Morris Is Ahead of Lowery in SDSU Quarterback Derby

David Lowery knows he has done everything he can do.

They told him he was behind Cree Morris in the San Diego State quarterback derby when practice sessions ended last spring. So he worked harder than ever all summer.

They told him he was behind Morris after SDSU’s first preseason intrasquad scrimmage last Saturday. So he came back, had a decent week of practice and then outplayed Morris in SDSU’s final scrimmage Wednesday.

But it doesn’t look like it’s going to matter. When Coach Al Luginbill announces who will open the season as Aztec quarterback today, the odds are with Morris.

Morris completed only six of 22 passes for 82 yards in Wednesday’s scrimmage, but he worked with the first team the entire way. Lowery, 12 of 19 for 105 yards, lined up with the second team.

Luginbill said it was that way simply because he wanted to give each quarterback some long series of plays and give them a chance to get in sync. Quarterback coach Steve Fairchild said it was because Lowery moved the second team on long drives and the coaches wanted to keep the number of plays fairly even.

“I was trying to get them to put me on the first team all day,” Lowery said. “I kept asking Steve. . . . It seems like ever since I got here, I’ve been brought in to be Cree’s backup. I want to show I can play. I didn’t come here to be a backup all of my life.”

Aztec Notes

Junior offensive guard Joe Heinz suffered a medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee and will be out at least four weeks, according to trainer Brian Barry. Heinz will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test today.