretty much are what your record says.
The Chargers are 2-4 after being physically beat up by the Rams. They stink.
San Diego State is 4-2 after finally beating a Top 25 team and could be 5-1 without Replaygate, and 6-0 if the coaches could keep track of their players. They're good.
USD is 2-5, having not had a bye week, and are mediocre at their own level but over-scheduled.
---
A couple of very interesting rankings for SDSU in the national statistics. The Aztecs couldn't have bought a running game since former head coach Chuck Long stepped on campus, but freshman RB Ronnie Hillman is seventh in rushing with 131 yards per game, despite limited carries in the opener. If you haven't seen his 65-yard TD run vs Air Force, go to the Aztecs Website and take a look.
The overall team rushing offense, which spent most of the past few years ranking in the 100s out of 119 or 120 teams, now is 35th nationally. Total offense ranks 16th.
What really gets me excited is to see the Aztecs rank 28th in pass defense and 19th in scoring defense. Even though they're yielding a bunch of yards on the ground, they're not letting opponents into the end zone easily like they used to. A couple of reasons for that. Behind P Brian Stahovich, they are ninth in net punting, and they are on the plus side by three in turnovers, a big reversal from past years. That means no more short field for opposing offenses. It also helps that they are tied for 19th in tackles for loss, meaning defensive coordinator Rocky Long's attacking 3-3-5 scheme is working, and are ninth in their own offense not allowing tackles for loss. That's field position.
Let's try this for the Chargers. Don't punch your computer as you read the following.
LaDainian Tomlinson is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards for the Jets, and Michael Turner is ninth. The highest Charger is Mike Tolbert at 24th. If you go by per-game averages, they rank 9th, 13th and 31st. And its not just that they've carried the ball more. Tomlinson ranks higher in yards per carry and in longest carry.
Antonio Cromartie leads the NFL in passes defended for the Jets and has the same number of interceptions as the leading Charger, Antoine Cason, with two.
Only Chicago's Jay Cutler (23) has been sacked more often the Philip Rivers (18).
Even though Rivers leads the league in passing yards, the highest-ranked Charger in receiving yards is Malcolm Floyd, who is 10th. In terms of receptions, the highest is Antonio Gates, a tight end, at 20th.
The NFL has a system rating the offensive line, long my pet peeve regarding GM AJ Smith, who seems to think the unit is not very important, AND THE CHARGERS RANK 29TH OUT OF THE LEAGUE'S 32 TEAMS (shouting is intentional).
Not much more to say. Let's hope they enjoy the home cooking and continue to win at Qualcomm Stadium, because I don't know if they will win on the road all year.
The Chargers are 2-4 after being physically beat up by the Rams. They stink.
San Diego State is 4-2 after finally beating a Top 25 team and could be 5-1 without Replaygate, and 6-0 if the coaches could keep track of their players. They're good.
USD is 2-5, having not had a bye week, and are mediocre at their own level but over-scheduled.
---
A couple of very interesting rankings for SDSU in the national statistics. The Aztecs couldn't have bought a running game since former head coach Chuck Long stepped on campus, but freshman RB Ronnie Hillman is seventh in rushing with 131 yards per game, despite limited carries in the opener. If you haven't seen his 65-yard TD run vs Air Force, go to the Aztecs Website and take a look.
The overall team rushing offense, which spent most of the past few years ranking in the 100s out of 119 or 120 teams, now is 35th nationally. Total offense ranks 16th.
What really gets me excited is to see the Aztecs rank 28th in pass defense and 19th in scoring defense. Even though they're yielding a bunch of yards on the ground, they're not letting opponents into the end zone easily like they used to. A couple of reasons for that. Behind P Brian Stahovich, they are ninth in net punting, and they are on the plus side by three in turnovers, a big reversal from past years. That means no more short field for opposing offenses. It also helps that they are tied for 19th in tackles for loss, meaning defensive coordinator Rocky Long's attacking 3-3-5 scheme is working, and are ninth in their own offense not allowing tackles for loss. That's field position.
Let's try this for the Chargers. Don't punch your computer as you read the following.
LaDainian Tomlinson is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards for the Jets, and Michael Turner is ninth. The highest Charger is Mike Tolbert at 24th. If you go by per-game averages, they rank 9th, 13th and 31st. And its not just that they've carried the ball more. Tomlinson ranks higher in yards per carry and in longest carry.
Antonio Cromartie leads the NFL in passes defended for the Jets and has the same number of interceptions as the leading Charger, Antoine Cason, with two.
Only Chicago's Jay Cutler (23) has been sacked more often the Philip Rivers (18).
Even though Rivers leads the league in passing yards, the highest-ranked Charger in receiving yards is Malcolm Floyd, who is 10th. In terms of receptions, the highest is Antonio Gates, a tight end, at 20th.
The NFL has a system rating the offensive line, long my pet peeve regarding GM AJ Smith, who seems to think the unit is not very important, AND THE CHARGERS RANK 29TH OUT OF THE LEAGUE'S 32 TEAMS (shouting is intentional).
Not much more to say. Let's hope they enjoy the home cooking and continue to win at Qualcomm Stadium, because I don't know if they will win on the road all year.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
"Replaygate" Getting Worse, Not Better
So far, the only person remotely connected to the SDSU-BYU "Replaygate" scandal is Aztecs radio color commentator Chris Ello, for his anti-BYU rant on his talk show the other day. See a problem here?
You know the basics. San Diego State is down three to BYU in the second half last Saturday in Provo when Cougars RB JJ DiLuigi fumbles but is ruled down by contact. Aztecs coach Brady Hoke challenges the call, and even though video replays clearly show a fumble caused and recovered by DE BJ Williams, the ruling on the field was upheld. This was no simple judgment call, you look at the video and there is no way a logical, unbiased person can allow the official's call to stand. Since then, it was revealed that the three people in the video booth included a BYU employee, a BYU alumnus and a deli owner from Reno.
I heard only part of Ello's comments, nothing that appeared out of line.
I have not heard any apologies from BYU, the Mountain West Conference, anyone from the video booth, or the officials. I'm waiting.
The conference suspended the video booth personnel for one measly week and made policy changes against the involvement of school employees for anyone except the person making sure the equipment works. That's a start, but much more needs to be done.
1. We need a comprehensive, open and honest accounting into what took place in the booth and why the non-call was made. I am worried about future errors in judgment by officials, which happen, and what fan reaction will be. I am also concerned about the Viejas Arena atmosphere when the BYU men's basketball team comes to town. These things can be mitigated if the MWC opens up.
