Luginbill to Put Problems in Writing : San Diego State: Coach still searching for improvement after defense’s latest debacle. He’s hoping his players benefit from written evaluations.

After a record-setting performance at Wyoming Saturday, maybe the San Diego State defense should leave a few apples on Coach Al Luginbill’s desk this week.

Luginbill has tried educating and coaching, motivating and cajoling. Now, after a 52-51 loss at Wyoming, he will hand out written grades and evaluations to the Aztec defense after each practice.

You figure a victory should be guaranteed when you score 51 points, but not with this bunch. SDSU (2-3, 1-2 in the Western Athletic Conference) is now owner of the NCAA Division I record for most points scored in a loss--not something you really want to brag about. The Aztecs eclipsed the efforts of New Mexico (1985) and Washington (1973), who scored 49 points each in losses.

So Luginbill and his staff will prepare these written evaluations. The coaches always grade players after games but previously gave just given verbal evaluations during and after practices. Now, the defenders will be able to read about it all in black and white.

“So the individual understands clearly the basics of what he’s doing,” Luginbill said.

He knows it will take the coaching staff loads of extra time. And he knows they have enough else to do putting together game plans, planning practices, running practices, recruiting and everything else a coach does during the season.

But when you have exhausted just about all other options, and your defense continues to exhibit a propensity to go into the tank faster and deeper than Shamu, what else are you going to do?

Wyoming shredded the Aztecs for 648 yards. Quarterback Tom Corontzos had the best day of his career, passing for 421 yards, and Wyoming averaged 10 yards per play.

The Cowboys scored seven touchdowns, five in the second half.

“I was probably as shocked, or more shocked, than I ever have been in my coaching career at what happened in the last quarter-and-a-half,” Luginbill said. “I’ve never, ever experienced anything like that.”

Starting about midway through the third quarter and continuing the rest of the way, the SDSU defense moved up and down the field faster than the SDSU offense.

The Aztecs hate when that happens.

“Obviously, we have an inability to make plays at crucial times,” Luginbill said. “It is a disease in the program. It’s cropped its head up too many times for us to say it will go away. It won’t happen overnight, but if we whittle it down a little each week . . . “

SDSU has plenty of work to do this week before Saturday’s game at UCLA (2-3, 2-1 in the Pacific 10). Per game, the Aztecs are allowing: 39 points, 333 yards passing, 508 total yards, seven yards per play.

Throw in a few mistakes by SDSU’s special teams, and it adds up to a slow start.

It all should be enough to make the offense--averaging 38 points and 495 yards per game--sick.

“It is frustrating,” quarterback Dan McGwire said after Saturday’s game. “Special teams has had some hard times. The bottom line in these types of games is that the offense has to take it into our own hands. It’s disheartening, but we’ve got to keep our heads up.”

Sometimes, it’s even enough to make opponents sick.

“It was the worst game I’ve ever been in,” Wyoming defensive end Mitch Donahue told the Rocky Mountain News. “I don’t even feel like we won. I am embarrassed.”

The Aztecs ran 88 offensive plays to Wyoming’s 64 and held the ball for 35:04--and still lost. In a 62-34 loss to Brigham Young three weeks ago, they did the same thing: ran more plays than BYU (101-62) and held the ball longer (38:48).

“I don’t think anything makes less sense in the sport of football,” Luginbill said.

So pack a lunch and move those desks into rows. It’s back to school.

And don’t forget to bring an apple.

Aztec Notes

Coach Al Luginbill said the Aztecs will redshirt freshman linebacker Jamal Duff. Duff--SDSU’s prize freshman recruit last winter--suffered a deep thigh bruise in the season opener at Oregon and hasn’t played since. . . . Free safety Johnny Walker sprained an ankle against Wyoming and is questionable for this week’s game at UCLA. Running back Tommy Booker is expected back from his ankle sprain. . . . Any personnel changes expected on defense this week? “We haven’t gotten that far yet,” Luginbill said Sunday. “To be honest, we’re forgetting this one (the Wyoming game). The worst thing you can do in my mind is go and jump the defense and move 9,000 guys around. I think everything would go up in flames.” . . . Quarterback Dan McGwire now has attempted 133 consecutive passes without an interception. For the season, he has thrown just one interception in 194 attempts. In the past three games, he has completed 78 of 130 passes (60%) for 1,120 yards (373.3 per game) and 11 touchdowns. . . . Receiver Dennis Arey leads the nation in receiving yards per game at 115.20. He is sixth in the nation--and fourth in the WAC--with 6.2 receptions per game. . . . UCLA has scored in a record 221 consecutive games. The last time the Bruins were shut out was at Michigan in the third game of the 1971 season. . . . SDSU is 0-8 at the Rose Bowl against UCLA.