Which Aztec Team Will Show Up?

So far, this has been a baffling basketball season for our Aztecs. Some good games, some terrible. Some better-than-expected individual performances, some disappointing.

Now comes what is sure to be the toughest game of the whole season, and we get the Kansas Jayhawks right here on our home court. I think for once this season, The Show will really show, along with the rest of the crowd. Should be a wild night.

The key question: Which Aztec team will show up? The casual one that was humiliated by USD? The one that looked totally lost against a very good and aggressive WVU? Or the more typical Aztec team that throttled a then-ranked Cal and also dominated Nicholls by 37 points.

Another question: Which players will carry the load. Certainly true Freshman Jeremy Hemsley has developed even faster than expected, and Trey Kell is proving to be what he couldn’t quite be last year when forced into an awkward role.

But the starting line-ups have hardly been what we expected. Zylan Cheatham has shown he’s all we hoped for, but still needs to play more under control, Winston Shepard has played well in parts of games coming off the bench. Skylar Spencer still is a great shot blocker and now shoots FTs better right-handed.

There is no doubt in my mind that Coach Fisher and his staff will sharpen this team and the Aztecs will be a player in the MW. But maybe not in the dominant role anticipated. The game with Kansas, Tuesday, December 22, will tell us a lot. If you are a ticket holder, you’d better be there to do your part!

Jeremy Hemsley, Zylan Cheatham (photos by Ernie Anderson)

GO AZTECS!

Hawaii Bowl Odds Switch – Aztecs Now Favored

The early betting line for the Hawaii Bowl showed Cincinnati a 2-point favorite, but I never believed it. Now, with their star QB not making the trip, the line seems to have reversed and I see our Aztecs favored by 2. That's more like it!

From what I’ve read, the Bearcats are a high-scoring team, but without a strong defense. Their record is 7-5. Best wins probably the 34-23 over Miami, FL, and 19-16 over East Carolina. Among their losses, was a 38-24 to BYU and a 53-46 by powerful Memphis.

Their biggest offensive weapon is their passing game, led by 6-4 QB Gunner Kiel, a transfer from Notre Dame. He has thrown for 2,777 yards, with a 65.2% completion average, 19 TDs and 11 INTs. For their running game, the Bearcats QB hands off to three capable backs, who have run for almost equal 727, 717 and 697 yards. So watch out. However, there is a significant change because Kiel did not make the trip for “personal reasons.” That should change the match-up, as the odds switch indicates.

Their head coach ain’t exactly chopped liver. Tommy Tuberville has been a successful big-time head coach for 18 seasons, including stops at Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas Tech, and now in his third season at Cincinnati. His biggest year was 2004, when he went 13-0 at Auburn. 

A lot of Bearcat positives, but I like our Aztecs because they have been on such an impressive roll, with nine straight wins after a sluggish 1-3 start. The defense has become tougher and tougher, and turnovers have been a big factor. The offense is led by DJ Pumphrey and his 1,554 yards rushing, plus another 397 receiving. Passing has not been a huge factor but the fact that there have been no INTS in the last 11 games tells you our quarterbacking has been steady under Maxwell Smith and Christian Chapman, when the Redshirt Freshman filled in for the injured Smith in that crucial 27-24 MW play-off win over Air Force. And our Red Zone success has been sky high – 93.62%!

This Aztec team already ranks up there as one of my all-time favorites. A tribute to Rocky Long, his staff and the whole team. Now bring home another win – make it 11!

Aztec Grand Slam: MW Offensive Player of the Year (DJ Pumphrey), Defensive Player of the Year (Damontae Kazee), Special Teams Player of the Year (Rashaad Penny) and Coach of the Year (Rocky Long). All photos by Ernie Anderson.

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Hail to the Champions!

It wasn’t like the other eight MW conference wins. It wasn’t a question of jumping on Air Force early and dominating them with our aggressive defense, creating and capitalizing on turnovers, and running up points with our almost flawless offense.

