Now that his nightmare rookie season has finally concluded, San Diego State head coach Chuck Long is ready to make a promise of sorts about next season.
“Next year, I believe we're going to be a better football team,” said Long, whose team finished his first season with a 3-9 record after beating Colorado State at home last night 17-6. “I know that's going to happen. Part of that is instilling confidence in them, and that comes from me.”
Making it happen is the tricky part. Though next year's schedule isn't yet finalized, SDSU is set to open with two straight road games against Pac-10 opponents, Washington State on Sept. 8 and Arizona State on Sept. 15. Keep in mind that since 2000, SDSU is 0-17 against teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences.
The Aztecs also need to find replacements for the four senior starters they lose in the defensive secondary, plus the top plugs of its run defense: defensive tackle Jonathan Bailes and middle linebacker Joe Martin, the team's leading tackler who last night rang up 14.
The key lies in a “very important offseason,” Long said.
Players stressed the need after last night's game to “buy into the systems” of Long's staff, which has tried to install a Midwest-style running attack in the middle of the land of aerial football. They also stressed offseason weight and conditioning work for a team that was outmuscled and outrun by most opponents.
Last year, only about 75-80 percent of the players fully participated in voluntary offseason conditioning at SDSU, linebacker Freddy Dunkle said.
“We need 100 percent participation, and 100 percent of players to buy in,” said Dunkle, who blocked a punt late in the third quarter last night. “If we do that, we'll be on a roll.”
Departing senior starting center Patrick Justman said the issue for his successors at SDSU will be “trusting the coaching staff with everything.” Given its struggles this year, the team had a small share of naysayers at times among players.
“We don't need bickering and negative comments (on the team), not that very many people did that,” Justman said. “There was a passing comment here or there. But I think people really do trust the coaches. I think next year they'll take it to a whole other level.”
Said junior linebacker Brett Martin: “We have to truly believe in the system. Tonight showed we did. It just means we have to get used to a new system. It's a different system from last year, and sometimes things take time.”
Martin also said outside criticism of Long was “not fair at all.”
“We've had a lot of injuries that have slowed us down,” Martin said. “I think Coach Long is a great coach along with the rest of our coaching staff. I believe all of our players really do believe in what they're doing and what they've got for us. We'll stick with them all the way.”
As for getting bigger and stronger, it's “not an overnight deal,” Long said.
But “it will happen,” Long promised. “Again that comes from me. We implemented a strength-and-conditioning program. I have total trust and faith in strength coach (Jon) Francis and what he started last year. We just have to keep working at it.”
Empty stadium
When the Aztecs band took the field before last night's game, it almost appeared there were more people on the field than in the stands. By some estimates, there weren't more than 7,000 loyalists in attendance. The student section was almost empty.
The announced attendance, which includes no-shows who paid for tickets, was 17,557, SDSU's smallest announced attendance since 2003, when 15,812 was announced for a game against Wyoming.
The “crowd” that did show up barely made a peep and was lulled by a lullaby game featuring 10 punts in the first half.
First TD
SDSU freshman running back Atiyyah Henderson has rushed for more than 700 yards this year but didn't get his first touchdown until his 168th career carry, when he scored on a 3-yard run early in the second quarter.
“I just wanted to get in the end zone,” Henderson said.
Brent Schrotenboer: (619) 293-1368; brent.schrotenboer@uniontrib.com
