SPOILER ALERT: If you are put off by a writer who may have abandonment issues, read no farther.
On a whim, I decided to drive up on a picture-perfect Saturday to a San Diego State home game. If these were normal times, my commute would have been 15 minutes. Instead, my trip was a 110-mile slog through traffic so congested that I questioned my sanity in leaving behind my beloved couch. Thus, I had plenty of time to reflect on my drive to Carson while the Aztecs’ new stadium is under construction
Utah had not travelled to Southern California to play the Aztecs since 2010. Eleven years ago, Utah left a bitter goodbye present for the Aztecs. The Pac12 newbie inflicted ample pain. The Utes came back from multiple 17-point deficits to outlast San Diego State, 38-34, despite Ryan Lindley throwing for 528 yards. Months earlier, Utah had bid adieu to San Diego State and the rest of the Mountain West by saying yes to the Pac-10. Earlier in 2010, with Boise, TCU, Utah and BYU, I was stoked that the Mountain West was becoming a kick-ass football conference. Then conference realignment dominos fell like crazy. The Utah loss felt like two separate punches to the gut – as if your girl friend broke up with you and then promptly took up with your best friend.
I found it deeply ironic that the Aztecs’ SoCal rendezvous with Utah took place in the initial refuge of the San Diego Chargers after the Spanos family bailed on San Diego. When I moved to San Diego in 1983, “America’s Finest City” had representatives in 3 of the 4 major sports leagues. In 2021, despite major population increases over the previous 4 decades, “3” had become “1”. On the plus side, I was pleasantly surprised with Dignity Health stadium. The cozy venue, home of soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy, was pretty cool. Regrettably, there were far too few fans to witness what would become an epic struggle.
I was mildly surprised that the Aztecs were holding their own with a new QB, Lucas Johnson. Johnson was given the nod due to Jordon Brookshire’s ouchy ankle. The 10-10 standoff at halftime was a deceptive score as neither team could garner even 90 yards of offense in the first half. The Aztecs’ TD came courtesy of a 100-yard kickoff return from Jordan Byrd. Besides an 80-yard punt return TD by Britain Covey, the Utes offense looked as anemic as in their loss to bitter rival BYU last week. If Utah was suffering a post-Holy War hangover, their headache quickly got worse as the Aztecs scored 2 TDs in the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half.
Charlie Brewer, the Utes’ QB, did not seem like a great candidate to lead a comeback. In 2018, the Odyssey was thoroughly unimpressed by Brewer when we travelled to the Brazos River in Waco to see Baylor’s offense stymied by TCU. Kyle Whittingham evidently felt the same way as Brewer took a seat for Cam Rising midway in the third quarter. The starting quarterbacks typified the modern times of 2021. Both Brewer and Johnson were transfers who had started at other outposts (Johnson at Georgia Tech).
At the start of the fourth quarter, Brady Hoke elected to nurse the 24-10 lead. If Hoke was a boxer, he was acting like he was in the 13th round of a 15-round fight and had been told by his corner that he had the fight won as long as he did whatever to remain standing.
Given that the Utes’ QBs had not seemed to be the reincarnation of Patrick Mahomes, perhaps Hoke’s stance was astute. San Diego State turned away the Utes at the Aztec 4 with 9 minutes left, a defensive stop that propelled SDSU deeper into their shell. The Aztecs’ defensive play calling also became quite conservative. With the lack of a pass rush that hounded Brewer earlier in the affair, Rising regularly connected with his targets. I have always felt that it was unfair to keep playing the same defensive linemen when the other team has to pass on every down, unless there is the occasional blitz. Otherwise, the big guys just run out of gas late in the game. When Utah scored with 4:15 left, the Aztecs received some good news when the extra point was missed. 24-16, but I was starting to have nighmarish flashbacks of 2010. My indigestion worsened when SDSU made no real attempt to get a first down. Utah used all its timeouts and got back the ball with 2:50 remaining. Rising led the team down the field as my migraine worsened. With 16 seconds left, Utah scored to make the tally 24-22. Rising found Solomon Enis in the corner of the end zone for the 2-point conversion that sent the Ute fans into ecstasy.
SD State immediately opened up its arsenal in OT as Johnson connected on two passes for a TD. Utah equalized in a nanosecond. Utah missed a field goal in the 2nd overtime, giving the Aztecs a golden chance for a reprieve. Three runs up the middle netted 6 yards as SD State again played the “conservative card.” No bueno as their field goal attempt also went wide right. My nightmare kept growing larger with each agonizing moment.
The Odyssey loves the new rule that a 3rd overtime morphs into nothing but two-point conversions. SD State’s play call was anything but conservative. PHILLY SPECIAL, BABY, to take a 33-31 lead. Rising found Connor O’Toole in the end zone for the tying 2-pointer….But wait! Upon review, the receiver did not have control when the tip of the pigskin hit the ground. Overturned! Ballgame and massive relief.
Not surprisingly, the drive home was much more pleasant, accompanied by the radio broadcast of the UCLA-Fresno State game. The UCLA announcers were in awe of the performance put on by Fresno State’s QB, Jake Haener. 455 passing yards and a last-minute comeback gave no doubt that Haener put on a historic performance at the Rose Bowl.
Another round of 2021 conference realignment has kept both San Diego State and Fresno State in the Group-of-Five shadows. On Saturday night, as their team buses left Tinseltown for the long drives home, that slight seemed less important. San Diego State is 7-2 in their last 9 encounters with the Pac12. Fresno State has won 4 straight versus UCLA. I hope the Who’s “Magic Bus” was cued up to max volume.