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“Aztecs Football–Rocky Talk”

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The scoreboard does not lie, you are what your record says you are.

And the statistics don’t like either, when San Diego State’s coaching staff has built a dominant defense, nationally ranked defense, year in-year out.

Rocky Long is headed back to a bowl game later this month, the 10th year in a row the Aztecs have been to a bowl game.

Long has now compiled an (80-38) coaching record with the Red & Black.

His team stormed to a (9-3) season this year, beating another Pac 12-teams, UCLA along the way.

And his defense is atop every metric in the Mountain West Conference stats, and ranked nationally too.

The numbers are staggering in an era where everyone has spread offenses and 3,000-yard passing quarterbacks.

The Aztecs defense gave up just (288YPG) in a throwing conference.  Allowed just 17-touchdowns in a 12-game season….28-sacks..78-tackles for loss…22-takeaways…alloed just (2.6YPC) to running backs.

Rocky Long comments”
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..Nice to finish with a win..excited for bowl game
..Overall a really good season

..Don’t speculate on bowl game but know ESPN says it’s Washington State.
..Our (9-3) record might consider us for a game against a Power 5-team

..Health of bowl system gives us a chance to go to a bigger bowl-we did a lot of good
..For first time in history of school-we beat UCLA
..First time we beat BYU in 14-years
..We have established our program now with our record.

..If there was a playoff system and we were one of 16-teams in bowl playoff…system and we were in, our mentality would be different.  Current bowl game is pat on back for having a good season..not a whole lot of pressure on winning.  We prepare our team like that.

..Going into the season, our defensive line was concern about weakest point
..Biggest improvement made in Defensive Line…
..Brady Hoke is best defensive line coach around

..Carson Baker did well as a first time starter at quarterback-
..It was nerve wracking for him but he was steady.
..He did not rattle leading up to the game-played within himself in game
..Made 3-or-4 really nice throws early.
..He played the game like he plays at practice-confidence
..Had never seen him play against a teams top defense…played well

..Ryan Agnew will be 100% healthy for a bowl game..he is still sore
..Team not meeting…not practicing..till bowl game opponent chosen.

..Bowl game prep…we start developing next year’s team with young players
..Announce bowl game opponent on Saturday

..Mountain West does a good job holding our officials accountable all the time
..Most of the time it is not made public….officials issues are addressed weekly.

….Coaching workload…Changed over years based on experience…When they start thinking it is getting too much you quit, you move on…Surprised Chris Peterson left…Coaching business not as difficult because of technology….Our coaches are out of the building at 8pm….years gone by you left at midnite and came back at 6am…now it’s different….Yes there is stress…not by number of hours of coaching….We are handling the public aspect of a job ….As a younger coach there was no social media…now you take a lot more punishment because of scrutiny…There are very few advantages of being old except you know how to deal with things.

..Programs can be saved at UNLV and New Mexico…Fit coaches personality with community…you can have success…fixed Wyoming…we fixed SDSU….they can do it in Las Vegas-Albuquerque.

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“Monday Mess in Chargersville”

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The game was awful, but then again a lot of what we have seen from the Chargers has been awful this season.

The (4-8) record they drag to the Monday morning breakfast tables is  an honest configuration of who they are, what they have become.

So much for the slogan “Bolt Up”, created by Team President of Business Operations AG Spanos.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree does it with his empty suit leadership.

Sunday’s setback goes down as an appalling loss to a struggling Denver Broncos team, that was (3-8), and starting its 7th different quarterback over the last four years..

The Bolts lost to a team that did not have its two best defensive players, pass rushers Von Miller and Brad Chubb.

They had a rookie QB-who had never played in a game in his brief NFL career in Drew Lock, and yet he engineered two scoring drives, hardly turned the ball over and did not panic under the heat of 10-pressures by the Bolts pass rush.

They lost because of breakdowns, here-there-everywhere during the course of the game.

A “Harry High School” jump screen pass by QB-Philip Rivers, picked off, became his 15th pick of the season, that led to points.

Another fumbled punt, this time by Trumayne Pope, that led to more points.

Russell Okung, back on the field after groin problems, took 3-penalties..two that wiped out big plays.

There was a brutal roughing the punter penalty that kick started a drive that resulted in points.

CB-Casey Hayward was beaten for 2-TD passes, then committed the egregious pass interference contact penalty on a Hail Mary pass, that kept the game going with (:03) and led to the Brandon McManus game winning field goal.  Drives me crazy when the TV network guys from CBS keep calling him the best cover CB the team has…hasn’t been that way since he was in San Diego.

Coach Anthony Lynn and his hand chosen offensive coordinator struggled to figure out when to use time outs, and what plays to call.

Yes, Rivers threw for (265) and yes Melvin Gordon ran for (99Y)..and yes Mike Williams hauled in amazing 55-and-37 yard catches, and Keenan Allen vaulted over the top for a 36Y-TD reception, and Austin Ekeler had a 36-yard catch and run.

But out of some 70-snaps in the game, the Chargers had about 7-decent plays.

The rest of the time, they had no flow, no rhythm, and little success.