2. We need SDSU's football to be protected from the "loss." As the fumble non-call happened at a time the Aztecs were regaining momentum, odds are better than 50-50 they would have gone on to win. The steps listed in a prior post, protecting the team's bowl interests, need to be taken.
The MWC still is more looking out for its own interests that those of their member schools, and that is wrong. Now, onto football vs. Air Force. Get to 4-2 and worries about bowl games begin to evaporate. By the way, in my SDSU football preview before the start of the season, I mentioned that the defense would perform well until the MWC scheduled opened, then the games would resemble old WAC-style shootouts. That starts vs. the Falcons.
You know the basics. San Diego State is down three to BYU in the second half last Saturday in Provo when Cougars RB JJ DiLuigi fumbles but is ruled down by contact. Aztecs coach Brady Hoke challenges the call, and even though video replays clearly show a fumble caused and recovered by DE BJ Williams, the ruling on the field was upheld. This was no simple judgment call, you look at the video and there is no way a logical, unbiased person can allow the official's call to stand. Since then, it was revealed that the three people in the video booth included a BYU employee, a BYU alumnus and a deli owner from Reno.
I heard only part of Ello's comments, nothing that appeared out of line.
I have not heard any apologies from BYU, the Mountain West Conference, anyone from the video booth, or the officials. I'm waiting.
The conference suspended the video booth personnel for one measly week and made policy changes against the involvement of school employees for anyone except the person making sure the equipment works. That's a start, but much more needs to be done.
1. We need a comprehensive, open and honest accounting into what took place in the booth and why the non-call was made. I am worried about future errors in judgment by officials, which happen, and what fan reaction will be. I am also concerned about the Viejas Arena atmosphere when the BYU men's basketball team comes to town. These things can be mitigated if the MWC opens up.
2. We need SDSU's football to be protected from the "loss." As the fumble non-call happened at a time the Aztecs were regaining momentum, odds are better than 50-50 they would have gone on to win. The steps listed in a prior post, protecting the team's bowl interests, need to be taken.
The MWC still is more looking out for its own interests that those of their member schools, and that is wrong. Now, onto football vs. Air Force. Get to 4-2 and worries about bowl games begin to evaporate. By the way, in my SDSU football preview before the start of the season, I mentioned that the defense would perform well until the MWC scheduled opened, then the games would resemble old WAC-style shootouts. That starts vs. the Falcons.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Great Seasons by Hamels and Conrad Diverge in Playoffs, Chargers
Cole Hamels pitched like a number three starter in 2009, finishing with a record under .500 and an ERA north of 4, while Brooks Conrad continued his career as a journeyman minor leaguer in search for a home in The Show.
The two San Diego-area products enjoyed much better seasons this year, however, as Hamels (Rancho Bernardo High) went 12-11, 3.09 for the NL East champion Phillies, reversed 2009's trend to allow far fewer hits than innings pitched and topped 200 strikeouts for the first time; and Conrad (Monte Vista High) became a star utility infielder in Atlanta, playing in more than 100 big league games (tripling his career high), and slugging 8 HR -- seemingly every one of which won a game as the Braves sneaked the NL wildcard spot from the Padres.
True, things changed in the playoffs. Hamels, throwing like a number one despite really being a number three now, tossed a 5-hit shutout of Cincinnati in the first round, while Conrad played out of position at 2B and committed three costly errors in a Game 3 loss to San Francisco, a pivotal point in a series loss. Baseball is a tough game. Two pinch hit grand slams are a high, and you just know there is a low out there waiting to punch you in the gut. It just happened to Conrad at a bad time.
The 2010 season, however, will be a memorable one for both local players, and quite a few others:
-- Conrad's teammate, injury-plagued Troy Glaus of Carlsbad High, rebounded from a 14-game season in 2009 to play in 128 contests, batting .240-16-71.
-- Padres closer Heath Bell (Oceanside native) is starting to receive awards for a season in which he collected 47 saves, a record of 6-1 and a 1.93 ERA.
-- Baltimore 1B Ty Wigginton (Hilltop High) revived his career by slugging 22 home runs, knocking in 76 runs and playing in 154 games, his highest total since 2003.
-- A strong second half propelled Orioles CF Adam Jones (Morse High) to a .284-19-69 season.
-- Another bird, P Brian Matusz (USD), overcame a rocky start to win his final six decisions, finishing 10-12, 4.30. His two starts in that streak that were no-decisions were won by the Orioles after he left the mound.
When considering the three players above, keep in mind that Baltimore was the worst team in baseball the first couple of months of the season, and finished with the second-worst record in the AL.
-- Oakland P Trevor Cahill (Vista High) was solid after returning from a pre-season injury, finishing 18-8, 2.97
-- Tampa Bay C John Jaso (Chula Vista) got into 109 games in his first full season as a major leaguer.
-- Chicago White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin's (the old USDHS) return to health paid off with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs, in a career-high 131 games.
While a number of other local players had rather mediocre seasons, a few ended in disaster.
The most notable was P Stephen Strasburg, (West Hills High, SDSU), whose minor league coddling by Washington kept baseball fans fascinated the first month of the season. He finished 5-3, 2.91 in 12 major league starts before tearing a ligament in August, and it is unlikely he will pitch next season.
The injury-plagued career of Oakland 3B/1B Eric Chavez (Mt Carmel High) might be over after he went on the disabled list in May and never saw action again. He has a multi-million contract option that the A's a unlikely to pick up.
Detroit fireballing reliver Joel Zumaya (Bonita Vista High) made a stirring comeback from injury to throw in 31 games for the Tigers. Just as you start thinking "how can you not root for this guy?" his season ended sadly with a fractured elbow on June 28.
San Francisco passed up the Padres late in the season to win the NL West title on the strength of its starting pitching, but Barry Zito (USDHS) was of little help. Zito finished 9-14, 4.15 while losing 10 of his final 11 decisions, including a horrible performance on the last Saturday of the season against San Diego -- all while sucking up $18.5 million.
The most tragic season was experienced by Padres P Kevin Correia (Grossmont High). Coming off a superb 2009, Correia was sharp in April, but his brother died in a hiking accident and it seemed he was never the same. He made only two appearances in September and finished 10-10, 5.40, and his hometown days could be over.
---
I was told at a young age that two wrongs do not make a right, and indeed the adage holds true as an adult. That's how I view the Chargers situation when it comes to LB Shawne Merriman, LT Marcus McNeill and WR Vincent Jackson.
Regarding Merriman, wrong number one was him thinking that he was still the player he once was, and he is not because of his injuries, which is a shame. Wrong number two was the Chargers not originally treating him with the respect he deserved for his past good deeds and then trying to rush him onto the field at the last minute because his successor, Larry English, might be turning into a bust.
