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“AZTECS-LOST SEASON”
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He doesn’t have much to look back on this disappointing San Diego State football season.

He does have a vote of confidence from his Athletic Director, though his job is not in jeopardy.

He doesn’t have very many fans in the stands this late in the season.

The winning seasons are a blurred memory.  There will be no Bowl game this year.

And just ahead the opening of the Transfer Portal, the need for more NIL money from whatever alumni are left and the need to reconfigure ticket pricing, where fans feel they are being gauged for seats, parking, concessions.

Welcome to Sean Lewis’ first year as head coach at San Diego State, where they are (3-7) and have more problems in terms of credibility, fan support, and wins.

The Rocky Long-Brady Hoke era doesn’t seem that long ago, but the state of this team compared to those Aztecs teams seems light years ago.

Stunning the last home game they played drew just over 12,770 fans.  The years I broadcast Aztecs football, the Marshall Faulk era, you do remember crowds of 48-to-51,000-fans.  You do remember games with USC-UCLA-BYU-Miami.

Alot of work to be done to fix this situation.  Saturday they play at Utah State.

Lewis’ press briefing on Monday was different as the first year coach sounded off on the NCAA..the state of college football..and what he would like to see change if ‘he were king’.  It was refreshing.

Coach Sean Lewis comments:
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Still have things to play for at (3-7)
These players have a good mindset and dedicated to win

The right thing to do is play to win with these current players

Danny O’Neil-grown from learning the amount of work required to be good
Importance of decision making, learning the quickness of the game
He has done a great job first time on campus
There is no benchmark to compare him and his journey

Young wide receivers, we give them tools-rules
It’s their problem to solve
When you see kids process info..presnap…great to see these moments

Biggest progression on offense is run game
Not playing behind the chains
We are getting more explosive plays

All the older guys in this locker room give the young team the chance to learn
They show the young guys, resilience, fortitude, urgency
The competitive nature of this level means you need a commitment
It is a testament to these kids they have stayed the course.

Injury situation…speaks volumes kids battling
10-different starting offensive lineman have given what we needed
The fight of this team makes us go to the very end

Our most consistent playmakers have been on special teams
Gabe Placensia gets us points as our kicker
Our punter has been amazing..punt time..mechanics
He flips the field ..had a 1.6-punt get it out and off his foot

You have to have high character that will be tested
Easy life won’t make you better
We faced alot of adversity..unbelievable character
Great young me in the locker room..with leaders.

Utah State..they generate turnovers
Score 55-points on the road at Hawaii
Spencer Petras is dynamic big arm playmaker
They found balance to offense
Have a thousand yard rusher who can explode

Their defense takes away spaces, gets after QB, generated 5-turnovers

Commit  from our guys…to both good and bad….just improve
Part of being elite player, regardless of what is going on around team, be the best
We sell that to these kids
Let the fans see the work you have done

Mountain West Conference..had the opportunity to coach against them before
I knew the influx of new coaches would change the league
The new players in the league-made it a very good league

Kent State-where I was-a very challenging job
We flipped it with our process
Same process we will flip this too

Flipping programs bigger challenge because of NIL-Transfer Portal
We develop talent we inherited
We will recruit more talent
Grow this with our style

All across the country, everyone dealing with same thing
Landscape in college athletics, nothing changed from 1970 to 2020
Everything  changed sincd then
No one has figured it out-constantly changing

Need our rate of growth and learning be ahead of the next change

We need stability with rules
Tampering behind the scenes goes on
Signing day then free agency
Need to retain roster..and recruit

Like to find a way..when you work really hard to identify…
Want structure in place to retain your kids
Want finders fee compensate us in Group of 5 if Power 4-takes your top players
Give us fee-we go find next group of players
Living in world where teams take our players.

Transfer Portal…like 1-window time frame…change the models
Pro Sports has 1-major free agency period..we need just one too
All trying to survive
Group of 5-schools become feeder schools to Power Four

Our staff does due diligence and develops players..we should be compensated
We spend time-energy-resources…we get nothing in return if they leave
We invest in players and they leave..we should be compensated.

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