In fact, quite the opposite. Our offense, skilled at getting quick leads, failed to score in the first quarter. Well, none that counted.  We did have what looked like a TD wiped out by a penalty. Shades of early-season problems!  Air Force moved the ball well and capitalized on a fumbled punt deep in Aztec territory by easily scoring to take a 7-0 lead.

This set the tone and made this the best game of the conference season. Our Aztecs were put to the test over and over, and passed with flying colors. From that first quarter on, it was back and forth. 

We tied the game at the start of the second quarter with a 24-yard TD pass from Redshirt Freshman Christian Chapman (filling in for the injured Maxwell Smith) to DJ Pumphrey. Toward the end of the second quarter, the Falcons kicked a FG to take a 10-7 lead. But the Aztecs came right back and Donny Hageman kicked a 22-yard FG to tie the game, 10-10, at the half.

It continued in the third, with AF scoring first to make it 17-10 until late in the quarter when the Aztecs culminated a drive with Dakota Gordon plowing through from the one to tie it up again at 17-17.

The final quarter was a virtual repeat, except the sequence changed as the Aztecs scored first on Rashaad Penny’s beautiful 28-yard TD run for a 24-17 lead. The Falcons came right back to tie it at 24-24. Then, as time was running short, the Aztecs got in FG range and Donny Hageman came through under pressure with a long 47-yard kick to make it 27-24. A few short passes and then a final desperation Hail Mary was knocked down and the Aztecs were crowned undisputed champions of the Mountain West for 2015.

To me, it was a classic play-off game, with both teams all-out to capture the title.  No really spectacular stats, yet still solid. The Aztecs, even with Pumphrey having an ”ordinary” running game (90 yards, but another 64 receiving with a TD), rolled up 233 net yards rushing. Most worthy of praise was Christian Chapman’s 9-14 passing for 203 yards, one TD and NO interceptions. His footwork was impressive, too, especially his 13-yard run for a key first down in a third-and-long situation.

Now it’s on to the Hawaii Bowl to face Cincinnati, Thursday, Dec. 24. I see another win coming, making this an 11-3 season. We have won 10 straight after a 1-3 start. Hail to our Champions!

Donny Hageman kicks the game-winning field goal with 5:10 left; Chase Price and DJ Pumphrey combined for 141 rushing yards, DJ added two receptions for 64 yards and a TD (photos by Ernie Anderson)

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Clean Slate in MW, So Far; Now, Air Force

Let’s see, first our star running back limps off with a sore ankle. Then our steady QB is hit with a knee injury that is serious. One of our best defensive linemen suffers an even worse leg injury. Another RB gets hurt. You are not going to win this game, right? That’s not our Aztecs. They overcame these odds and beat Nevada, 31-14, to wind up MW Conference play 8-0.

The formula was familiar. Four scores in five trips to the Red Zone; but this time with Redshirt Freshman QB Christian Chapman at the controls most of the game. Four sacks by the defense, plus three turnovers. Two backs, including quick-healing DJ Pumphrey, ran for more than 100 yards. QBs throwing no INTs for the ninth straight game.

Now the challenge is Saturday’s playoff game with Air Force. Fortunately, it will be played right here in Aztec Warrior Stadium (known to some as the Q) at 4:30. Every Aztec fan within range had sure better be there for this one!

The Falcons are a good football team, finishing 8-4. Two of their losses were to ranked teams – Michigan State, 35-21; and Navy, 33-11. Their two MW losses were unexpected: Colorado State, 38-23; New Mexico, 47-35. Impressive wins were over Boise State and Utah State.

As always, their modified triple option offense relies on the running game. They have run for 3,882 yards, with 11 backs who have run for at least 100 yards so far. Compare that with the Aztecs’ good run-oriented offense, with 2,028. This year, Air Force also has taken to the air successfully when needed as a sort of secret weapon, so watch out!  

The betting lines show the Aztecs as 6.5-point favorites, but don’t count on it. You’ve gotta win the game on the field.

Aztec QB Christian Chapman; the Aztec D forced 3 turnovers vs. Nevada (photos by Ernie Anderson)

GO AZTECS!