On McNeill, you have a team that undervalued their veteran left tackle before the season, and a player who eventually gave in and, according to the newspaper, signed a contract that only gives him guaranteed money this year. He could make $48 million over the life of the contract, but it wouldn't shock me to see him and the team at loggerheads again in a year or two. Very little was solved.
I have no idea if Jackson will show up at the end of the month to accrue another season of NFL service, but this saga has been filled with nothing but wrongs. His agents are a joke, Jackson is close to but not yet an elite receiver, he still should not have been subject to financial hi-jinks and, I believe, the Chargers would have pulled out the Kansas City game if he were in the lineup.
This is heading toward a season in which no one, not the players, not the coaches, nor GM AJ Smith look good.
The two San Diego-area products enjoyed much better seasons this year, however, as Hamels (Rancho Bernardo High) went 12-11, 3.09 for the NL East champion Phillies, reversed 2009's trend to allow far fewer hits than innings pitched and topped 200 strikeouts for the first time; and Conrad (Monte Vista High) became a star utility infielder in Atlanta, playing in more than 100 big league games (tripling his career high), and slugging 8 HR -- seemingly every one of which won a game as the Braves sneaked the NL wildcard spot from the Padres.
True, things changed in the playoffs. Hamels, throwing like a number one despite really being a number three now, tossed a 5-hit shutout of Cincinnati in the first round, while Conrad played out of position at 2B and committed three costly errors in a Game 3 loss to San Francisco, a pivotal point in a series loss. Baseball is a tough game. Two pinch hit grand slams are a high, and you just know there is a low out there waiting to punch you in the gut. It just happened to Conrad at a bad time.
The 2010 season, however, will be a memorable one for both local players, and quite a few others:
-- Conrad's teammate, injury-plagued Troy Glaus of Carlsbad High, rebounded from a 14-game season in 2009 to play in 128 contests, batting .240-16-71.
-- Padres closer Heath Bell (Oceanside native) is starting to receive awards for a season in which he collected 47 saves, a record of 6-1 and a 1.93 ERA.
-- Baltimore 1B Ty Wigginton (Hilltop High) revived his career by slugging 22 home runs, knocking in 76 runs and playing in 154 games, his highest total since 2003.
-- A strong second half propelled Orioles CF Adam Jones (Morse High) to a .284-19-69 season.
-- Another bird, P Brian Matusz (USD), overcame a rocky start to win his final six decisions, finishing 10-12, 4.30. His two starts in that streak that were no-decisions were won by the Orioles after he left the mound.
When considering the three players above, keep in mind that Baltimore was the worst team in baseball the first couple of months of the season, and finished with the second-worst record in the AL.
-- Oakland P Trevor Cahill (Vista High) was solid after returning from a pre-season injury, finishing 18-8, 2.97
-- Tampa Bay C John Jaso (Chula Vista) got into 109 games in his first full season as a major leaguer.
-- Chicago White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin's (the old USDHS) return to health paid off with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs, in a career-high 131 games.
While a number of other local players had rather mediocre seasons, a few ended in disaster.
The most notable was P Stephen Strasburg, (West Hills High, SDSU), whose minor league coddling by Washington kept baseball fans fascinated the first month of the season. He finished 5-3, 2.91 in 12 major league starts before tearing a ligament in August, and it is unlikely he will pitch next season.
The injury-plagued career of Oakland 3B/1B Eric Chavez (Mt Carmel High) might be over after he went on the disabled list in May and never saw action again. He has a multi-million contract option that the A's a unlikely to pick up.
Detroit fireballing reliver Joel Zumaya (Bonita Vista High) made a stirring comeback from injury to throw in 31 games for the Tigers. Just as you start thinking "how can you not root for this guy?" his season ended sadly with a fractured elbow on June 28.
San Francisco passed up the Padres late in the season to win the NL West title on the strength of its starting pitching, but Barry Zito (USDHS) was of little help. Zito finished 9-14, 4.15 while losing 10 of his final 11 decisions, including a horrible performance on the last Saturday of the season against San Diego -- all while sucking up $18.5 million.
The most tragic season was experienced by Padres P Kevin Correia (Grossmont High). Coming off a superb 2009, Correia was sharp in April, but his brother died in a hiking accident and it seemed he was never the same. He made only two appearances in September and finished 10-10, 5.40, and his hometown days could be over.
---
I was told at a young age that two wrongs do not make a right, and indeed the adage holds true as an adult. That's how I view the Chargers situation when it comes to LB Shawne Merriman, LT Marcus McNeill and WR Vincent Jackson.
Regarding Merriman, wrong number one was him thinking that he was still the player he once was, and he is not because of his injuries, which is a shame. Wrong number two was the Chargers not originally treating him with the respect he deserved for his past good deeds and then trying to rush him onto the field at the last minute because his successor, Larry English, might be turning into a bust.
On McNeill, you have a team that undervalued their veteran left tackle before the season, and a player who eventually gave in and, according to the newspaper, signed a contract that only gives him guaranteed money this year. He could make $48 million over the life of the contract, but it wouldn't shock me to see him and the team at loggerheads again in a year or two. Very little was solved.
I have no idea if Jackson will show up at the end of the month to accrue another season of NFL service, but this saga has been filled with nothing but wrongs. His agents are a joke, Jackson is close to but not yet an elite receiver, he still should not have been subject to financial hi-jinks and, I believe, the Chargers would have pulled out the Kansas City game if he were in the lineup.
This is heading toward a season in which no one, not the players, not the coaches, nor GM AJ Smith look good.
Monday, October 11, 2010
MWC's Costly Officiating, Chargers Early History
Saturday's 24-21 loss by San Diego's State's football team at BYU was the third setback by an Aztecs athletics team that I know of that can be attributed directly to Mountain West Conference officials making something up out of nothing. Clinging to a 17-14 second-half lead, Cougar RB JJ DiLuigi was stripped of the ball while struggling forward in a pile. DE BJ Williams took the ball out and recovered it.
The problem was the officials called DiLuigi down. When coach Brady Hoke challenged the ruling, the video clearly showed the fumble. This wasn't a fan looking at it with his heart. Check the video highlights of the game, around the 1:47 mark. The announcers promptly said the ball belonged to SDSU. Several BYU fans have written saying the ball belonged to State. BYU went on to score the touchdown that clinched the victory, and the Aztecs' subsequent score was not enough to win the game.
