Distractions Putting SDSU Coach Stolz on Edge as Game Nears

As Tuesday’s Holiday Bowl game nears, San Diego State personnel are becoming increasingly on edge.

The Aztecs practiced poorly Sunday, so Coach Denny Stolz didn’t let any of his players attend an afternoon press conference. Stolz met the press alone--and he looked as if he had received wake-up calls every hour the previous evening.

“Our kids are probably as irritable as I am,” Stolz said. “They don’t need to go through another press conference. I didn’t realize Iowa didn’t have a press conference today. I guess they’re smarter than we are. How come the other guy, Iowa Coach Hayden Fry, doesn’t have to come and talk with you people?”

Twice during Sunday’s 25-minute press conference, Stolz couldn’t help but laugh.

One time, an Iowa writer asked Stolz about the duration of his contract (he has four years remaining).

“Ask the local guys,” Stolz said, with a laugh. “What the heck are you making me laugh for? I’m irritable.”

Another Iowa writer asked Stolz about the “mystique” of SDSU’s all-black home uniforms.

“Don’t get me to laughing again,” Stolz said. “I’m not in a good mood.”

Other topics discussed by Stolz:

--Why his players are irritable.

--How he hopes the Western Athletic Conference can gain prominence in bowl selections.

--How his team wants the ball last in a close game.

--Why coaches who frequently lose bowl games shouldn’t be criticized.

--What effect losing starting wide receiver Anthony Conyers because of a failed drug test will have on SDSU in the game.

Conyers, who tested positive for cocaine and is thus barred from the game, caught more passes than any Aztec wide receiver this season.

“We’ve used four or five receivers all year,” Stolz said. “We’ll use four or five receivers again. His absence certainly won’t help us.”

Stolz said recent festivities have not helped his team prepare for Iowa.

The Aztecs have toured an aircraft carrier, participated in a pizza party and attended Sea World over the weekend. Before practice this afternoon, they will attend a Kiwanis luncheon.

“We’re just tired from going up and down that damn elevator,” Stolz said. “We’ve had 14 practices, Christmas thrown in and quite a few social activities. It’s a strain on 19-, 20- and 21-year-old kids. We’ll kick off Tuesday, and we wouldn’t want to go any longer.”

Despite the activities, Stolz is hoping that in the future his teams will go through the same procedure again.

“When we’re not champions, I hope our conference has enough clout to get two or three bowl bids,” Stolz said. “I may turn down a bowl bid if we were 6-5, but I don’t think my athletic director, Fred Miller, would. It’s called dollars.

“In the last four or five years, BYU and Air Force have carried the WAC. No one else has gotten a sniff. At least there’s three of us now. I get discouraged when we’re 8-3 and a Big 10 team that was 6-5 would’ve had a better chance of going to a bowl than us. Again, we’re fighting for recognition in our conference. We’re getting there.”

The Aztecs got to the Holiday Bowl by winning their last four games.

The streak began with a 27-26 victory at Colorado State. SDSU drove 86 yards to its winning touchdown in the final minute despite having no timeouts.

“I like to have the ball last with a chance to win,” Stolz said. “A lot of coaches don’t coach well then. I guess I can say that this year. There have been times when I didn’t coach well in that situation.”

Stolz has coached in two bowl games, losing both times while at Bowling Green.

Recently, he saw a chart that showed Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler with a 3-10 bowl record. Stolz, who coached at Michigan State, defended Schembechler.

“Sometimes, I think it’s unfair from a coaching standpoint that coaches are referred to as poor bowl coaches,” Stolz said. “If you can get there for 15 or 16 years like one of my colleagues, you’re a good coach.

“If a football team can play .500 in bowls, that’s quite an accomplishment. Unless you can pick your opponent, it’s tough to win a bowl game. They don’t let you do that any more with TV being involved.”

Given a choice, who would Stolz play in a bowl game?

“If I had gone out and picked an opponent, I wouldn’t have picked Iowa,” he said. “Who would I have picked? I don’t know. Maybe Southern Mississippi. Or does Tampa have a team?”