It is with a certain odd mixture of familiarity and trepidation that Utah and San Diego State meet up with one another each year. They nearly always play close games. They have both thrived on the pass and given up yards in record numbers. They have, on the whole, failed to live up to their potential.
And they usually seem to look at one another as a team they can beat in order to get things turned around.The Utes, 1-3, host San Diego State, 0-2-1, Saturday in an 8 p.m. game at Rice Stadium.
SDSU has, as usual, been unpredictable. The Aztecs began the year by losing 52-36 to Air Force, allowing Falcon quarterback Dee Dowis to rush for 249 yards. After a week off they surprised everyone, losing just 28-25 to UCLA. SDSU outgained the Bruins 437 yards to 425 but allowed a 1-yard touchdown run by the Bruins with 2:39 remaining.
Then last week they ended up tying lightly regarded Cal State Fullerton, 41-41.
SDSU is 102nd nationally in total defense; Utah is 98th. After the loss to Air Force, first-year Aztec Coach Al Luginbill proclaimed he will not tolerate such ghastly defense. "I vow to the people of San Diego that we wil not be a scoring-race football team," said Luginbill. "I don't know how long it will take, but we will eventually start stopping people. This will be a good defensive team."
That, however, hasn't completely come true yet. After allowing 618 to AFA and the 425 yards to UCLA, they followed up by allowing 419 yards to Fullerton.
"We continue to struggle on defense. We just will continue to work on it every day," said Luginbill.
As with the Utes, offense is rarely a problem at San Diego. This year the Aztecs have another highly visible quarterback - in more ways than one. Six-foot-eight inch Dan McGwire, brother of Oakland A's baseball star, Mark, is calling the signals. He is 30th in the nation in pass efficiency and third nationally in total offense.
But McGwire has an advantage over Utah QB Scott Mitchell in at least one key area - receivers. H-back (which is essentially a third wide receiver in the Aztec attack) Monty Gilbreath is fifth nationally in receiving with 24, for an average of eight per game. Wide receiver Jimmy Raye has 12 catches and teammate Dennis Arey has 11.
"I'll tell you what," said Fassel of Gilbreath. "If he catches the ball, hold on, and just try to make sure he doesn't break one."
Gilbreath has caught at least one pass in his last 28 games and is third on the SDSU all-time career reception list.
SDSU has performed with considerably better balance than Utah. The Aztecs are a surprising 29th in rushing nationally, averaging 185 yards a game. They are seventh in passing with a 318.5 average. Utah's 78 yards rushing a game is 96th in the nation.
Leading the way on the ground is freshman Darrin Wagner, who carried for 161 yards against Fullerton and has scored at least one touchdown in each of his three college games. He averages 92 rushing yards a game. His all-purpose average of 187.3 yards a game ranks him fourth nationally.
Senior Ron Slack is right behind with 228 rushing yards this year.
Still, the Aztecs aren't the team Luginbill envisions. "We've got to get a lot more balanced," said Luginbill. "We've really have to get better at running the football."
McGwire is another story. The Iowa transfer beat out returning starter Brad Platt in the spring after redshirting last year. Platt, at 6-8, 230 pounds, is what Luginbill terms "more of a basketball-type athlete," than Utah's Mitchell, while he considers the 6-6, 230-pound Mitchell "a good athlete but more of a bulky player."
San Diego State wide receiver Patrick Rowe will be redshirted this year after knee surgery. Tight end Ray Rowe and cornerback Marlon Andrews are questionable this weekend, thanks to shoulder injuries.