Now, you can never say what might have happened if the Aztecs were given possession. They might have fumbled, gone three-and-out leading to a BYU score anyway. But you at least want to have the opportunity.
Needless to say, coupled with the non-call block in the back at Missouri, I'm sick of this kind of crap.
In 2004, Aztecs RB Michael Franklin was given the ball on a running play around his own 5-yard line with a small lead over Colorado State in the fourth quarter. When the play was over, he put the ball down and a Rams defender picked it up, and the officials gave the ball to CSU -- citing a rule that did not even exist. The Rams promptly scored and won the game.
Two seasons ago in men's basketball, the Aztecs were in position to tie or beat BYU in Provo at the buzzer when F Kyle Spain was physically assaulted under the basket, and there was no call, and the Cougars held on to win.
There are bad calls, like the Missouri game in football this year, but that was a judgment call that can be difficult for officials at the heat of the moment. I can live with those. Plus, it never should have happened after the coaches lost track of a freshman TE who should not have been on the field, costing the Aztecs a chance to maintain possession and run the clock out.
Then there are inexcusable calls, like in Saturday's BYU game and the other two described above.
Those other two ended up not costing San Diego State a bowl game or NCAA berth, but this year's call might be expensive.
Can you imagine if that call costs SDSU a bowl bid? Let's take it a step further and say that, with BYU struggling, the call costs the entire conference a bowl bid? Don't laugh, because right now the MWC has only three teams on track for a bowl berth and the Aztecs, who would have made it four with a win, are now questionable. The conference is guaranteed FIVE (5) bowl games.
Still, the Aztecs need only win three more games, and they have yet to play conference bottom-feeders New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV -- the latter two at home. They match up well, also, with 23rd ranked Air Force and Wyoming. So they should get to 6-6, with a shot at 8-4. Still, this is a program that is early in the building stages and nowhere near "there," as was obvious through a lot of the game at BYU. Here's to hoping that the ludicrous video review doesn't send them into a tailspin.
---
San Diego State Athletic Director Jim Sterk is new to the program and doesn't really understand the past history of the officiating injustices heaped upon his school.
If it was me -- since I do have the background -- I'm on the telephone with MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson this morning and telling him in no uncertain terms that the conference needs to be accountable for its officiating. I would demand that the league take immediate and tangible actions, such as:
1. Removing the replay officials from the BYU booth and replacing them with someone else.
2. The league should notify via official press release to all key media personnel, such as ESPN, major newspapers, key college football Web writers like Dennis Dodds of CBSSports.com, that its mistake is the only thing between SDSU and a 4-1 record, and the Missouri non-call possibly is all that keeps them from being 5-0. Even with those injustices, the Aztecs are six points from being undefeated.
3. If the Cougars do get hot and end up bowl eligible along with the Aztecs, SDSU is to be given priority over which bowl to attend (which may or may not matter), as long as the difference in their records is one game or less.
4. If the Aztecs fall short of bowl eligibility by one game, the MWC should pay SDSU the equivalent amount of the bowl payout.
Sterk's next call goes to the legal arm of the Cal State University system, because the program stands to be injured by the MWC not standing by its contractual obligation of fair officiating. Finally, he needs to get a committee together to study following BYU into independence. On the final two points, if nothing else, Thompson needs to know SDSU is serious this time.
---
A history lesson, Chargers fans. In all four seasons under coach Norv Turner, the Bolts have been 2-3 after five games every year. Each time, they have recovered to make the playoffs, sometimes in sparkling fashion. That has given the fans some comfort, with the knowledge that the team is on a familiar path.
I'm here to destroy your comfort.
What has been mystifying about the three losses this season is they have all come against teams that no one has any respect for. Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland are 3-2, 2-2 and 2-3, respectively. It would be a real shock if any of those teams finish the season over .500.
If you're thinking history is just repeating itself in 2010, you got another thing coming. Last year, the three early losses were 31-26 to Baltimore, 38-28 at Pittsburgh and 34-23 at Denver. Those teams finished with records of 9-7, 9-7 and 8-8. Not the greatest of football teams, but they didn't suck.
It gets worse. In 2008, the setbacks were 26-24 to Carolina, 39-38 in the Ed Hochuli game in Denver and 17-10 at Miami. Those teams finished 12-4, 8-8 and 11-5
In 2007, the three early failures were 38-14 to regular-season undefeated New England, 31-24 to Green Bay and 30-16 to Kansas City. The Packers were 13-3, the Chiefs 4-12.
The conclusion, then, is that in 2010, the Chargers have lost to three bad teams, but in similar 2-3 starts in the three prior years, only one of the losses was to a bad team. Therefore, the past not predicting the future really holds true in this case.
The other outstanding common factor is the three losses this season have all come on the road. If the issue is the team's sudden inability to perform while traveling, keep in mind that the season ends with two straight road games -- back-to-back trips to Cincinnati and Denver.
The problem was the officials called DiLuigi down. When coach Brady Hoke challenged the ruling, the video clearly showed the fumble. This wasn't a fan looking at it with his heart. Check the video highlights of the game, around the 1:47 mark. The announcers promptly said the ball belonged to SDSU. Several BYU fans have written saying the ball belonged to State. BYU went on to score the touchdown that clinched the victory, and the Aztecs' subsequent score was not enough to win the game.
Now, you can never say what might have happened if the Aztecs were given possession. They might have fumbled, gone three-and-out leading to a BYU score anyway. But you at least want to have the opportunity.
Needless to say, coupled with the non-call block in the back at Missouri, I'm sick of this kind of crap.
In 2004, Aztecs RB Michael Franklin was given the ball on a running play around his own 5-yard line with a small lead over Colorado State in the fourth quarter. When the play was over, he put the ball down and a Rams defender picked it up, and the officials gave the ball to CSU -- citing a rule that did not even exist. The Rams promptly scored and won the game.
Two seasons ago in men's basketball, the Aztecs were in position to tie or beat BYU in Provo at the buzzer when F Kyle Spain was physically assaulted under the basket, and there was no call, and the Cougars held on to win.
There are bad calls, like the Missouri game in football this year, but that was a judgment call that can be difficult for officials at the heat of the moment. I can live with those. Plus, it never should have happened after the coaches lost track of a freshman TE who should not have been on the field, costing the Aztecs a chance to maintain possession and run the clock out.
Then there are inexcusable calls, like in Saturday's BYU game and the other two described above.
Those other two ended up not costing San Diego State a bowl game or NCAA berth, but this year's call might be expensive.
