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Aztecs-Bye Week-Work Week…..Not Too Pleased Coach”

 

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It’s a bye week for San Diego State football, and they seem to be in a good place.

A (7-1) record, in the hunt for a trip to the Mountain West Conference championship game, and even an outside chance at a New Year’s Day Bowl Game from the Group of 5-teams still eligible, though the competition will be tough.

Tough too, will be what’s left not he schedule, Nevada, Fresno, Hawaii and BYU, , with 3-of them here in San Diego.

A quality win over UCLA, a nationally ranked defense in a bunch of NCAA categories, and a team getting healthy.  SDSU is in a good place.

Coach Rocky Long.

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..Great time to be in a bye week…tired-sore-beatup…this helps us
..We played better on the road than home
..3-of-4 at home…would be nice with try home field advantage
..Would like to see more fans here to help us get over the hump
..Ranked 25th-helps public perception and helps conference
..As well as we have played outside conference Top 25-we deserve be there

..We haven’t played as well as we can play…
..Must play better to earn right to get to conference championship game in MWC
..Bye week will let our guys compete against each other
..Going to give players more time off during the 2nd bye week.

..Make offense better-have to execute better..improve fundamentals-techniques
..Don’t know why we are so inconsistent…have to practice to get better
..We need improved technique to execute better on offense
..We fixed illegal procedure last week..this week it’s blocking

..Our seniors-we demanded more of them-starting with off season program
..Interesting-we don’t panic when we don’t play well..that’s inner leadership
..I think we can still be a really good football team…we are not there yet.

..Zach Thomas has overcome injuries-playing high level
..Cam Thomas-little experience-has played very well-better than we thought he’d play

..Reacton to NCAA just approved plan to pay players for marketing…lot of work to do
..Recruiting-kids want to come to program that is successful and fits their personality
..Personality must fit for bothy…our program has been established
..We have 10-straight years of winning records and bowl games-pretty good-impressive.
..This is recruiting weekend-lots of recruits to be on campus on Friday

..Program has changed because we have great kids and great coaches

..Goal for us to get in championship game..3-league games left
..Couple of them fighting to get bowl eligible..
..Will play 3-teams motivated…they are talented…all 3-could beat us.

..I like the idea of playing BYU-but I would not have played BYU
..If I was AD-I would not schedule BYU-they left our conference.
..They left us and now they need to schedule MWC teams to fill out schedule
..Not one of our players knows anything about BYU history.

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Aztecs Basketball–Sneak Preview

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They will play college basketball on Wednesday night at Viejas Arena.

San Diego State, trying to return to glory, will host UC-San Diego, in an exhibition game, the scene setter to the opening of the college season next week when they open the campaign against Texas Southern.

Coaches hate the “R” word….’rebuild’…but they will subscribe to the “R” word…’reload’.

Brian Dutcher will have an all new back-court…3-transfers, led by Washington State transfer Malachi Flynn, an explosive scorer, and complimented by Santa Clara transfer  KJ Feagin and JUCO star Trey Pullman from Navarro JC in Texas.  They can shoot, pass, play defense and interchange roles.

SDSU has had suck quality guards for so many years.  Pick any name and you knew you were in good hands.  There is a legacy, from Xavier Thames to Trey Kell, DJ Gay to Winston Shepard, Chase Tabley and Devin Watson, all the way back to back to Al Faux when the program first turned the corner thanks to Steve Fisher..

Dutcher faces a challenge trying to mix and match big men.  Gone over the last two years, are Jalen McDaniels and Malik Pope, explore baseline around the rim talents..

Feisty wide-body toughie  Matt Mitchell returns, coming off scope surgery.  Young developing center Nathan Mensah has so much upside at a young age.  But SDSU has challenges putting consistent production around them.

The only promising freshman is Keshad Johnson, a jumping jack forward, who brings credentials much like past promising frontline guys, like Kawhi Leonard, Billy White,Pope and McDaniels. .

