This wasn’t a battle of who had the better weather, or the nicer beaches. This was a battle between warriors: The Aztec Warriors of San Diego State University and the Rainbow Warriors of the University of Hawaii. These two teams took their battle to the field Saturday, Oct. 18, at Qualcomm Stadium, and where only one emerged victorious: the Aztec Warriors.
Both teams performed their respective pregame rituals. The Aztecs warmed up, circled into a huddle, pumped themselves up, and headed into the locker room. The Rainbow Warriors, however, performed a ritual that may date back to ancestral times. After warming up, the team gathered in the end zone and performed a “warrior dance,” making their presence known to the San Diegans, before retiring to the locker room for the last-minute preparations for kickoff.
It was a hard-fought battle, with SDSU not playing to the best of its abilities in claiming a 20-10 Mountain West Conference West Division victory. In the post-game press conference, SDSU head coach Rocky Long mentioned a long list of things his team needed to work on, and he wasn’t happy about any of it. Long even went as far as scolding the defense at halftime when the Aztecs were leading just 10-7.
“We have to cover kickoffs better, punt better, catch the ball better, throw it better,” Long said. “Want me to keep going?”
But there were some bright spots.
One aspect of SDSU’s game that has improved significantly from last year is in the kicking department, specifically the addition of Junior Place Kicker Donny Hageman. So far in 2014, he is nine-for-11 on field goals. He missed a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, which snapped his streak of eight consecutive field goals. Still, he has performed better than the kickers from last season, who were eight-for-16 collectively.
Even with the improvement in the kicking game from Hageman, both teams were having trouble holding onto the football. Hawai0i recovered a fumble of what was supposed to be a fair catch call by SDSU but was dropped.
SDSU intercepted the ball twice. That continued a streak of eight consecutive games in which the Aztecs have intercepted the ball from their opponent. The last time the streak occurred was during a stretch during the Brady Hoke era in 2010 (Sept. 8 to Nov. 13).
When the battle was over, the Aztec Warriors stood victorious. It may not have been an ideal win, but a tally in the “W” column is the main goal, according to Long. The Aztec football chief put the win over Hawaii into perspective: “I don’t think we can play like we did tonight and win the championship … We’ve got to get better.”
Aztec chatter
•Even hours before the game, the SDSU team was in high spirits. The team and coaches were all smiling during the traditional “Warrior Walk” through the parking lot into Qualcomm Stadium.
•During the team stretching and warm-ups on the field, the Aztecs had an apparent energy surging through them.
Hawaii created its own energy after its warm-up, with its own warrior dance
•The Aztec Honor Warrior for the game was Nathan Staggs, son of the late Jeff Staggs, a former Aztec football player under Don Coryell, and a Linebacker with the San Diego Chargers from 1966-71 and 1974. Staggs was inducted into the SDSU Hall of Fame in 2009.
•SDSU started the game with the football, which has happened in the last 33 of 35 games for the Aztecs.
•SDSU returned the opening kickoff 26 yards from the three-yard-line, but a personal foul set the team back from the 29 to start their drive at the 14-yard-line
•On a third down conversion, Marcus Stamps had a career long 34-yard rush for an Aztec first down.
•SDSU football has played strong as a team in the beginning of games this year, holding opponents to zero points during opposing opening drives.
•Since Rocky Long has been head coach at SDSU, the Aztecs are 17-3 overall when leading at halftime, 4-1 when leading at the half this year.
•Through the last 25 of 27 games, SDSU hasn’t let its opponent score a touchdown during the second-half opening drive
•In the third quarter, Aztec quarterback Quinn Kaehler recorded his third touchdown pass of the season. Overall, it was his 22nd career touchdown pass. Kaehler took multiple hits during the game.
•In the first half, SDSU was seven-for-15 passing, with 49 yards. The strength tonight for the Aztecs, as always, has been rushing the ball. The Aztecs had 19 rushes for 120 yards in the first half, compared to Hawaii’s 14 rushes for 44 yards.Sophomore Donnel Pumphrey, who rushed for 183 yards in the win over the Rainbow Warriors, iranks eighth nationally in rushing yards per game (141.3) and seventh in rushing TDs (12).
•Damontae Kazee and Malik Smith both intercepted the ball for SDSU to create a stretch of eight consecutive games with an interception, the first time since 2012.
•The game attendance was 35,686.
•SDSU (3-1 in conference, 4-3 overall) next plays at Nevada (1-2, 4-3) on Saturday, Nov. 1. The Aztecs lead the MW West Division ahead of San Jose State (2-1, 3-3) and preseason favorite Fresno State (2-2, 3-5).
•Boise State (3-1, 5-2) leads the MW Mountain Division followed by Colorado State (2-1, 6-1) and Air Force (2-2, 5-2).