Can you imagine if that call costs SDSU a bowl bid? Let's take it a step further and say that, with BYU struggling, the call costs the entire conference a bowl bid? Don't laugh, because right now the MWC has only three teams on track for a bowl berth and the Aztecs, who would have made it four with a win, are now questionable. The conference is guaranteed FIVE (5) bowl games.
Still, the Aztecs need only win three more games, and they have yet to play conference bottom-feeders New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV -- the latter two at home. They match up well, also, with 23rd ranked Air Force and Wyoming. So they should get to 6-6, with a shot at 8-4. Still, this is a program that is early in the building stages and nowhere near "there," as was obvious through a lot of the game at BYU. Here's to hoping that the ludicrous video review doesn't send them into a tailspin.
---
San Diego State Athletic Director Jim Sterk is new to the program and doesn't really understand the past history of the officiating injustices heaped upon his school.
If it was me -- since I do have the background -- I'm on the telephone with MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson this morning and telling him in no uncertain terms that the conference needs to be accountable for its officiating. I would demand that the league take immediate and tangible actions, such as:
1. Removing the replay officials from the BYU booth and replacing them with someone else.
2. The league should notify via official press release to all key media personnel, such as ESPN, major newspapers, key college football Web writers like Dennis Dodds of CBSSports.com, that its mistake is the only thing between SDSU and a 4-1 record, and the Missouri non-call possibly is all that keeps them from being 5-0. Even with those injustices, the Aztecs are six points from being undefeated.
3. If the Cougars do get hot and end up bowl eligible along with the Aztecs, SDSU is to be given priority over which bowl to attend (which may or may not matter), as long as the difference in their records is one game or less.
4. If the Aztecs fall short of bowl eligibility by one game, the MWC should pay SDSU the equivalent amount of the bowl payout.
Sterk's next call goes to the legal arm of the Cal State University system, because the program stands to be injured by the MWC not standing by its contractual obligation of fair officiating. Finally, he needs to get a committee together to study following BYU into independence. On the final two points, if nothing else, Thompson needs to know SDSU is serious this time.
---
A history lesson, Chargers fans. In all four seasons under coach Norv Turner, the Bolts have been 2-3 after five games every year. Each time, they have recovered to make the playoffs, sometimes in sparkling fashion. That has given the fans some comfort, with the knowledge that the team is on a familiar path.
I'm here to destroy your comfort.
What has been mystifying about the three losses this season is they have all come against teams that no one has any respect for. Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland are 3-2, 2-2 and 2-3, respectively. It would be a real shock if any of those teams finish the season over .500.
If you're thinking history is just repeating itself in 2010, you got another thing coming. Last year, the three early losses were 31-26 to Baltimore, 38-28 at Pittsburgh and 34-23 at Denver. Those teams finished with records of 9-7, 9-7 and 8-8. Not the greatest of football teams, but they didn't suck.
It gets worse. In 2008, the setbacks were 26-24 to Carolina, 39-38 in the Ed Hochuli game in Denver and 17-10 at Miami. Those teams finished 12-4, 8-8 and 11-5
In 2007, the three early failures were 38-14 to regular-season undefeated New England, 31-24 to Green Bay and 30-16 to Kansas City. The Packers were 13-3, the Chiefs 4-12.
The conclusion, then, is that in 2010, the Chargers have lost to three bad teams, but in similar 2-3 starts in the three prior years, only one of the losses was to a bad team. Therefore, the past not predicting the future really holds true in this case.
The other outstanding common factor is the three losses this season have all come on the road. If the issue is the team's sudden inability to perform while traveling, keep in mind that the season ends with two straight road games -- back-to-back trips to Cincinnati and Denver.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Not to Say I Told You So...
...but the previous couple of posts regarding the Chargers and Aztecs are why you need this blog.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Quick Padres Notes, Chargers at Oakland
Phillies P Roy Halladay deserves all the congratulations for his playoff-opening no-hitter vs. Cincinnati, but you realize, don't you, that could very well have been the Padres on the other side? With his stuff that night, it wouldn't have made much of a difference...Good that the Padres have increased the number of low-priced seats at Petco Park for 2011. It shows the management is not inflexible and is willing to roll with the times, which will have benefits on the baseball side, too. That's a good first step toward increasing attendance next season. The next step, can you please move Petco Park to a more convenient location?...Lord, I'm hoping that the statements attributed to GM Jed Hoyer about bringing back RF Ryan Ludwick, and Ludwick's comments about wanting to return, are all about them making nice. The Padres insistence on putting him in the lineup every night in September might have cost them a playoff berth.
---
The feeling of over-confidence among Chargers fans and commentators this week is rivaling Kansas City and Seattle proportions. I know the Bolts have beaten the Raiders 13 times in a row by an average of two touchdowns each, but this is 2010, when San Diego has yet to win on the road. Fortunately, the weather should be good.
---
It used to be a big deal when Dayton came to town to play USD in football. Plus, it's homecoming. Instead, nothing. Sure, the Toreros are 1-4 but that owes as much to an over-ambitious schedule as anything. The game is at 2 p.m.
---
The feeling of over-confidence among Chargers fans and commentators this week is rivaling Kansas City and Seattle proportions. I know the Bolts have beaten the Raiders 13 times in a row by an average of two touchdowns each, but this is 2010, when San Diego has yet to win on the road. Fortunately, the weather should be good.
---
It used to be a big deal when Dayton came to town to play USD in football. Plus, it's homecoming. Instead, nothing. Sure, the Toreros are 1-4 but that owes as much to an over-ambitious schedule as anything. The game is at 2 p.m.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Hype Too Early For Aztecs Football
Go to any Web site that covers college football, check the morning newspaper, and you'll find tons of great things said about the 3-1 San Diego State football team. How coach Brady Hoke has turned things around, about how freshman RB Ronnie Hillman compares to Marshall Faulk and how receivers Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson are running circles around the competition.
It's way too early for the hype. That could change in nine days, but not yet.
Sure, SDSU is about a minute from 4-0, but the three wins include a bad FCS team in Nicholls State, a winless New Mexico State squad, and a decent but injury-battered Utah State group that had no heart for a road game. The coaches threw away what turned out to be a winnable game at Missouri, for reasons stated in previous posts, and when you look at it, the Aztecs' Mountain West Conference has been better than the Big 12 North for a few years now, so it's not like they were playing over their heads. The coaching staff, which has done everything else well, has yet to prove it can win a big game.
Such a contest is surely what is ahead at BYU on Saturday. A victory puts the Aztecs two wins from a bowl game, three from a post-season game in its own stadium. Leave Provo with more points than the Cougars, and the Aztecs will come home to a large and enthusiastic crowd the next week against Air Force.