Dutcher had lots to say as he walks on the court on Wednesday night.

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Brian Dutcher….

..Seems like forever since we have played a big game.

..3-new Aztecs starters on the floor
..Yanni Wentzel and Malachi Flynn will debut on Viejas floor along with the two transfer guards..

..We have 1-returner in Matt Mitchell…but lots of young veterans off the bench…guys who have played well in sports.

..Excited to get Keyshad Johnson on floor-exciting freshman.
..He is talent like a Billy White-type of athlete
..Biggest challenge is on defensive end-so much responsibility on them.
..Get his confidence up to take shots

..When you sign 5th year seniors..they play immediately..we are not rebuilding but reloading.
..Between transfers-junior college players…we have experience.guys who have played lots of basketball.
..We believe we can make NCAA tourney

..Kids came here for winning tradition….7-NCAA tourney berths in 10-yeqrs.
..We have a high bar here…..

..I have to balance my goals…play freshmen…play new transfers to get them used to our way..
..Rolling over teams doesn’t help us…we want to get everyone involved in system.

..We have talked to UCSD about regular season game next year when they go Div 1.
..They have 5-returning players so they wills and up to us on Wednesday.

..Matt Mitchell-magnificent in his approach to weight training…got heavy last year…down to 240-pounds his freshman weight.
..He’s missed 7-weeks from knee scope surgery-but he is on track.

..Kawhi Leonard-in LA…invalauable to the program-work ethic amazing-plus-talent made him best player world…have him part of San Diego State basketball is important.

..Fegin-Pulliam-Wetzel…5th year seniors have played a lot of basketball and now they are here…expect them to play well for this year.

..Malachi Flynn..dynamic leader… work in progress with Feagin to get used to each other.
..Malachi will score a lot of points…he did a great job moving the ball…he is a game’ night lights come on’ player….part of his game he is keeping back…playmaking in game situation is going to be good….he will move.

..On Aztecs players thinking about NBA…so many people in their ears…Being a coach-it’s a challenge…Jaylen McDaniels tested NBA waters after first year…then finally went…money is so good in NBA…play in Europe-good money…..Players-Agent work on these deals…Coaches do not have much input…they plot their course.

..Guys playing abroad can make good money, not so much in G-League, but like McDaniels, he can go up and back to Charlotte when they need him, as he learns in D-League.
Jamall Russell and Malcom Thomas are playing on the same team in China and making good money too…Going away sometimes is good.

..NCAA new rule…think it is a great thing for student athletes (potential marketing deals)…We have to see what it looks like on paper before we react to it….Devil is in the details……coaches association should have input…Don’t know if it will impact San Diego market-players, as compared to players in bigger markets….Don’t remember many Chargers players having marketing deals, so don’t know if it affects us too much.

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“Backs to the Wall”

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Game Six of the World Series is up next, and no one could have imagined any of this happening.

Did you think the Astros could lose two in a row at hitter happy Minute Maid Park and bat (.170) in the process in the opening tilts?

Shocked to find out the Nationals, red hot at home, would go home and lose 3-in a row to Houston to lose the 2-0 edge in the series?  That thanks to a (.175) team average over those three nights at Nationals Park.  Home-sweet-home, not so much.

Odd, the visiting team has won all five games so far.

You always knew Houston’s bats would come alive, for they have all season thru this 107-win campaign.  And did they ever in Washington, batting (.311) for those three road games, and bombing the Nationals 6-home runs to 1-in their own yard.

So Washington plays on Tuesday night with Stephen Strasburg asked to extend the season, and what better ace to run out there.  The former Aztecs has a career (1.34)-ERA in playoff games now .

Strasburg, this post season alone has been dominant, (4-0)…40-strikeouts in 28-innings and 3-homers allowed.  That’s a (2.26)-ERA facing a really great batting order.

