Coviello Theft Helps Spark Aztec Defense

Maybe technically the San Diego State defense still doesn’t have an interception through four games. But to Aztec outside linebacker Andy Coviello, his interception of Air Force quarterback Jarvis Baker’s pitchout was close enough.

Coviello returned the pitchout 42 yards for a touchdown to give the SDSU defense its first big play of the season. It also gave the Aztecs a 14-0 lead with 4:50 remaining in the first quarter and sent them on their way to a 48-18 victory Saturday night.

Although Coviello’s play turned out to be just one of many significant ones, it seemed to give the 106th-ranked Aztec defense the shot in the arm it sorely needed.

“That was definitely a motivator,” Coviello said of the ranking. “Lou (Foster) and I saw that on ESPN and it got us mad.”

On Coviello’s touchdown play, he focused that aggression on Baker.

“I was concentrating on the fullback, but he ducked in early, so I started going for the quarterback,” he said. “But then I saw I couldn’t get the quarterback, so I turned around to look for the tailback and there was the ball. I was real surprised.”

The touchdown was Coviello’s first since junior college.

“That was nice, but there’s nothing like scoring at this level,” said Coviello, a junior from Fair Oaks. “I don’t think I realized I had scored until I sat down.”

Aztec Coach Al Luginbill called Coviello’s play ‘a great effort by an individual.”

“I kept telling people we were going to make big plays on defense,” Luginbill said. “This was the first time the defense and the special teams made those plays.”

The inexperienced SDSU defense, which only started two seniors, actually took advantage of someone else’s youth--Baker’s. In his first collegiate start, Baker, a sophomore from Fairfield, fumbled twice and tossed several pitches--including the one Coviello caught--behind his backs.

“We knew he was young, but he’s real quick,” Coviello said of Baker, who finished with 145 yards rushing, including 80 in the first half. “He’s definitely a Division I quarterback.”

Luginbill agreed:

“It’s nice to have a normal individual at quarterback. That young man’s going to be a decent quarterback though.”

But for now, the much-maligned Aztec defense could be thankful they were looking at Jarvis Baker and not Ty Detmer or Bill Musgrave.

They would finish with six fumble recoveries, but still no interceptions.