But whether the Aztecs are up to such challenges are still questionable. Hoke has to get his team ready to play on the road after a bye-week in one of the toughest places in the conference to play a game. Hillman carried the ball 23 times for 89 yards in the 41-7 rout of Utah State, but 15 of his carries by my count went for less than five yards (though one went into the end zone from short yardage). That's not consistency from him or his offensive linemen. He had two sweeps in which he let himself lose ground while looking for a hole and took losses of five yards each. As good as the kid is, he is still a freshman who has played in only four college games. Give the kid a break, lower expectations, and let him grow. About Brown and Sampson, it really wasn't until the Utah State game that the passing game came together, when the star receivers got back on the same page with QB Ryan Lindley. Then they took a week off, so it will be interesting to see if they can get right back on track.
It is cool that interest is finally rising in the Aztecs, and I think that over time the faith will be justified. But time is what Hoke and the Aztecs need most right now. The worst thing is for fans and the media -- local and national -- to get whipped up in the excitement of a rebuilding program, only to have the air come out of the balloon if they lose at BYU. There are a lot of places where SDSU needs to improve, and a lot has rightly been made about the Cougars being a wounded bear playing at home in a game they need to have to save their season. The Aztecs indeed might dance circles around them, but if they don't, you can't let all your enthusiasm about the program dissipate and say "same old Aztecs" in despair. It is a long climb up the ladder and there will be some mis-steps. Also, when you look at BYU's record, it is not so bad. They beat Washington, which downed USC, and the losses came to a pretty good Nevada team, at Florida State, a Utah State squad far more ready to play at its own home and on the road at Air Force. Only one of those losses was in Provo.
If SDSU gets past BYU, then in will come an Air Force team that ran for 350 yards in a three-point loss at Oklahoma and has the best pair of cornerbacks in the MWC.
After those two games, we'll know if the hype is deserved.
It's way too early for the hype. That could change in nine days, but not yet.
Sure, SDSU is about a minute from 4-0, but the three wins include a bad FCS team in Nicholls State, a winless New Mexico State squad, and a decent but injury-battered Utah State group that had no heart for a road game. The coaches threw away what turned out to be a winnable game at Missouri, for reasons stated in previous posts, and when you look at it, the Aztecs' Mountain West Conference has been better than the Big 12 North for a few years now, so it's not like they were playing over their heads. The coaching staff, which has done everything else well, has yet to prove it can win a big game.
Such a contest is surely what is ahead at BYU on Saturday. A victory puts the Aztecs two wins from a bowl game, three from a post-season game in its own stadium. Leave Provo with more points than the Cougars, and the Aztecs will come home to a large and enthusiastic crowd the next week against Air Force.
But whether the Aztecs are up to such challenges are still questionable. Hoke has to get his team ready to play on the road after a bye-week in one of the toughest places in the conference to play a game. Hillman carried the ball 23 times for 89 yards in the 41-7 rout of Utah State, but 15 of his carries by my count went for less than five yards (though one went into the end zone from short yardage). That's not consistency from him or his offensive linemen. He had two sweeps in which he let himself lose ground while looking for a hole and took losses of five yards each. As good as the kid is, he is still a freshman who has played in only four college games. Give the kid a break, lower expectations, and let him grow. About Brown and Sampson, it really wasn't until the Utah State game that the passing game came together, when the star receivers got back on the same page with QB Ryan Lindley. Then they took a week off, so it will be interesting to see if they can get right back on track.
It is cool that interest is finally rising in the Aztecs, and I think that over time the faith will be justified. But time is what Hoke and the Aztecs need most right now. The worst thing is for fans and the media -- local and national -- to get whipped up in the excitement of a rebuilding program, only to have the air come out of the balloon if they lose at BYU. There are a lot of places where SDSU needs to improve, and a lot has rightly been made about the Cougars being a wounded bear playing at home in a game they need to have to save their season. The Aztecs indeed might dance circles around them, but if they don't, you can't let all your enthusiasm about the program dissipate and say "same old Aztecs" in despair. It is a long climb up the ladder and there will be some mis-steps. Also, when you look at BYU's record, it is not so bad. They beat Washington, which downed USC, and the losses came to a pretty good Nevada team, at Florida State, a Utah State squad far more ready to play at its own home and on the road at Air Force. Only one of those losses was in Provo.
If SDSU gets past BYU, then in will come an Air Force team that ran for 350 yards in a three-point loss at Oklahoma and has the best pair of cornerbacks in the MWC.
After those two games, we'll know if the hype is deserved.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Padres Off-Season
While the Padres off-season mantra will be all about change, expect a lot of familiar faces to return in 2011.
A dearth of quality free agents will make next season's roster similar to 2010 version, barring a few trades engineered by GM Jed Hoyer. Heck, this was a 90-win team that came a couple of days from winning the National League West. While one needs more offense, there is no reason to blow up the nucleus of the ballclub.
What changes do occur during the off-season will stem from two sources:
1. The Padres have a bunch of guys either entering option years, or whose contracts expired at the end of the season and will become free agents. According to various web sources, the list includes 1B Adrian Gonzalez (team option for 2011), 2B David Eckstein, SS Miguel Tejada, C Yorvit Torrealba (mutual option), RF Ryan Ludwick, OF Scott Hairston, UTIL Jerry Hairston Jr., P Chris Young (team option for 2011), P Jon Garland (mutual option for 2011), P Kevin Correia, P Heath Bell and P Mike Adams. Most of those guys were working on one-year contracts this season and most will return. The ones who could hurt if they leave, clearly, are Gonzalez and Bell.
2. They also have a lot of pitching that can be packaged in trade for an offense-minded position player. However, pitching depth will be determined by how free agency plays out, so don't look for Hoyer to make many moves early. You can't trade who you don't own.
What happens over the next several months will be interesting. The general consensus has been that the Padres would be able to afford either Gonzalez or Bell, but not both. However, Gonzalez has a shoulder injury and the resulting lowered production might have cost his team the division title. In San Francisco, he was unable to move his right arm above his head to make plays in the field. Other teams will see that, so it is no longer a certainty that his demands will be met in free agency. It could be that he goes out on the market, finds interest in him to be reduced, and ultimately remains here at home where he belongs. The Padres won't be unmotivated to take advantage of such a scenario, either, as heir apparent Kyle Blanks (remember him?) was ineffective early in 2010 and then missed the rest of the season with an injury.