The warrior that is Justin Verlander starts for the Nationals, trying to force a 7th game.  But his dominance on the mound has not been part of this fall’s postseason, a (1-3) record with a (4.20-ERA) with 6-HRs allowed in 35-innings of work.  But then again, he’s facing the best bats in baseball.

As dominant as Verlander has been, it is hard to believe, he carries a career record of (0-5) to the mound in World Series games.  That’s right (0-5), amazing considering he is (14-10) overall in post season.

They hit home runs at Minute Maid Park, and you have to expect the Astros will hit better the final two games than they did the first two games.

If this thing gets to a 7th game, who starts?  There is no Max Scherzer to trust in the Washington rotation, now with the neck spasm issue and the weekend cortisone shot.

Patrick Corbin, the other big money pitcher in the Washington rotation has been poor of late, with a (6.54-ERA).  You might have to trust him.

I don’t know about the trust level either of Houston’s potential Game 7-starter if we get there.  This has not been vintage Zack Greinke either in the Astros rotation.

Might we have a “bullpen day” if there is a winner-take all Game seven?  Wouldn’t that be absurd.

Circle back.  How about this.  A (1-0) pitchers gem tonite.  I picked the Astros to win in six, this is game six, so let’s have Houston win.

But how cool is this, two dominant aces, facing each other..  Washington has its backs to the wall.  Houston is trying to scale the wall and win this thing now.

Going to be fun.

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“Chargers-Bears–Bad Football”

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What in the name of Billy Wade..Bobby Douglass…Rudy Bukich was that?

It brought back bad memories of Mike Tomczak…Jim Harbaugh..and Mike Phipps.

Oh the coaching.  Matt Nagy’s play calling revisited bad times with Abe Gibron and others.

From the heavens or the graves, George Halas, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers must have been screaming.

They booed, those DaBears fans dressed like Mike Ditka, from start to finish.  The old Ball coach was probably screeching too.

The Chargers didn’t so much beat the Bears (17-16) as the Bears beat themselves (17-16).  Blown field goals, turnovers, missed open wide receivers with TD passes, fumbles. sacks and horrid play calls by the head coach, a supposed ‘next Sean McVay’ clone.

This type of game in the NFL era of wide open offenses, sets the game back decades.

Philip Rivers threw for (219Y).  His defense had 2-takeaways on bonehead plays by Bears QB-Mitch Trubisky, and recorded 4-sacks.

In between all that, the Bears self destructed, with horrible play calls at the end of each half, missed field goals from likely to unemployed kicker Eddie Piniero, and fruitless trips into the red-zone time and time again.

For the record, the Bears got the ball to the Chargers 1, 4, 7, 14 and 21 during the game.  They made 3-field goals, missed 2-field goals, and left a lot of points on the field.

The Chargers weren’t much better, even though they won.  They had 1-first down over a span of 27-minutes, covering 18-plays.  Chicago had the ball 23-minutes in the first half, had a (289-119) yardage advantage at one point in the game, but screwed it all up.

Oh the Bolts mishaps were almost equal.  Keenan Allen and Mike Williams dropped open TD passes.  Allen and Williams combined to drop 4-passes.  Allen tripped on the grass 3-different times running routes.  Hunter Henry, the quality tight end, dropped a pass and took a pass interference penalty. Despite a TD run from Melvin Gordon, the run game staggered for a third week in a row, this time netting 12-carries-36-yards rushing.  There was another Chase McLaughlin missed field goal, though this time not fatal.  There were personal foul penalties, blown coverages, more bad tackling.

Thank goodness for Joey Bosa-Melvin Ingram.  Bosa had 2-sacks, 2-tackles for loss and a QB pressure.  Ingram recorded a fumble recovery and a key QB pressure.  Casey Hayward had a gift pick plus 2-deflections. Thomas Davis had 3-tackles for losses.

