HOKE MUM ON SDSU QB CHOICE AGAINST RAMS
Aztecs coach can’t or won’t say whether Johnson is healthy
San Diego State’s truncated schedule combined with the passing struggles of SDSU’s quarterbacks has the Aztecs on pace to throw for their fewest yards in 58 years.
SDSU is averaging 141.8 yards a game passing, which equates to 1,135 yards over eight games (1,276 if a bowl
game is included).
A deep dive in the record book back to 1962 is needed to find a lower total.
The Aztecs passed for 1,018 yards (101.8 per game) that season. They went 8-2 that year because of a running attack that produced 231.7 yards a game.
That mark stood until the ground-and-pound teams from 2015-17 rushed for 233.3, 262.9 and 252.5 yards a game, respectively.
SDSU’s four lowest passing totals in the Division I era (since 1969): 1,371 (1976, 124.6 ypg, 11 games); 1,616 (1998, 146.9 ypg, 11 games); 1,804 (2006, 150.3 ypg, 12 games); 1,920 (2017, 147.7 ypg, 13 games).
SDSU’s four highest passing totals in the DI era: 4,302 (2002, 330.9 ypg, 13 games); 4,086 (1990, 371.5 ypg, 11 games; 3,990 (1987, 332.5 ypg, 12 games); 3,840 (2010, 295.4 ypg, 13 games).
How the passing game fares in this week’s contest against Colorado State (1-2) remains the team’s biggest question mark.
The availability of starting quarterback Lucas Johnson (hamstring), who missed last week’s game against Colorado, remains unknown. At least publicly.
SDSU head coach Brady Hoke was asked during Tuesday’s weekly Zoom call with the media if Johnson is going to start against the Rams.
“I’m not at liberty to say anything about that yet,” Hoke said. “So the answer is, I’m not sure yet.”
So, like last week, backups Carson Baker (4-for-9, 26 yards against Colorado) and Jordon Brookshire (7-for-19, 50 yards, 1 INT) are in the mix at the position.
“We’re going through that same process (as last week), a little bit,” said Hoke, searching for something that would provide more productivity at the position. “It’s been very frustrating. The guys are working hard at it, believe me. They’re doing their due diligence of studying the opponent, studying the game. . ...
“It takes all 11. It’s not all on the quarterback, believe me. That’s just the position that gets highlighted. We’re going to keep working forward with all three of them.”
Running back situation
SDSU’s running back situation, like QB, also remains unresolved.
It hinges on the improvement of senior Greg Bell’s right ankle, which was sprained two weeks ago at Nevada and sidelined Bell against the Buffaloes.
“It always improves,” Hoke said. “We’ve done a pretty good job. Our trainers have. He has. He’s invested a lot of time getting treatments. ... As we move forward, it gets better every day and, hopefully, it feels real good on Saturday.”
There is greater depth, of course, on the team at running back than at quarterback, with Kaegun Williams, Chance Bell and Jordan Byrd prepared to carry on.
“Hopefully, Greg’s in that mix,” Hoke said.
Rested Rams?
Hoke expects the Rams, who will have gone 23 days between games by the time they take the field on Saturday, to be tanned, rested and ready
against the Aztecs.
Well, at least rested. “So it’s going to be a fresh team,” he said. “I would believe that, that they’re going to be fresh.”
That’s not the way Colorado State head coach Steve Addazio tells it. During his coach’s radio show on Monday night, Addazio said: It’s not like, ‘Oh, you’ve been off, you’re going to be really healthy.’ Well, no, because we’re contact traced and everything else. We’ll be going out there (with a) skeleton crew.”
Colorado State’s past two games — against UNLV and at Air Force — were canceled because of COVID-19 issues, first with the Rebels, then with the Rams.
Hoke figures the CSU coaching staff has used the time off to some advantage.
“I’m sure that they’ve looked at some things in self scouting that they may want to try or do,” he said. “I think that’s part of it. When you have so much time as a coach, you get a little bored if you’re not trying to do some different things.”
Firing up Thomas
Against Colorado, SDSU defensive end Cameron Thomas had one of the better games by an Aztecs defender, collecting 14 tackles that included three tackles for a loss, three quarterback hurries and a sack.
Interestingly enough, Hoke pulled Thomas from the game after just a couple of plays on the opening defensive series.
Seems the sophomore was given a few choice words to get his mind right.
“He was frustrated with me,” Thomas said. “I did not come out ready to play. That is something that we always talk about throughout the week, making sure that we’re prepared and ready to play.
“That was something I struggled with early. I got my head wrapped around things after he gave me a few specific words and I was ready to go after that.
Anything that was said in particular that really resonated?
“Nothing that I’d prefer to say,” Thomas said.
BYU game details
SDSU fans who have been challenged at times to find the Aztecs’ games on television this season shouldn’t have any trouble with the Dec. 12 game at No. 8-ranked BYU.
It will be televised on ESPN2.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. PT. The Cougars (9-0) are off for a second straight week leading into the game.