Aztecs’ Bye Week Comes at Good Time

Usually, you think a good bye week is somewhere in the back-half of the season. It gives you a chance to get everybody healthy and ready. But somehow this seems like a good time for the Aztecs.

Sitting 3-0 and ranked #22 in the AP Poll, our Aztecs still would like to sharpen up their game, especially trying to cut way down on those costly penalties without losing their aggressive, tough style of play. As Rocky says, great teams are never satisfied. He wants to make sure we are ready for South Alabama, who beat us here last year, so we cannot take the Jaguars lightly at home.

The 42-28 win at NIU was important and, coupled with Cal’s upset of a ranked Texas team, earned the Aztecs a #22 ranking in this week’s AP Poll. Now the challenge is keep that ranking and go even higher if possible.

No real surprise that DJ Pumphrey had another big game – 220 yards rushing, with a 9.6-yard average, and three TDs of 33, 46 and 79 yards. OK, opponents know they have to stop DJ. Their game plan is based on that. Then they stop him for a yard or two for a while and they think, aha, we got ‘im! Not DJ! He’ll come right back and spring the long ones on them and it’s all over.

Blain Tanner was another big factor. I can’t remember ever seeing a precision punting job as effective as Blain’s at NIU. He dropped punts on the 2, 3, 4 and 6-yard lines. He shares credit with good coverage units who kept any from rolling on into the end zone. Sometimes that precise need cuts down your average, but Blain averaged 42.4 yards a punt.

No surprise: both DJ and Blain were named MW Players of the Week – offensive and special teams. Congratulations!

DJ Pumphrey and Tanner Blain were named MW Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week (photos by Ernie Anderson)

Well, no game this week. But it cannot keep me from thinking with pride about my Aztecs, and dreaming about the October 1 game in Mobile against the University of South Alabama Jaguars. That one has a very special meaning for me, but more about that in my next blog.

GO AZTECS!