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“AZTECS–GO BOWLING”
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A good season, and now another game to play.
A (9-3) season goes to the New Mexico Bowl
Next up, the Aztecs electric defense.
Next up, North Texas State and it’s high octane offense

Coach Sean Lewis on his team and his search for a new Def Coordinator
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Exciting day begin prep vs Big Green
N-Texas number 1-in offense in country (504YPG)
Players back in weight room-get back on grass

Rob Aurich thankful for 2-years work on our staff
Demetrius Sumler will be our interim defensive coordinator
He learned alot under Rocky Long then on our staff
He has experiences
Our team is built on culture to cope with change
Nebraska wanted Rob in-house immediately
I needed to have everyone all in
He has to experience the flow of this game
Lots of interest in this job if we go outside
I have done hiring alot as head coach..do it right
6-week window to decide
Want right people in our bui9lding from 1st day on the job
Listen to my players about next hire-make right decision

Have a good pulse on my team-who is staying-who is leaving
Going back to New Mexico..nothing shocks me
I had all my calendars laid out spending time-where we might go

Practices..get 10-extra days…great for young kids
We coaches evaluate every day-every practicer
Each day matters for young kids too

Electric Defensive Unit vs Hi Octane offense-Combustible game
Great matchup of styles
N-Texas..they score points in bunches
Mestemaker-one of best QBs in country
Resilient kid-did not start a high school game
Do all things he did in his journey…amazing
Leads nation in passing..(504YPG) offense
Dudes that stress you out…QB knows where answers are
He knows what defenses will throw at him…he has found a solution
They have a really explosive team

Our defense-continuity-consistency important deal with him
We have runway to build game plan

College football-moment adaptation and growth
Transfer portal will be different…Everyone has finances in order
Might be movement at fast pace-no spring portal
Each program has a unique set of circumstances
There is no 1-rule to solve all the issues..solve your issues in house

College game is chaos…have to know how to control it
I have learned valuable lessons as a young coach-now as veteran coach
Start season..Finish the season..game left to play
My players don’t owe me anything…want them to want to play together in 19-days
December 27th- we will go separate ways
I understand if they want to leave for the portal

Mimic NFL calendar…change portal..playoff structure
Start season early..have championship weekend..have final game on January 1st

Looking forward..health…
Settle our QB room
Fixing this was not snap of the finger
Alot hard work-alot of responses
Have always thought this was possible-I am not reactionary
I know what we signed up for
Believe in culture-structure
We learned to win in alot of different ways
Focused-accountable..I have vision-future
Next 6-weeks define who we will be in 2026

Travel Christmas Eve to New Mexico Bowl

2-Group of 5’s in playoffs
There is a path for everyone to get there now
My 7th year as a head coach…changes yearly how to operate
Football is America’s game…Fans are passionate about the game
What is best for the eco-system of college football
Hope decisions not being made by 1-entity (conferences)
If we could build a railroad from 1-side country to other..or man on moon
We can fix this system
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“CHARGERS MUST WIN–DO WIN”
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It was a war of attrition.
Justin Herbert did not deserve to lose.
Jalen Hurts did not deserve to win.

The Chargers, with an awful outing from their offensive line, got a win.
The Eagles, despite a ferocious pass rush, wound up losing because of their QB.

It is the worst pounding I have seen a Chargers QB take dating back to the Ryan Leaf-Craig Whelihan era.  Do you know how many years ago the Bolts were (1-15)

For a Super Bowl team, it was a miserable game, played by a frantic QB behind his own beat up offensive line, done in by panic stricken passes.

The stat sheet was full or red ink, or maybe it was blood.

Herbert, took 8-sacks, 10-hits and was pressured 18-times, and was still standing at the end to shake hands with his teammates.  What a pounding and that included a pick, a lost fumble and another fumble recovered by his team.

Hurts was beyond awful-freaked out by the pass rush.  4-interceptions and a fumble later the Eagles got on the plane with a 3-game losing streak, and a wasted (122Y) rushing effort from Saquon Barkley.