And despite a heroic day from DE-Melvin Ingram, no one did anything else on defense.  Lock did not freak out, they never sacked him, and he withstood pressure, moved the pocket and made enough plays to not get yanked nor decked.

On a day when we were treated to the brilliance of Lamar Jackson, leading Baltimore to the win over San Francisco, or watching a 3rd string Steelers quarterback led his team to his 3rd straight win as a rookie starter, or the Texans stun the Patriots, or Jared Goff throw for (424Y)…Chargers fans in San Diego and whomever follows the team in LA, were treated to another four quarters of losers football.

The Bolts are 12-games into a non playoff season, and aside from the one great complete game when they jumped the Green Bay Packers, they haven’t played four quarters of football on any given Sunday this season.

If Chargers fans weren’t on such a hate mission against the Spanos family, you’d feel sorry for Rivers and his teammates.

The distance, San Diego to Baltimore, covers (2,628 miles).  The difference between the Chargers and the Ravens, the hottest team in the NFL, seems a lot farther than that.

Four more weeks till the Ravens welcome everybody to the NFL playoffs.  Only four more weeks of watching this miserable product the used to be our team.

“Bolt Up”.  Maybe fans will “Bolt Out” in support of this team, you know the one that is now in last place in the AFC-West.

Chargersville-a real mess.

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“Padres Game Plan–Giving Up Too Early?”

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The offseason has begun for the Padres, but it is loaded with questions.

The five player trade with Milwaukee brought them a front line starting pitcher and another outfield prospect.

Then they went out, and in a surprise move, spent a lot of money on a pitcher who has reinvented himself, but at an inflated price.

The Padres off season blueprint was to get front line pithing help and maybe another outfielder.  But in doing so, it cost them a frontline young starting pitcher and the planer they kept painting as their second baseman of the future.

The Zach Davies deal for young pitcher Eric Lauer could turn out to be a plus.  Davies is a proven front of the rotation commodity, an innings horse, and a real scrapper.  The feeling is that Lauer had reached his ceiling, after two years of scuffling to get his ERA below the 5.00-mark.

Davies and Garrett Richards give the Padres two things they did not have before, age, experience, and some veteran fire in the gut at the front of the rotation.

The other facet of the Brewers trade is strange though.  Out goes Luis Urias for young outfielder Trent Grisham.  Urias has torn up minor league pitching , but has staggered in parts of two seasons with the Padres.  But it takes time to learn to hit major league pitching.  Moving him this early in his career is a surprise.

Grisham hit (.300) in  a split season between AA-AAA, but was found wanting when given his chance to play the outfield in Milwaukee.  A left-handed hitting centerfielder, but the question comes now, why was he needed, if the Padres were so certain about Taylor Trammell, the so-called phenom they got from the Reds.  But Trammell hit all of (.229) in AA himself.

The Padres then wrote a check worth 34M to starter turned reliever Drew Pomeranz.  They gave him an 8M bonus and a first year salary of 4M, plus 3-additional years on top of that.  Pomeranz was (2-10) when the Giants dealt him to Milwaukee.  He had been shifted to a setup reliever role, and suddenly became very effective.

The Padres though have to be asked, how you would commit 34M to a pitcher who had health problems in Boston, fell apart in San Francisco, and then reinvented himself  in a different role in Milwaukee.  All that money for two months of productivity.    He would be an ideal fit with Craig Stammen, Matt Strahm and Kirby Yates.  Is what we saw at the end of last season for real, it better be.  They paid a lot of money on this acquisition.

Next up, possible deals with Austin Hedges and possibly Hunter Renfroe.

How many more core parts will AJ Preller move and why have they given up on the blueprint already, despite the 90-loss season.

This all started with the Francisco Mejia-Brad Hand trade a year and a half ago.  Mejia is not a complete product yet.  Hedges has a standard that no other catchers around are equal to.

Then the Padres moved the productive and popular  Franmil Reyes in the deal that brought them the prospect they hope won’t be suspect, Trammell, who could be years away.

Now they go get Grisham with the hopes he arrives quicker, and gives them productivity.

So now we deal with possible deals for Hedges and Renfroe.  That would be two more pieces of what was the foundation of the team that was supposed to win.

The Padres pitching may be better as of today.  But the rest of the lineup looks even weaker now.

The blueprint seems blurred.  The next week should bring more deals, then the Winter Meetings come here.

Just asking if the Padres have given up on their game plan too early?

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“Aztecs Basketball—Prove Yourself”

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Th-e Aztecs face back to back big games this week in the Continental Tire Invitational in Las Vegas.  SDSU plays nationally ranked Creighton then likely Iowa.  They’ve had a good start, but now start to play really good teams, Creighton, Iowa, Texas Tech in the tourney..

They have a chance to establish their resume, and push themselves into the Top 25-rankings.

The gritty come from behind win at BYU was an accomplishment, but that is now off-set by the struggles they had against Long Island University (LI-Who) and downtrodden Tennessee State.