A similar scenario could play out for Young. He is due something like $8.5 million for his 2011 option. No way the Padres ante up that kind of cash. Neither will anyone else for someone who is now an injury-plagued, 5-inning starting pitcher. He could find the market to be weak and come back to San Diego for a far-more-reasonable $4 million, or thereabouts. Young would be a great guy to have in the rotation in 2011, and as wise counsel to P Mat Latos. The Padres are a better team with Young in the rotation.
It would be amazing to start 2011 with Gonzalez, Bell and Young all on the Padres roster, but while the chances remain slim, they still exist -- maybe by a thread.
The best way to evaluate the Padres roster will be to prioritize:
1. Untouchable: Latos.
2. Would Really Like to Keep (other than Gonzo, Bell and Young): Eckstein, Hairston Jr., the catching combination of Torrealba and Nick Hundley, OF Will Venable, who showed considerable promise after finally making adjustments to his swing, and Tony Gwynn, who provides valuable defense in CF.
3. Into the Pool: Most everyone else, including quite a few decent players.
4. Wave Goodbye: Ludwick, who made nice about wanting to show Padre fans what he can really do next season, but it would be a shock if he hasn't already run screaming into the wilderness away from Petco Park and would be disappointing if Hoyer bothered to make him an offer; Hairston, the Scott-version, who hit just .210.
My feelings toward Tejada are more mixed. He was an upgrade at SS over Everth Cabrera and played pretty well and ingratiated himself with San Diego fans, but his lazy throw to 3B eventually led to the only run being scored in a 1-0 loss to the Giants in September, one of many, many things that led to the Padres being home instead of playing in the playoffs. He's a gamer, no doubt, it was one bad throw. But he'd aging and if the Padres can upgrade further still at this key position, I'd be willing to let Tejada walk.
The morning newspaper made it sound like Eckstein is, if not gone, will no longer be a regular at 2B, with Tejada possibly taking over for Headley at third. However, can the Padres really upgrade at both 2B and SS in the same off-season? Doubtful. Take a look at a list of potential free agents. See anyone you really want? Uh, no. So if you go the trade route for the middle infield, then the outfield will be left virtually intact.
There will also be a lot of interest in the formation of a starting rotation. Right now, there are eight guys vying for five spots:
1. Latos
2. Clayton Richard
3. Tim Stauffer, who won himself a spot in the April rotation with his clutch September performance
4. Garland (if re-signed)
5. Young (if-signed)
6. Wade LeBlanc -- don't discount a young lefty who had some good starts this year.
7. Cory Luebke
8. Correia (if re-signed)
The crystal ball says if Correia is brought back, it won't be for a fulltime starter's role; that the Padres will re-sign either Young or Garland, but not both, and that LeBlanc and Luebke will duel for the fifth spot in the rotation.
The Padres will get something done with Bell, but Adams or Luke Gregerson will become trade bait. Look for young Ernesto Frieri and Ryan Webb to compete for the seventh inning spot.
Interesting decisions will also have to be made by Hoyer on Matt Stairs, whether to break up the Hairston brothers, whether Chase Headley's glove at the hot corner makes up for a weak bat, and whether gamers Aaron Cunningham and Chris Denorfia have a big league future.
A dearth of quality free agents will make next season's roster similar to 2010 version, barring a few trades engineered by GM Jed Hoyer. Heck, this was a 90-win team that came a couple of days from winning the National League West. While one needs more offense, there is no reason to blow up the nucleus of the ballclub.
What changes do occur during the off-season will stem from two sources:
1. The Padres have a bunch of guys either entering option years, or whose contracts expired at the end of the season and will become free agents. According to various web sources, the list includes 1B Adrian Gonzalez (team option for 2011), 2B David Eckstein, SS Miguel Tejada, C Yorvit Torrealba (mutual option), RF Ryan Ludwick, OF Scott Hairston, UTIL Jerry Hairston Jr., P Chris Young (team option for 2011), P Jon Garland (mutual option for 2011), P Kevin Correia, P Heath Bell and P Mike Adams. Most of those guys were working on one-year contracts this season and most will return. The ones who could hurt if they leave, clearly, are Gonzalez and Bell.
2. They also have a lot of pitching that can be packaged in trade for an offense-minded position player. However, pitching depth will be determined by how free agency plays out, so don't look for Hoyer to make many moves early. You can't trade who you don't own.
What happens over the next several months will be interesting. The general consensus has been that the Padres would be able to afford either Gonzalez or Bell, but not both. However, Gonzalez has a shoulder injury and the resulting lowered production might have cost his team the division title. In San Francisco, he was unable to move his right arm above his head to make plays in the field. Other teams will see that, so it is no longer a certainty that his demands will be met in free agency. It could be that he goes out on the market, finds interest in him to be reduced, and ultimately remains here at home where he belongs. The Padres won't be unmotivated to take advantage of such a scenario, either, as heir apparent Kyle Blanks (remember him?) was ineffective early in 2010 and then missed the rest of the season with an injury.
A similar scenario could play out for Young. He is due something like $8.5 million for his 2011 option. No way the Padres ante up that kind of cash. Neither will anyone else for someone who is now an injury-plagued, 5-inning starting pitcher. He could find the market to be weak and come back to San Diego for a far-more-reasonable $4 million, or thereabouts. Young would be a great guy to have in the rotation in 2011, and as wise counsel to P Mat Latos. The Padres are a better team with Young in the rotation.
It would be amazing to start 2011 with Gonzalez, Bell and Young all on the Padres roster, but while the chances remain slim, they still exist -- maybe by a thread.
The best way to evaluate the Padres roster will be to prioritize:
1. Untouchable: Latos.
2. Would Really Like to Keep (other than Gonzo, Bell and Young): Eckstein, Hairston Jr., the catching combination of Torrealba and Nick Hundley, OF Will Venable, who showed considerable promise after finally making adjustments to his swing, and Tony Gwynn, who provides valuable defense in CF.
3. Into the Pool: Most everyone else, including quite a few decent players.
4. Wave Goodbye: Ludwick, who made nice about wanting to show Padre fans what he can really do next season, but it would be a shock if he hasn't already run screaming into the wilderness away from Petco Park and would be disappointing if Hoyer bothered to make him an offer; Hairston, the Scott-version, who hit just .210.
My feelings toward Tejada are more mixed. He was an upgrade at SS over Everth Cabrera and played pretty well and ingratiated himself with San Diego fans, but his lazy throw to 3B eventually led to the only run being scored in a 1-0 loss to the Giants in September, one of many, many things that led to the Padres being home instead of playing in the playoffs. He's a gamer, no doubt, it was one bad throw. But he'd aging and if the Padres can upgrade further still at this key position, I'd be willing to let Tejada walk.