Cam Dicker, the best the NFL has ever seen, hit 5-field goals including the OT game winner from 54-yards out to cap the see-saw war.

The Eagles had (365Y) of offense.  The Chargers trailed in virtually every offensive category and yet Herbert, bloodied and with a cast on his left hand, willed the team to win.

The Eagles had 12-plays of plus ten yards, while the Chargers had just 8, but just enough to get it in close range for the game winning kick.

The Bolts defense came up with 3-picks off high throws or deflected throws, or passes into traffic.  There were 3-turnovers on one snap in the game, and bodies limped off the field thruout the night.

They had to have the win, for the Bolts still have to play Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and Denver in the final month of the season.

The unhappiness in Philly will grow even more after this wretched outing from last year’s Super Bowl Kings.

Just remember this, the toughness, the grit, and moxie, the pain tolerance of Justin Herbert.  He played in the style of all things Dan Fouts.

Only counts as 1-win.  Had to have it.  The quarterback willed this rag-tag bunch on offense, patchwork lineman and kid running backs, to victory.

Must win-did win.
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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast…1:30pm
Hot Topics-Stay for Fan’s Forum
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
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“YOU WANTED A COLLEGE PLAYOFF”
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College football fans got what they wanted.
College football got what it wanted.
And now no one is happy.

Just hours after the Classic 1-vs-2 Indiana-Ohio State matchup.  Just 4-quarters after the QB duel of Fernando Mendoza-vs-Jaylin Sayin.  And the night after the number 1-vs-2 defenes quit beating on each other.

No one is happy.

Especially Notre Dame, and even the late arriving Texas Longhorns.
Miami is happy-you bet.
James Madison is thankful.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is really upset.

Hopscotching around what we have seen.

INDIANA-OHIO STATE…Everything you could want.  QBs under pressure.  QBs making passes.  WRs with great catches.  And a defensive war led by relentless pass rushes.  Ever seen two star QBs scramble for their lives as much as they had to on Saturday night?
Bet we might see Ryan Day and Curt Cignettin in a playoff rematch.

FINAL POLLS…That committee won’t be getting Christmas cards from some people later this month.

NOTRE DAME…How do you win 10-in a row and fall in the final poll, when you had held your position thru the CFP polls the prior four weeks?  Probably weak schedule in South Bend after the two early season losses.  Sadly, in a real fit of anger, the Irish then elect not to play in any Bowl game.  Seems really unfair to those kids.

ALABAMA…Been leaking oil the back half of the schedule and yet did not drop much in the polls, got in, and did not get knocked out of the playoffs after getting floored in the SEC title game.

MIAMI..That early season win the difference maker, but a mid year surge of crummy games did not overly douse their chances, but truly a strange formula of how the win over the Irish did not mean much in the polls until the final poll came out at 9am-on Sunday.  Seems unfair to South Bend.  Think they will meet their match in their first round game with Texas AM.

ACC..Steamed, because Virginia lost to Duke in the conference title game, but Duke does not get in because of a 5-loss season and not ranked high in the final polls.

TULANE…They get in because of the ACC mess and a higher ranking, but how really good are the AAC-teams.

JAMES MADISON..Great couple of years, but do they really belong on the field with the big boys, and now they have to go Oregon in that first round game, a likely 69-6 game.  By the way, no wins against any Power 4-team-seems the system in flawed.

JUST ASKING…What counts more, head to head (when you played?)
JUST ASKING..Do you get in by being the best team, hottest team, or most deserving?
JUST ASKING..So what has to change next year to make all this fairer?
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‘FOOTBALL PREVIEW”
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So what game are you going to watch this weekend?

OHIO STATE-INDIANA…This might really be the national title game, matching the two unbeaten (12-0) teams, the two Heisman Trophy candidates Saylin-Mendoza, and two amazing defenses giving up 7-and-10 points a game.  And on a neutral field to boot.

