Stanford Game Offers Opportunity

Without disagreeing with Coach, who stresses the importance of MW Conference games, I’m convinced Saturday’s game here with Stanford offers a special opportunity for our Aztecs to gain national recognition.

Year after year you will find the Cardinal ranked and in a bowl game. So it’s more than just being a Pac12 team. Rocky’s Aztecs have been making progress too. Three MW Championships, seven bowl games in a row. Great players, like DJ Pumphrey, Damontae Kazee, Nico Siragusa, Rashaad Penny.

Rashaad Penny (Ernie Anderson)

The 30-20 win at Arizona State, who was favored to win, on the heels of a predictable 38-17 victory over UC Davis, make the Aztecs 2-0. Still, we are 9-1/2-point underdogs as this is written, so an upset win would be very meaningful. Ranked #25 in both polls at the end of the 2016 season, and one of the teams also getting votes now, the Aztecs already are establishing themselves as a solid program.

Even though we lost seven key players to graduation, Rocky has successfully built depth, so we are not hurting. Best example, gone is DJ Pumphrey, the all-time NCAA leader in rushing yards. So, Penny steps right in. Against the Sun Devils, he rushed for 216 yards, including a 95-yard touchdown; had a 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown; and added 38 yards receiving, including a crucial touchdown catch.

Noble Hall (Ernie Anderson)

For his efforts Rashaad was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, and the Aztecs swept the MW Player of the Week awards, with Noble Hall – 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss (20 yards), 2 forced fumbles – winning for Defense and Rashaad for Offense and Special Teams. Until then, no player in the history of the conference had ever won two Player of the Week awards the same week.

Stanford has given up 226.5 rushing yards per game; 205.5 passing; defense is not their strength. On offense they’re balanced, with a 228.5/270.5 split. You know they will be ready to make up for their 42-24 loss to USC. A big crowd at Aztec Warrior Stadium would help the Aztecs. So, be there.

As a plus, it’s the Aztec Hall of Fame game, with five new inductees honored at halftime: Steve Fisher and DJ Gay, basketball; Craig Penrose and Whip Walton, football; and NCAA discus Champion and 2016 Olympian Whitney Ashley.

Steve Fisher, DJ Gay, Craig Penrose, Whip Walton, Whitney Ashley (Fisher, Gay, Penrose photos by Ernie Anderson)

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Aztecs Face Big Step Up With Second Game

Aztec Football got off to a winning start with the expected results. Rashaad Penny was unstoppable, with 197 yards in only 3 quarters. With improved receivers, QB Christian Chapman had a big night passing. The defense, except for the long completed pass on the Aggies' first play from scrimmage, looked strong. At least until Rocky turned the 4th quarter over to inexperienced players.

Rashaad Penny; Christian Chapman with OL protection (Ernie Anderson)

This week it will be a lot tougher playing Arizona State, a Pac 12 team, on the road. It will still be hot even with an 8 p.m. kick-off. History favors ASU. They lead the series, 11-0-1. This would be their 7th straight victory over a non-conference opponent. And this would be the 90th career win for Coach Todd Graham.

The Sun Devils may not be near the top of the Pac 12, but they are good. So, a road win here would be meaningful and serve as a valuable prep for next week's home game against nationally ranked Stanford. 


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Aztec Football Season Starts Saturday. How Good Will We Be?

We know Rocky Long has built a solid program with good depth. No one class that does well and then fall back. Last two seasons went 11-3. Bowl game every year – the last two very impressive.  3 MW Conference titles. Post season honors for multiple players. Ranked #25 in both polls after 2016 season.

Will all this continue in 2017? There are challenges. A tough schedule. Loss of key players – DJ Pumphrey, Damontae Kazee, Nico Siragusa and more. But plenty of talent to take over, and the same proven coaching staff.

One challenge we face is our offensive line. Lots of departures. Lots of talented young newcomers but with little or no experience. Happily, our OL Coach Mike Schmidt has met a similar challenge successfully, year after year. The test is hardest in the early going, when the youngsters are still learning.

An interesting schedule. Unlike the usual 6-6 split of a 12-game schedule, this season we have 7 home games. Even more amazing, 5 games will be played in September! Heck when I first got into Aztec sports, Fall practice didn’t start till about Labor Day.

Christian Chapman (Ken Ables)

Let me single out one Aztec who I think doesn’t get enough credit – QB Christian Chapman. Most seem to think he’s good but not special. Where are the big passing stats that were traditional for Aztec QBs? But here’s what’s impressive…

In 2015, an inexperienced Freshman, he had to take over for injured Maxwell Smith to lead the Aztecs against Air Force in a tough Mountain West Championship game and he won. Then he spearheaded the Aztecs’ impressive 42-7 win over Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl.

Last year, in Laramie’s elevation and cold weather, he QB’d the Aztecs to a hard fought 27-24 win over Wyoming for the Mountain West tile again. Then, in the Vegas Bowl, he was at the helm for one of the greatest victories in Aztec football history – a come-from-behind 34-10 win over highly regarded and favored Houston. And did it after suffering a painful thumb injury early in the game.That does it for me. Keep winning, Christian.