The morning newspaper made it sound like Eckstein is, if not gone, will no longer be a regular at 2B, with Tejada possibly taking over for Headley at third. However, can the Padres really upgrade at both 2B and SS in the same off-season? Doubtful. Take a look at a list of potential free agents. See anyone you really want? Uh, no. So if you go the trade route for the middle infield, then the outfield will be left virtually intact.
There will also be a lot of interest in the formation of a starting rotation. Right now, there are eight guys vying for five spots:
1. Latos
2. Clayton Richard
3. Tim Stauffer, who won himself a spot in the April rotation with his clutch September performance
4. Garland (if re-signed)
5. Young (if-signed)
6. Wade LeBlanc -- don't discount a young lefty who had some good starts this year.
7. Cory Luebke
8. Correia (if re-signed)
The crystal ball says if Correia is brought back, it won't be for a fulltime starter's role; that the Padres will re-sign either Young or Garland, but not both, and that LeBlanc and Luebke will duel for the fifth spot in the rotation.
The Padres will get something done with Bell, but Adams or Luke Gregerson will become trade bait. Look for young Ernesto Frieri and Ryan Webb to compete for the seventh inning spot.
Interesting decisions will also have to be made by Hoyer on Matt Stairs, whether to break up the Hairston brothers, whether Chase Headley's glove at the hot corner makes up for a weak bat, and whether gamers Aaron Cunningham and Chris Denorfia have a big league future.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Padres Fall Short, Chargers Back to Normal
The Padres went down fighting with their best.
In losing 3-0 in San Francisco Sunday, the Friars were unable to complete the sweep necessary to enter the National League playoffs. Atlanta's nail-biting 8-7 victory over Philadelphia gave the Braves the senior circuit's wildcard spot. But after taking the first two games of the weekend series at AT&T Park, they made Giants fans sweat.
P Mat Latos allowed a measly two runs when he couldn't afford to give up any, Yorvit Torrealba hit into a key double play and Miguel Tejada struck out on a wicked slider with runners on base. These are three of the major contributors to a Padres season that fell just one game short of magical, leading a team that many "experts" in April predicted to finish fifth in the National League West. If you're going to go down, it's with those guys out there giving it their best shot.
Alas, there will be no playoff game at Petco Park Monday, nor a potential wildcard tiebreaker in Atlanta Tuesday. All that would have been fun. But this regular season was five months of fun, capped by a little more than a month of frustration. The Padres came up short but the Giants, with a superior September, actively won the division fair-and-square.
---
While everyone would have liked to see the Padres in the playoffs, entry into the tournament was only going to be an invitation to lose to the Phillies. With Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in the rotation, it will take a major upset for another team to keep them out of the World Series...I'll write more during the week, but I think this off-season is going to be fascinating. The Padres not only need more hitting, but offense that fits the constraints of Petco Park, something that GM Jed Hoyer under-estimated when he picked up Tejada and, especially, Ryan Ludwick in his mid-season deals. And they have pitching to burn. It will be interesting to see who is still in the rotation next April, and I would bet offers to other teams will include either seventh-inning reliever Luke Gregerson or eighth-inning specialist Mike Adams. You have to give up quality to get quality and all that...How would the Padres have fared if 1B Adrian Gonzalez had gotten surgery on his injured shoulder at mid-season, taken two months off, and come back healthy in September?
---
My Sunday attention was all on the Padres. The Chargers? Well, we know what they can do at home against bad teams. Nothing more to say, other than I wonder if the Spanoses are looking for ways to put a hold on RB Darren Sproles' paychecks...Nine sacks. Nine?...I like the milestones of TE Antonio Gates becoming the seventh player at his position with 500 receptions, RB Ryan Mathews with his first pro TD, Mike Tolbert's first 100-yard game and LB Shaun Phillips career high four sacks...The Cardinals collapse since their Super Bowl appearance is a lesson for AJ Smith-haters. The Chargers consistency during his tenure is remarkable. I know a lot of people would trade some just-miss seasons for a Super Bowl appearance, but if the Bolts keep coming close, it improves the odds of an eventual breakthrough.
In losing 3-0 in San Francisco Sunday, the Friars were unable to complete the sweep necessary to enter the National League playoffs. Atlanta's nail-biting 8-7 victory over Philadelphia gave the Braves the senior circuit's wildcard spot. But after taking the first two games of the weekend series at AT&T Park, they made Giants fans sweat.
P Mat Latos allowed a measly two runs when he couldn't afford to give up any, Yorvit Torrealba hit into a key double play and Miguel Tejada struck out on a wicked slider with runners on base. These are three of the major contributors to a Padres season that fell just one game short of magical, leading a team that many "experts" in April predicted to finish fifth in the National League West. If you're going to go down, it's with those guys out there giving it their best shot.
Alas, there will be no playoff game at Petco Park Monday, nor a potential wildcard tiebreaker in Atlanta Tuesday. All that would have been fun. But this regular season was five months of fun, capped by a little more than a month of frustration. The Padres came up short but the Giants, with a superior September, actively won the division fair-and-square.
---
While everyone would have liked to see the Padres in the playoffs, entry into the tournament was only going to be an invitation to lose to the Phillies. With Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in the rotation, it will take a major upset for another team to keep them out of the World Series...I'll write more during the week, but I think this off-season is going to be fascinating. The Padres not only need more hitting, but offense that fits the constraints of Petco Park, something that GM Jed Hoyer under-estimated when he picked up Tejada and, especially, Ryan Ludwick in his mid-season deals. And they have pitching to burn. It will be interesting to see who is still in the rotation next April, and I would bet offers to other teams will include either seventh-inning reliever Luke Gregerson or eighth-inning specialist Mike Adams. You have to give up quality to get quality and all that...How would the Padres have fared if 1B Adrian Gonzalez had gotten surgery on his injured shoulder at mid-season, taken two months off, and come back healthy in September?
---
My Sunday attention was all on the Padres. The Chargers? Well, we know what they can do at home against bad teams. Nothing more to say, other than I wonder if the Spanoses are looking for ways to put a hold on RB Darren Sproles' paychecks...Nine sacks. Nine?...I like the milestones of TE Antonio Gates becoming the seventh player at his position with 500 receptions, RB Ryan Mathews with his first pro TD, Mike Tolbert's first 100-yard game and LB Shaun Phillips career high four sacks...The Cardinals collapse since their Super Bowl appearance is a lesson for AJ Smith-haters. The Chargers consistency during his tenure is remarkable. I know a lot of people would trade some just-miss seasons for a Super Bowl appearance, but if the Bolts keep coming close, it improves the odds of an eventual breakthrough.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)