Aztecs Have a Bye This Week; Help or Hurt?

You can look at this week’s Aztec bye two ways. The good side is that there are lots of players with aches, pains and bruises who will benefit; and our coaches may add a few new twists to confuse Wyoming in our Nov. 14 Homecoming Game.

The possible negative side is this: will the Aztecs lose some of the beautiful momentum they have been building week after week with their five straight MW conference victories?

I vote for the first option. It’s not a phony option. The players have played games 8 straight weeks and need a break. And the momentum is real. Coaches and players have worked hard together to firm up a very solid team, and a week with no game won’t interrupt that progress.

Even though it has been a few days since the Aztecs’ big 41-17 win at Colorado State, it’s hard not to keep thinking of all the good things they did. For starters, in a first half when most described them as flat or sluggish (including Rocky’s review), they still were leading, 13-10, thanks to that last-second 54-yard FG by Danny Hageman. That seemed a big swing in momentum.

The start of the third quarter just emphasized the swing, shutting down the Rams quickly and then hanging up two TDs in that quarter. The real backbreaker was the dramatic 55-yard INT for a TD by Damontae Kazee. Adding to that was the classic 64-yard TD run by DJ Pumphrey right after the Rams had scored in the opening seconds of the 4th quarter.

Some individual efforts worth singling out include Maxwell Smith’s 11-14 passing and his seventh game with no INTs. Of course, DJ ran for 121 yards and caught two passes for another 47, including one for a 32-yard TD. The D also was effective, highlighted by four turnovers, including three INTs. And they held CSU to only 36 yards total offense in the fourth quarter.

Wyoming? We’ll have a better feel after their home game this Saturday with Colorado State. So far they have been a disappointment, with a 1-8 record.

Damontae Kazee’s INT return for a TD is cheered on by two loyal Aztec supporters who made the trip – Scott Pressley and Hall of Famer Steve Duich. (photo by Ernie Anderson)

GO AZTECS!