You see flashes, in your face defense, an odd good game by Yonnie Wetzel or Jordan Schakel, big nights inside from Nathan Mensah.  But lead guard Malachi Flynn isn’t shooting well (39%), and didn’t shoot well when he left Washington State.

Their calling card is at the other end of the floor.  Try holding opponents (35%) shooting….try 20-blocked shots and 40-steals…or opponents (98) turnovers in six outings so far.

Need to find the offense now, because Creighton-Texas Tech-Iowa are big time teams.

Coach Brian Dutcher:

..Teams in Las Vegas-combined record (19-2)
..Exciting to see where we are as a team..see how good we are
..Creighton shoots 41% from the 3-point range..top ranked on offense.

..Aztecs had shots not go in vs Tennessee State…
..Had layups…open threes not go in..just have to make shot
..Haven’t had a game where our guards are red-hot, on fire.
..Yonni-Nathan playing well inside..just need consistency outside.

..Las Vegas tourney games carry clout for post season
..In search of quality resume win because we are not in Power 5-Conference
..Important to us for non conference resume
..Alot of eyes on Aztecs with ESPN televising games
..Get into rankings-it adds credence we are NCAA tourney team
..Gives us wiggle room in the conference

..I like my team-we will be competitive thru the year ..(6-0) good start-next goal…take it one game at a time
..Creighton will be a good test for us
..This has been pretty good start with our focus

Matt Mitchell:
..This team has clicked this year..new team..new people
..Everyone has bought in this year to practices-game plans
..Offensive struggle-defense has been good
..Missing too many shots-we make them in practice-need to do in game
..Cannot let offense dictate our defense
..Every player lives for this…5-games in 10-nights
..Practice 10-days and no games..don’t like that.
..Game feels different  at 220-pounds..want to play back to way I played before
..Weight loss is a different…quicker on defense…steals..proud what I’ve done
…Push ourselves into Top 25-rankings, would help team a lot..grow-come together

Malachi Flynn:
..When I transferred in I looked at all aspects of program
..I believe we could be where we are right n
..Come together in July-when we were practicing together
..Creighton very good team-we know that going in
..Big test for us-our chemistry-
..Two toughest games we have had back to back
..5-games in 10-days..just lock in on scouting reporting
..Haven’t shot well the first 6-games…continue be confident
..We know how good we are..getting to top 25-would mean a lot.

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“Aztecs at Finish Line”

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San Diego State is on the brink of a (9-3) finish to the season, if they can beat Brigham Young on Saturday night.

That record would give you a ‘feel good emotion’ to a season, especially based on what happened at the end of last season to SDSU.  But it just doesn’t feel that way.

A Jekyll-Hyde offense, strong one week, weak the next, has left as many unanswered questions as you could imagine.

Instead of a possible New Year’s Day bowl game, these late season setbacks have continued to cost the team a bowl match against a big time opponent, that could put the Aztecs on everyone’s national radar.

Not the case, and now a likely bowl berth against a team from Conference USA or the Sun Belt Conference, in either the New Mexico or Arizona Bowl.  Surely not big time.

BYU, operating as an independent, has disappeared off the national radar since leaving the Mountain West Conference.  The passing of Lavelle Edwards, and coaching changes since he left, have taken the Cougars in a different direction.

BYU did beat Tennessee early, then USC, and Boise State at mid season, so they are dangerous.  Their 5-game win streak now, was off set by a 3-game losing streak at mid season and blowout losses to Utah-and-Washington.   BYU has played a really big time schedule as an independent.

So who knows what this game would bring.

Coach Rocky Long’s comments.

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..Really good football team coming in here
..Getting QB-Zach Wilson back form hand injury
..Best football team we have played all year

..Ryan Agnew will sit out practice till Thursday
..Carson Baker would be ‘next man up’.

..We have done a lot of really good things this year
..Only team qualified for bowl games 10-years in a row
..Our primary goal was to win championship-we didn’t get there
..But we have hit a lot of goals
..Really proud of senior class-took a leadership role I wanted
..Last yard did not play really hard..didn’t play with ‘want to’ attitude
..We changed it..senrios bought in..changed everything
..Team first attitude changed

..Thoughts on independent football teams…much prefer be in a league
..Some teams can’t afford scheduling…some think make more money independent
..I think eventually there will be a football tourney…everyone should be in conference

..BYU is playing in a bowl game…
..BYU sets its own standard as an independent
..BYU you can set your schedule the way you want
..If BYU came back to conference-would be a positive for our conference
..BYU has a national brand and would be good
..BYU might come back if MWC teams refused to schedule them
..BYU scheduling virtually all MWC teams.

..BYU big boy schedule..they are playing well now.
..Look like old time BYU from years ago…score-moved ball-
..Zach Wilson is like all the good ones they had..accuarate-deep throws-run
..Our players don’t know history BYU
..Kids did not know they have 25-26  year olds

..Aztecs defensive stats with a lot of young players-mean we could be good next year too
..Jekyll-Hyde offense-every team has an identity…some outscore you..
..Not sure of our backup QBs-no idea

..College football teams are growing…more overall schools playing Div i-II-III football

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