Rashaad Penny (Ernie Anderson)

One Aztec to be sure you keep an eye on is Rashaad Penny. As DJ’s back-up - in addition to his talented kick-off returns – Penny ran for more than 1,000 yards. It marked the first time in NCAA history that a team had both a 2,000- and 1,000-yard running back. It will be exciting to see how he does as the #1 back this season.

The Aztecs are favored to win the West Division; Boise State, the Mountain Division. Boise is pretty good and we play them here Oct. 14 in Aztec Warrior Stadium. But their reputation for “dominating” the Mountain West is not true. They have won only one outright Mountain West title, and one split 3 ways with SDSU and Fresno State. It will be interesting to see what happens, so be sure you are there to support our Aztecs!

If I may inject a personal note, this season (my 72nd) will be a challenge for me, too. Since mid-March and a hospital battle, I’ve been in rehab with mixed results. As recently as August 7, thinking I could do more than I can, I wound up taking a hard fall. Luckily, no real damage, but a painful reason not to try too much. So, I know I will make all our home games, but I can’t be sure I’ll make all the road games. Even if I do, can I stand on the sideline with my team through a whole game? Believe me, my dedication has not slackened, just my physical well being. Trust me. I will be trying!

If you are an Aztec fan you probably already have seen, and may have a copy of my book, GO AZTECS! Now there is a new edition. The cover features an Ernie Anderson photo of DJ Pumphrey's 15-yard run in the Las Vegas Bowl that upped his total to an all-time NCAA record. Inside, all records have been updated, there's a full chapter addition to the Rocky Long Era, and more of Ernie's photos. 

GO AZTECS! is available on Amazon and shopaztecs.com.

Purchase tickets through GoAztecs.com.

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June Marks 70th Anniversary of My Public Relations Career

Here it is June and time for the NCAA Track and Field Championships which reminds me that it’s exactly 70 years since June 1947 and the first day in my lifetime career in public relations – thanks to the Aztecs! 

I had just gotten out of the Navy and started at San Diego State in the fall of 1946. Because most of the men had just gotten back from World War II, there was no class hierarchy, so as a true freshman I became the sports editor of the weekly Aztec (not yet a daily), which was an amazing thing. I loved it! 

Willie Steele

Willie Steele, one of the all-time Aztec greats, and our first world-class athlete, was on campus at that time. In the spring of 1947 Willie was one of the top broad jumpers (as the long jump was known back then) in the world, and had qualified for the NCAA Track and Field championships in Salt Lake City. At the time there was no sports publicity director at State. Charlie Byrne was the overall PR guy for the college. 

One day Charlie came in and asked me if I would be interested in going to Salt Lake City and doing the advance work and publicity on Willie Steele and Bill Morales, who was our outstanding javelin thrower. In a nanosecond I said yes, I could do that! And so I went with Willie, Bill, track coach Choc Sportsman, and Bill Terry who was the athletic director at the time. 

At the meet, Willie was absolutely incredible! I happened to be down on the field at the time. His winning jump of 26’6” just barely missed Jesse Owens’ world record at that time, 26’8¼”. 

In 70 years, the long jump distances have hardly changed. Willie’s jump in 1947 would have been good for second place in the Long Jump at the 2016 Men’s Division I Track and Field Championships, and he would have won it in 2014 (winning distance: 26’3”). Think about that: a jump 67 years earlier would have won in 2014! I wonder if this year’s winner will jump farther than Willie did 70 years ago. 

I remember standing there watching Willie as he jumped several inches back on the board to make sure he did not foul. From toe to landing, he had to have flown at least 26’9”. And the world record would have come back with him to little San Diego State College! 

The point I have always made was that Willie Steele was the greatest all–around athlete that we’ve ever had at State in the 71 years I’ve been involved. I’m proud to say that the first story I ever sold to a magazine was one about Willie, called “The Steele Spring.” It appeared in Collier’s Weekly in 1948 and described how he could jump and leap. 

Seems just like yesterday

The trip to the NCAAs in Salt Lake City led to my being named the sports publicity director when I was still a freshman, earning 75¢ an hour. That may not sound like much now, but it was double what I had earned working at the Dixie Lumber Co. (now Dixieline Lumber). Later on, they decided to put me on salary. Now that I was working even longer hours, I figured out that I was now making 65¢ an hour. No complaints: it was like getting paid for your hobby. I managed to carry virtually a full-time job and still graduated in four years. 

This should help you see one more good reason why I am so proud to be an Aztec loyalist forever – an Aztec for Life! At this point I have no intention of ending my active involvement. If you have read my book GO AZTECS! you hear about many more reasons. The latest updated edition – including the dramatic windup to the 2016 season and DJ Pumphrey’s NCAA rushing record – is now available through the Aztec Bookstore and Amazon. (To order, just click the Order Now button at top left.) 

Right now I can hardly wait for the start of the Aztec football season – my 72nd season with the Aztecs! Hard to believe there will be five games in the month of September, and three at home: UC Davis on the 2nd, Stanford on the 16th and Northern Illinois on the 30th. I’ll see you at the Q! 

UPDATE:

The men’s long jump finals were held June 7. The winning jump: 26’5”. That’s 1-1/2” LESS than Willie Steele’s winning jump in 1947. Think about that: The winning long jump from 70 years ago would have taken first place in 2017!

GO AZTECS!