ALABAMA-GEORGIA..SEC title bash and how about the two QBs, they were both buried on the depth chart a year ago, and now Tyler Simpson and Gunnar Stockton have combined to throw 50TDs this season.

VIRGINIA-DUKE..Transfer QBs make a difference so this Darian Mensah-vs-Chandler Morrison passing show should be an ACC- doozy.

BYU-TEXAS TECH…Do you remember when the Big 12 was all about Oklahoma-Texas-Nebraska?  Not so any more, here is Bear Bachemeier vs Behren Martin in a QB duel that decides the league title.

BOISE STATE-UNLV….This very well could have been-should have been San Diego State-New Mexico, but the final Mountain West Conference title game forever before the best teams in the league cross the state line into the PAC-12….Should be a throwing contest with Maddux Madsen-vs-Anthony Colandera.

Enjoy your football Saturday.
Come Sunday they release the final CFB playoff poll and the matchups.
Sunday too, the bowl matchups come out
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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast…1:30

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“AZTECS-THEN-NOW-FUTURE”
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The San Diego State football season is over, a bowl game to come.
The disappointment of the finish-3 road losses is there.
The snub by the Mountain West Conference is there too.
But (9-3) with a Bowl Game is a far cry from (3-9).
A vintage Sean Lewis turnaround season.
And a future that includes Pac 12-membership and a chance at the CFP in 2026
Add in another recruiting haul.
Something to look forward to.

Coach Sean Lewis Press Conference:
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21-young men putting pen to paper and sign
Now we recheck the roster for next year
10-on offense signing…11-on defense
Highest rated class we have put together
It’s a Pac 12 type recruiting class
12-will enroll in January
Think we will be a top 60-class in the country

Next opportunity to go get win #10
We came up short..did not win championship moment

The 9-3 season was huge in selling these recruits
Evidence this process we have works
Hope is one thing…evidence is another
Need athleticism, size, length, speed, horsepower in recruits
I believe in building thru hi-school recruiting..very important base
Some guys will go into the transfer portal January 2nd

WR-Derek Stevenson-lots position flexibility..blazing fast and big
RB-Josiah Lucas..well rounded back-does all things well-strength record
WR-Carson Diehl-best 2 way player in San Diego-identified last summer
QB-Brady Campbell-Good QB-adds depth to room-competitive-high ceiling-wiring

Recruiting based on your depth chart..we went after DBs important
Need to go to transfer portal to get instant help
Players not staya here for free..have to update finances

Bowl Game..Opportunity to go play-a marquee game
We have 1-of best defenses in the country for country to see
Not many 10-win teams in school history..

We are not re-evaluate the late season loss..not evaluate the entire year
The cost of winning is not going down..everyone excited to make the move Pac 12

Biggest challenge in recruiting..what will they be like when they are away home
Locker Room is full of all-everythings..alpha dog..now it is real adversity
How are you going to respond..deal good-bad..be best version of your self
Need players who are good fit for this program

Signal going (9-3)..send message everyone
Everything here is ascending
Want community to see what 30,000-at New Mexico rush the field
We know who we are..going to Pac 12-gives us a chance to create something new
Reshape a strong new league..neat there is a path to CFP
Majority of our team has never been to a Bowl game
Kids created chance to have more time on the field..13th opportunity

Tough get snubbed by MWC…not time to thinkg about what happened
Have always enjoyed..process and go do next things
(3-9) makes you a better coach..not going to wander thru life
Did well with XYZ..work on them
Wounds still fresh in loss in New Mexico
Half dozen players changed the whole game
Never get over that loss..but move on
Everyone emotional we did not chance to go to MWC- game
We are not victims-not complain
We put ourselves in that spot-should have played better.
Bowl game helps us sharpen our focus
We put ourselves in that spot to get bypassed

JP…our scout team-QB..bowl practices will help him

College football..let’s struccture the calendar to finish everything by January 1st

Best Bowl win..at Wisconsin-we beat Auburn-sent Barry Alvarez out a win
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