Trubisky has really regressed this year.  He looks scared in the pocket.  Late on throws.  Unsure of what he is seeing on defense.  He missed open receivers twice in the end zone.  He threw short to open receivers on crossing patterns.  He took 4-sacks on top of all that other stuff called by his coach.

Nagy, the boy wonder coach, made some horrid play calls, running the ball deep in Chargers territory on 3rd and long plays, burning lots of time off the clock on some calls.  You get to the red zone and you don’t connect at all on a TD….0-for-5 trips.  And post game he was defiant in the face of media questions..’zero chance I run it..zero chance I throw it on final play before field goal…bad things could happen.’  Andy they did.  His erratic kicker missed when that one extra snap could have gotten him closer.  Woeful.

So the Chargers come home with a win, an ugly win maybe they don’t deserve, and are at (3-5), with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers coming in for a home game in LA next.  Think there will be some Green & Gold in the stands on Sunday?

Back at Soldier Field, if I were Chicago, I’d boo too, and just think, winter is coming to the Windy City too.

Da Bears….Bad News Bears football for sure.

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“Aztecs-UNLV–Anything is Possible”

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San Diego State plays a ‘gimme’ game this weekend, against lowly UNLV on the road.

All signs post to an Aztecs win that would take the team to (7-1) before they move into the really tough part of the schedule.

But there are never any guarantees in college football.  The Rebels beat the slumping  Aztecs at the end of last season, in San Diego, a stunning setback.

And there is horrible history too, back in the day, SDSU lost to an (0-10) UNLV team in the Ted Tollner era.

While the Aztecs are bowl eligible for the 10th year in a row, the Rebels are still a suffering program.  1-winning season since 200.  2-winning seasons since 1994.  A myriad of coaches over the years, from the legendary John Robinson (USC) to the nationally famous current head coach, Tony Sanchez, who built a dynasty at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High.  Nobody has won with any consistency.

The Rebels are (66-158) over the last two decades.  The only winning seasons coming from Robinson, once, and Bobby Hauck, who wound up at SDSU as an assistant before taking the Montana job.

No one has has success in Las Vegas.  But then again SDSU was a downtrodden program till Rocky Long took over.

Anything is possible, as witnessed by last year’s Rebels win.

Anything is possible if you consider UNLV won at Vanderbilt and San Jose State won at Arkansas, after the Aztecs won at UCLA.

Coach Rocky Long’s comments:

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..We were in same situation last year, same record, and we started struggling-losing.
..No dominant team in our league
..No gimmes in the league.
..UNLV film against Vanderbilt-see how good they can be
..UNLV has not hit stride much, but they won at Vanderbilt-outplayed them
..UNLV has excellent athletes-and can play well.

..QB-don’t know who starter is going to be.
..Kenneth Oblad has played well as a freshman-good touch-good accuracy
..Buys time with his feet.but does not want to run…moves pocket
..Backup QB-Armani Rogers is a great athlete-runs well-but inconsistent.
..They have 3-QBs requiring different schemes.

..Charles Williams one of top RBs in league
..Runs tough, makes you miss, gets out in open he is dangerous
..He makes you honest when he carries the football.

..We practice half of our time on turf…half time on our grass field.
..Grass practice is easier on players.
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..We need to do what we did in 2nd half against San Jose-run it-control ball
..The 2nd half last weekend was best we played all year in win at San Jose.

..Tony Sanchez-really good coach.
..You never know unless you are in the situation he is in.
..There’s no telling what issues are.
..If they give him plenty of time-he will succeed.

..Our team continues to work on improving offensive line penalties.

..I talk to former players if they want advice about their careers…NFL-CFL.

..Players got agents, family, all talking to players.
..I have not spoken to Donnell Pumprhrey about his career.
..DJ Pumphrey can play in NFL-has not hit the right spot at the right time.
..If he can play in the NFL-he can play in Canada
..I am not jumping into that-if players want advice-I will guide them.

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