Lowery Shines in SDSU Scrimmage

David Lowery sat on a bench outside the football complex at San Diego State with his right arm wrapped from shoulder to forearm in ice and elastic bands.

He looked terrible, but he never felt better--as least as an Aztec.

The youngest and shortest of three SDSU quarterbacks, the 6-foot Lowery also was the most impressive in the Aztecs’ first scrimmage of the year Sunday at SDSU. He completed 15 of 20 passes, including his first six, for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior starter Dan McGwire and freshman Cree Morris played well--McGwire completed 18 of 31 for 304 yards and two touchdowns and Morris 11 of 20 for 128 yards and one touchdown--but it was the freshman Lowery, a relative unknown to crowd of about 300, who impressed.

“This is the first day I felt real comfortable back there,” said Lowery, who is from Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo. “A lot of times I don’t throw too well in practice. But when it comes to a game, everything’s fine.”

Lowery was sacked only once and did not throw any interceptions, compared to seven sacks and two interceptions for the 6-8 McGwire and three sacks and one interception for the 6-7 Morris.

Defensively, Milt Wilson had three sacks and Eric Duncan two. Cornerbacks Marlon Andrews, Gary Taylor and John Louis had the interceptions. The defense allowed only 93 rushing yards on 36 carries, including two carries and 17 yards on Morris scrambles.

Merten Harris (seven catches for 92 yards), Jake Nyberg (six for 65 and two touchdowns) and Jimmy Raye (five for 78) stood out at receiver. Harris, a quarterback at College of the Desert, came to SDSU this fall as a defensive back but was soon switched to receiver.

Nyberg’s touchdowns, 10 and 13 yards, came on similar routes when the freshman caught the ball inside the five-yard line, shook off a tackler and scampered into the end zone.