Disappointment. Encouragement. Added Treat.

We can tick off all the challenges – injuries to key players, including QB Quinn Kaehler; starting a true Freshman QB with virtually no game experience;  short week of practice before a road game; but the basic fact is, the Aztecs lost a key MW game at Fresno.

QB Nick Bawden got off to a shaky start, unable to complete passes, but he improved as the game went on. The D, after giving up early points, settled down. And when the score got to be 17-14, it looked like we’d pull it out. It was not to be. Without blaming all on the officials, there was that sequence of penalties, starting with a partially blocked punt ruled a roughing the kicker penalty; and the INT problem led to the Bulldogs putting the game away.

Still, even with no big breakaway runs, Donnel Pumphrey ran for 94 net yards. Both punting and placekicking were solid. Is the glass half empty or half full? Always the optimist, after watching the whole game replayed, I felt we played better than I had thought, and saw enough positives to believe Nick Bawden will develop into a very good QB. Now, with Kaehler still sidelined for New Mexico this Friday, let’s see how fast that development will come.

Other thoughts… Obviously, the games are the reason I make the trips. But I have to say there are often extra things that make the trips special for me. For example, at Fresno, I enjoyed the distinct treat of visiting with Todd Santos, who was on the sideline to support his Aztecs. Todd, our great QB from 1984-1987, set a  now-surpassed NCAA all-time record for career passing yards with 11,425, and is still 2nd in Aztecs records for career yards, behind only Ryan Lindley’s 12,690.

Also had another reunion with Terry Mendenhall, who makes at least one or two Aztec road games every season. Terry was a mainstay on Don Coryell’s 1969-70 teams. Add to that a friendly pre-game visit with Dave Schramm, on the Aztec coaching staff from 1992 to 2001, now the Offensive Coordinator for Fresno. Top it all off when a young Aztec fan came down with his family to visit at halftime. He was only a year old when I met him at his first Aztec game in 2010 at Wyoming, which was my 700th. Maybe this lets you see why these “extras” add so much to my enjoyment of Aztec football trips.

Aztec QB Nick Bawden (photo by Ernie Anderson); with Aztec QB Todd Santos (1984-87), whose #8 is one of only three retired Aztec numbers (photo by Ken Ables)

GO AZTECS!