AZTECS WIN, RUN RECORD TO 28-1

New coaches seek the answers as job competitions begin

Malachi Flynn (above) scores 36 and No. 5 SDSU overcomes a 13-point second-half deficit to beat Nevada 83-76 on Saturday. The 28-1 Aztecs will head to Las Vegas this week as the favorite in the conference tournament.

San Diego State football players return to the practice field on Monday, providing the first glimpse of what is in store for the 2020 season.

Spring practice is not normally accompanied with the same sense of urgency that is present in the fall. After all, there are 187 days between now and the Sept. 5 season opener against Sacramento State.

But the next four weeks bear watching more than any season in the past decade. There’s storylines scattered all over the place, especially with Brady Hoke returning as head coach, five new assistant coaches getting acquainted with their personnel and starting spots open at several key positions.

The workouts will culminate with the spring game scrimmage, which is March 21 at the SDSU practice field.

Here are five things to watch coming into spring practice:

1. QB competition

Who will be SDSU’S starting quarterback?

This is a burning question for the second straight

season, but even more intriguing this year because of the lack of returning experience at the position.

Last year, Ryan Agnew took over as the starter with half a season of starts under his belt after stepping in during the 2018 season when Christian Chapman was injured.

Among the four starting candidates in camp this year, sophomore Carson Baker is the only one who has started a game at this level.

Baker’s debut came in a 13-3 win over BYU to end the regular season. He acquitted himself well, completing 19-of-24 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown.

Does new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jeff Hecklinski view Baker as the heir apparent, or will he see something in junior Jordon Brookshire that vaults Brookshire to QB1? Brookshire possesses the best running ability among the contenders, but didn’t display the accuracy needed to move ahead of Baker on the depth chart.

Will junior Mark Salazar take a step forward or will he fall to No. 4 on the depth chart behind redshirt freshman Joe Green?

And what of Green, whose first season on campus was marked more by pain — a broken collarbone (twice) — than gain?

Whatever happens this spring, the matter still may not be settled.

It’s likely a graduate transfer quarterback will be brought in over the summer to compete at the position.

2. Competition at RB

For much of the previous decade, the Aztecs had a 1-2 punch at running back that made their ground game among the most productive in the nation and provided a natural progression from season to season.

There was Adam Muema and Walter Kazee. Then Muema and D.J. Pumphrey. Then Pumphrey and Chase Price. Then Pumphrey and Rashaad Penny. Then Penny and Juwan Washington.

The line of succession was disrupted the past two seasons with injuries to Washington, who missed or barely played in more than half the team’s games during the 2018-19 seasons.

Compounding matters was the absence of a clearcut No. 2 running back behind Washington.

Senior Chase Jasmin (366 yards, 4 TDS) and juniors Chance Bell (384, 2 TDS) and Jordan Byrd (355, 3 TDS) each showed glimpses of promise, but no one stood out above the others.

Maybe the spring will clear up some things.

Keep an eye on all of them, but especially Byrd. He rushed for a game-high 139 yards in SDSU’S win over Central Michigan at the 2019 New Mexico Bowl and could be a difference maker with added bulk and strength to go along with his breakaway speed.

3. Reloading the OL

The running game’s challenges were exacerbated by an offensive line that didn’t live up to expectations.

Can the O-line step up this season? Perhaps it can borrow a page from the Dline, which went from 2019’s biggest question mark to one of its biggest exclamation marks.

That remains to be seen, especially with two departing veterans.

The Aztecs knew they were losing senior left guard Daishawn Dixon. Then junior center Keith Ismael declared early for the NFL Draft.

Senior tackles Kyle Spaulding and Zachary Thomas are the returning starters, along with sophomore guard William Dunkle.

SDSU brought in junior college transfer Sebastian Hernandez with its 2020 recruiting class to compete for a starting spot.

He will join returners like seniors Jacob Capra and Dominic Gudino, juniors Chris Martinez, Alama Uluave and Desmond Bessent, among others, in what should be — make that must be — a spirited competition.

4. Taking over for Tezino

Linebacker Kyahva Tezino was the heart of SDSU’S defense the past two seasons, earning team MVP both years for making opponents think twice before snapping the ball and being in on seemingly every tackle.

Tezino’s graduation leaves a gaping hole in the middle of what was one of the nation’s top defenses.

Big shoes to fill, and all that.

Of course, they’ve been saying “How are we ever going to replace (fill in the name)?” ever since the first caveman carried the rock.

Somehow someone else always comes along.

The leading candidate to replace Tezino? Michael Shawcroft, a 6-foot-2, 225pound sophomore from Helix High.

5. New coordinators

The Aztecs have new coordinators on both sides of the ball, with Hecklinski taking over for Jeff Horton as offensive coordinator and Kurt Mattix taking over for Zach Arnett as defensive coordinator.

Hecklinski, who coached the running backs at SDSU a decade ago during Hoke’s first tour as head coach, most recently served as offensive coordinator at Indiana State (2017-18).

It remains to be seen where he takes the spread formation that was implemented last season.

Mattix, who also will coach SDSU’S linebackers, was the defensive coordinator at Eastern Kentucky the past four years.

It remains to be seen what his grasp is of the 3-3-5 defense the Aztecs played so well under Rocky Long.

Spring ball won’t reveal how successful the Aztecs will be on both sides of the ball this season, but it’s a start.