COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : SAN DIEGO STATE : Running Back Butts Won’t Play Saturday

Curtis Butts, San Diego State’s short-yardage running back, will not be available for this week’s game at Air Force and he may be lost to the Aztecs for the season because of personal matters, Coach Al Luginbill said Tuesday.

Consequently, the Aztecs will likely use Wayne Pittman, a freshman from Mira Mesa. The Aztecs will take it on a game-by-game basis, but Pittman likely will not be redshirted this season.

Butts, a senior from Moreno Valley, became a father Sunday night when his girlfriend gave birth to a girl. Also, both Butts’ mother and grandmother will undergo surgery this week for serious illnesses, Luginbill said.

Butts, who didn’t play as a freshman and walked onto the Aztec football team as a sophomore in 1989, has carried the ball eight times this season for 24 yards. He scored one touchdown.

Butts’ departure opened the door for Pittman, who expected to redshirt this season.

“Coach talked to me (Monday) and asked me if I was ready for it and if I wanted to (play),” Pittman said. “I said, ‘Yeah, I’m ready. Give me the chance.’ ”

Pittman and Kipp Jeffries will back up senior T.C. Wright and freshman Marshall Faulk, who set an NCAA single-game rushing record Saturday with 386 yards against Pacific. Luginbill said Pittman is comparable to both Wright and Faulk.

“(Pittman) doesn’t have (Faulk’s) speed, but he may be better inside,” Luginbill said. “He’s a combination of Faulk and T.C. Wright.”

As for Wright, who left the Pacific game with a bruised left thigh, SDSU trainer Brian Barry proclaimed him questionable for Saturday’s game at Air Force. Wright, though, said he will be ready.

“I’ll play,” Wright said. “But I don’t know if I’ll start after that record-breaking performance by my boy.

“I’ll try and contribute somehow. I don’t know about 386 yards . . .”

Luginbill has said Wright will start, although he and Faulk will rotate their playing time.

The injury that most concerns Luginbill is free safety Damon Pieri’s groin strain/contusion. Barry listed him as probable for Saturday.

“That’s the one player on our defensive team that we just did not need to go down,” Luginbill said. “He’s special. It would be like losing (quarterbacks Cree) Morris and (David) Lowery. How would we function offensively? He’s that important.”

Pieri started the game against Pacific with the strain. Then, midway through the first quarter, a Pacific player landed on his tender area and bruised him. He has been receiving three treatments a day and is optimistic he will be able to play at Air Force.

“The only thing I’m worried about is my backpedal and opening up,” Pieri said. “I just don’t want to aggravate it again.”

Pieri played the first quarter of SDSU’s 55-34 victory over Pacific Saturday, and while he was in, the Tigers didn’t score. He was at practice Tuesday and watched as the SDSU defense worked against the wishbone.

After Faulk did several interviews Sunday and Monday, Luginbill put a stop to it Tuesday. Although Faulk is not barred from post-practice interviews, Luginbill declined to let him go to a weekly boosters’ luncheon and forced a newspaper to schedule a photo shoot after Monday night’s practice rather than Tuesday.

“The poor kid was getting crushed,” Luginbill said. “He needs time to sleep. Sunday and Monday were enough--and he’s got another game coming up soon.”

Luginbill is concerned about too much, too soon for Faulk.

“(Marshall) and I have talked about it and we will again (today),” Luginbill said. “If he doesn’t have his eyes get big this weekend (at Air Force), then he is abnormal.”

Told that Air Force Coach Fisher DeBerry said that the Falcons don’t have the horses or the firepower that SDSU does, Luginbill responded by shaking his head.

“I’m sick of hearing that,” Luginbill said. “I love Fisher and consider him a friend, but that gets old, know what I mean?”

Receiver Patrick Rowe (right shoulder sprain) and linebacker Andy Coviello (left knee tendintis) returned to full practice Tuesday. Barry said both will be full speed for Saturday. The rest of the SDSU trainer’s report: Cornerback Eric Sutton (shoulder and shin) will play; H-back Keith Williams (hamstring) is probable and H-back Will Tate (hamstring) is questionable. . . . Tight end Marc Ziegler (knee sprain) is still on track to return in time for next Thursday’s game against UCLA. . . . Air Force is ranked fourth in the nation in rushing offense (365 yards a game) and SDSU is seventh (306 1/2). The Aztecs are ranked ninth in passing offense (302) and second in total offense (608 1/2). The Aztecs lead the Western Athletic Conference with an average of 51 points a game and the Falcons are second at 34.3.