Luginbill’s Second Spring Gives Aztecs Fever for Fall : Football: Five weeks of spring practice has left the coach saying, “I think we’re almost light years ahead of where we were.”
Al Luginbill, San Diego State’s football coach, has watched, hollered, evaluated, cajoled, graded, corrected and encouraged.
Six weeks ago, the Aztecs started spring football practice. At 7 tonight, it concludes with the Red/Black game in the Aztec Bowl.
The workload has been heavy and the pace fast, but the part Luginbill likes best is the grading and evaluating.
“By the end of the spring, we will have gotten extensive looks at everybody with the exception of Nick Subis,” Luginbill said one day earlier this week. “A year ago, we couldn’t do it. Everything was Greek around here.”
Subis is a senior offensive lineman who missed spring drills with a broken foot. But he has been around long enough that Luginbill already knows what he can do.
A year ago, Luginbill had just taken over at SDSU. He was getting used to his players and the players were getting a taste of his methods during spring practice. Some even stuck it out. Several players left the team, like so many students transferring out of an intimidating professor’s class.
This spring, things have been different. The transition period is pretty much finished. Luginbill has been able to look at the familiar and make plans, and he has been able to look at the unfamiliar and learn.
Now, listen:
“Last year, everything was all new,” said Tracey Mao, junior defensive lineman. “We didn’t know what to expect, and he didn’t know what to expect. This year, we knew what to expect and could work on what we needed to coming out of the fall.
“Last year, they moved a lot of people, and it takes time to adjust. I feel now we’ve adjusted to the coaches, and that benefits us overall.”
Added Dan McGwire, senior quarterback: “It’s a lot more competitive this spring. There’s a lot more intensity, I think. Controlled intensity. I feel a lot more unity as a football team, both offensively and defensively.”
Luginbill, who specifically likes the progress of the defense and offensive line, says, “I think we’re almost light years ahead of where we were.”
The first thing Dennis Arey mentions, though, is the defense. And he’s a receiver .
“I think we’ve come a long way defensively,” he said. “I’ve noticed a lot of improvement in aggressiveness and the way they are getting to the ball. I think it will be a step up from last year.”
Said defensive back Clark Moses: “The attitude on defense is a lot better. I know everyone is tired of losing and having mediocre seasons. There is no way we should be losing 70% to 80% of our games every year.”
To that end, Luginbill made it a point to improve at linebacker and defensive back. The Aztecs allowed 31 points a game last season, many of them coming because of weakness behind the defensive front.
Cornerback Gary Taylor and linebacker Lou Foster have caught the attention of the coaching staff this spring. Taylor, a reserve last year, has moved ahead of Marlon Andrews on the side opposite Clark Moses. Taylor and Andrews will continue their battle for a starting position in the fall.
Foster is a 5-foot-11, 230-pound transfer from DeAnza Community College.
“Foster has gotten better each week,” Luginbill said. “Taylor has been very consistent throughout the spring.”
The biggest change the Aztecs have made defensively is moving Johnny Walker to free safety. He was a part-time starter at tight safety in 1989. Luginbill said Walker is one of the key reasons the defense has not allowed many big plays this spring.
“He has made plays all over the field,” Luginbill said. “That’s one reason we’ve been able to keep the football in front of us. That has really helped us. We do not have any depth behind him now, but I think a freshman will come in and help in that area.”
That’s for the fall, when Luginbill expects to see a few other things happen as well.
“We’ve improved at linebacker, but we’re not where we have to be yet,” Luginbill said. “We’ve improved at defensive back, but we’re not where we have to be yet.”
He added: “Defensively, we still go into lapses, and that’s bothered me. We’ve played like heck and, boom, knocked ourselves out with a penalty. We’ve got to get a tenacity and focus that allows us to be consistent on every play.”
Luginbill said defensive linemen Pio Sagapolutele, Eric Duncan and Jason Swaney have been consistent this spring.
“Up front, we’ve gotten better,” Luginbill said. “We’re going to be an improved defensive team.
“We’ve had great go-arounds all spring with our offensive linemen and defensive front. It has been extremely competitive and extremely physical. That’s the way we like to play football.”
As for the offense, lineman Kevin Macon has impressed the coaches. And linemen John Williamson, Bonner Motler, Jim Jennings, Judd Rachow, Derek Sang . . . the list goes on.
“All of the offensive linemen have come a long way,” Luginbill said. “There are more athletes in the offensive line than a year ago.”
Ah, it’s spring--a time of optimism and hope. So why stop with the offensive line?
“We’re making better decisions at quarterback than a year ago,” Luginbill said. “The running backs, as an overall group, are much better talent-wise.”
McGwire threw for 3,651 yards in 1989, the second-highest total in school history. And he’s making better decisions now. Opponents will be glad to hear that.
“He’s using the offense and he understands now by using the offense how really functional and productive it can be,” Luginbill said.
In a scrimmage last Friday, McGwire slammed the ball to the ground in frustration after he was sacked.
Luginbill approached and asked why he was upset.
“I’m upset with myself because I didn’t throw it away,” McGwire replied.
Said Luginbill: “He was right. A year ago, I think he would have been looking at his protection and saying ‘Ah, my protection broke down, dadgummit.’ Now he looks at, ‘How can I save a play so we can take a snap again?’ Very important.”
The Aztecs lost Ron Slack, last year’s leading rusher with 914 yards, to graduation. But they gained Tommy Booker, who redshirted last year, and T.C. Wright from Mesa (Ariz.) Community College. Add Curtis Butts, the third-leading rusher last year (381 yards) and redshirt freshman Kip Jeffries, and there is plenty of competition.
The Aztecs are young at wide receiver, and it has not gone unnoticed. Jimmy Raye and Arey are the only two seniors.
“The younger guys have been inconsistent, and that’s bothered us a little bit,” Luginbill said. “We’ve got to get them consistent.”
But five weeks of practice--the Aztecs took a week off for spring break--wasn’t enough to get everything done, Luginbill said.
“I’d like to have a little more time to work,” he said. “I wish we could have spent more time against the option. But we’ll come back and spend some time in fall camp on that.”
Tonight’s game will be a little shorter than the Aztecs’ Friday scrimmages this spring. There will be four 18-minute quarters, a running clock and no punt or kickoff returns. The first-team offense will go against the first-team defense, and the second-team offense will go against the second-team defense. Luginbill will be wearing a microphone for one quarter and will be heard over the public address system.
Whatever happens, he has already noticed a difference from last spring.
“About 180 degrees,” he said. “In attitude, outlook, physical-ness, conditioning . . . we’re making less mistakes, executing better. In every aspect of the game.”
Aztecs Notes
Injury update: These four Aztecs will not play Saturday night: linebacker Andy Coviello, knee sprain; defensive back Clark Moses, shoulder sprain; linebacker Eric Thompson, back strain, and offensive lineman Mike Alexander, shoulder sprain . . . Coach Al Luginbill said this will be the last year SDSU will play its Red/Black game. A new NCAA rule beginning next year limits teams to 15 spring practices in 21 calendar days, 10 of which can be full-contact. This year, teams are allowed 20 practices, 15 contact. Luginbill said because of the limited practice time next year, he doesn’t think the Aztecs can afford to give up one of their major scrimmages for the game. The Aztecs scrimmaged every Friday this spring.