OFFENSE IS BEING OFFENSIVE; DEFENSE IS JUST CHICKENWIRE RIGHT NOW
COACHES MAY BE LOOKING AT THE DOOR
Recap and a look ahead to see if the Aztecs can save the season
Halfway through the inaugural season of the new Pac-12 and San Diego State Coach Sean Lewis is now resorting to pulling his beard hairs. Other than last season, not much has gone well for coach Lewis and staff. There is still lots of work to do, but is it productive work or just going through the motions. Will the Aztecs, as a team, be able
to put behind them what has arguably been a horrible start. They did bounce back from three straight losses with a wonderful come from behind win against Texas State, but then suffered what I’ll call a generational program loss to Oregon State last week 66-14. Both offense and defense struggle for consistency. Let’s take a look at where we’ve been, what’s ahead and what might be done.
So far the Aztecs are 2-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play. They have scored 22.8 points a game while giving up 35 per game. The 53 points in game one against Portland State skewed those offensive numbers. After that 53-20 win, they lost at UCLA 28-10, lost at home to James Madison 26-13, lost on the road against Toledo 41-16, returned home and saved a fantastic win against fellow Pac-12 member Texas State 31-29, but then ended the first half with a demoralizing dumpster fire at Oregon State, losing 66-14. The Aztecs have managed 137 points while giving up 210, a differential of minus 73 points. The Aztecs are 2-1 at home and 0-3 on the road.
Let’s look at the key offensive statistics:
Quarterback – Jayden Denegal. Has managed 787 yards on 76-141 passing with six touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He has a 53.9% completion percentage and averaging 5.58 yards per attempt. He has lacked consistency and the long ball, with 43 yards being the longest completion of the season. He yielded to backup Draiden Trudeau last week to get him some experience.
Running Back – Started with Lucky Sutton, but after being injured, cast serious doubt on a previously perceived strength. Javion Kinnard leads the team with 355 yards, but only anaged 43 against Oregon State. Backup Christian Washington left the team leaving only Josiah Loucas and Jordin Thomas to platoon with Kinnard. How fast ones situation can fall with injuries and departures. For the Aztecs to turn their season around, they will need to find an immediate solution to this newly found issue.
Wide Receiver – Nathan Acevedo. He is the team leader in yards with 177 on 16 receptions and two scores. His average is only 11.1, showing the Aztecs settling for short routes. Of other note are Jaylon Hawkins and Bert Emanuel, Jr. Hawkins excels on special teams but has also caught six balls. Getting him more opportunities might open the field. Emanuel is a large body, but has only caught six balls. Again, finding ways to get him the ball and let him rumble in the secondary might be a strategy employed to open up the running game.
Special Teams – Jaylon Hawkins. This is where the Aztecs have shone, with Hawkins returning three kickoffs for scores. He is the Aztecs hidden and still secret weapon. If the Aztecs continue to give up points, he will have many more opportunities to score. Now if they could only utilize him on offense a bit. Place kicker Cooper Dileva has been a perfect 14-14 on points after and 4 of 4 on field goals. He is from a long line of successful Aztec kickers and has continued that lineage.
The Aztecs average 134 yards rushing a game and 143.7 yards passing per game for a total of 277.7 yards per game. This is against 477.8 total yards given up. Something serious has got to improve. Usually the teams strongpoint, the defense is the largest issue, especially in the secondary where teams have thrashed the Aztecs for nearly 300 yards through the air. An ongoing issue is the play of the quarterbacks. The inability to get more than 144 yards average through the air will seal their doom more often than not. The running game has lacked sustainability and has issues in maintaining drives. Injuries have been an issue, but teams need to learn to play through them. Don’t touch the special teams as they are doing well. A few more opportunities for returns might be nice though.
On Defense a few key points arise:
- Too much passing production is allowed. Better coverage and tackling to eliminate significant yards after catch while putting more pressure on the quarterbacks.
- Teams can run the ball at will. The defensive front must close rushing lanes while the linebackers fill holes. Defensive backs are making far too many tackles.
- Too much time on the field will make for a long day. As teams get tired, their performance diminishes. They must find ways to stop drive and force three and outs
The Texas State game has been the lone bright star of the season. It showed the ability to come from behind and actually control a game. While the offense didn’t do much to contribute, the defense and special teams did more than enough to win. Looking ahead the Aztecs will face several challenges.
October 17 vs. Fresno State. A win would be momentous. The game is at home and Fresno is coming in on the backs of a loss against Boise State. This game is key for the Aztecs.
October 24 vs. Colorado State. An away game will probably be a struggle since the Aztecs have yet to find a way to win on the road.
October 31 vs. Washington State at home. This is a winnable and a must-have game for the Aztecs against the bottom dweller Cougars.
November 14 vs. Utah State also at home. Again another winnable game against the second worst team in the conference (unless we are not including the Aztecs). The Aggies used every resource they had to pull out a squeaker against Washington State. The Aztecs should be better than this.
November 21 vs. Boise State on the road. What a way to cap off the season. One would assume that Boise State with its consistent performance so far would run all over the Aztecs. I’d be tempted to agree. If the Aztecs can get their offense and defense together, it might be interesting, but the Aztecs need to do damage before this game.
Overall, the Aztecs have been disappointing. They must find ways to improve. Should they replace coaches? Offensive Coordinator Matt Johnson should be looking over his shoulder as first man up to the chopping block. Next up might be first year Defensive Coordinator Demetrius Sumler to suffer the swing of the axe. Either of those would go before Coach Sean Lewis. No one ever said this was easy, but this is where they show what they are made of. This week of practice should help shed some light on how serious the Aztecs are in their quest to improve the second half of their season.
