SDSU Sees Title Hiding in Corner

Football: Long, strange trip comes down to one game with BYU.

Runnin’ down a dream

That never would come to me

Working on a mystery

Going wherever it leads

Runnin’ down a dream

--Tom Petty

It has led them through six weeks, four states, and now, on their first football Saturday three weeks into November that means anything since 1986, the San Diego State Aztecs have backed their dream into a coffin corner.

After six consecutive victories, each a must-win situation, it is there for the taking, waiting on a 100-yard field between two red and black end zones in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

A championship-starved city will be watching tonight when the Aztecs (8-2, 6-1) play host No. 23 Brigham Young University (7-3, 6-0) at 7:35 for the Western Athletic Conference title and the right to go to the Holiday Bowl. Tonight’s loser will go to the Freedom Bowl.

The Aztecs are expecting a capacity crowd of 61,133, which would break SDSU’s previous home attendance mark of 53,611, set in 1975 during a 31-24 loss to Arizona. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN.

“We’re not in the driver’s seat, but we’re in position to be in position,” Aztecs dimeback Robert Griffith said. “We’re at that last spot, where we see if we’re going to drive by ourselves or ride in the back.”

Said Aztec quarterback David Lowery: “Last year at BYU, they had 66,000 people against us. It will be nice to have people with us for a change.”

The Aztecs, who have won only one WAC title (1986), will be facing at least one immediate obstacle. None of them have played in a game of this magnitude. Of 44 players on their two-deep depth chart, 26 are either freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores.

BYU, meanwhile, has won two consecutive WAC championships and has won or shared a total of 14.

“We’ve come this far,” Lowery said. “Why not go any farther? We’re not going into this game scared. We’ve got an opportunity. We might as well take advantage of it.”

Said SDSU Coach Al Luginbill: “It’s been very upbeat all week--that’s been obvious. I think they are very, very, very happy to be playing for a championship. I’d say they’re focused with anticipation. I don’t see them being uptight other than what you would be for a normal championship game.”

And then there is the matter of facing BYU quarterback Ty Detmer. He won the Heisman Trophy last season and several people, including Detmer, BYU Coach LaVell Edwards and Wyoming Coach Joe Tiller, think that Detmer is actually having a better season in 1991.

“I said earlier in the year that Ty Detmer was playing better than he has ever played,” Edwards said. “The other players have more or less caught up with him. He’s gone two or three games without an interception, and his efficiency rating continues to go up. No question he’s playing better now than he’s ever played.”

Detmer actually has gone four games in a row--117 consecutive passes--without throwing an interception. He is ranked second nationally in passing efficiency and has completed 63% of his passes. He is averaging 305 passing yards a game.

“He’s going to be the best we’ve faced all year,” Griffith said. “It’s going to be a big challenge for us. He didn’t win the Heisman for nothing.”

Over the past seven weeks, BYU is averaging 518 yards and 37.4 points a game.

The Aztecs got some good news this week when junior cornerback Gary Taylor was cleared to play. Taylor suffered a groin strain against New Mexico Oct. 12 and then aggravated it Saturday against Colorado State. SDSU will use Taylor, sophomore John Louis and freshman Eric Sutton in a three-man rotation at cornerback.

“We’re excited about that,” Luginbill said.

Offensively, the key may be how well SDSU can get freshman sensation Marshall Faulk and the rest of its running game going. The Aztecs have rushed for 2,135 yards this season--the first time they have surpassed 2,000 yards rushing since 1976.

“We’ve got to score points and keep their offense off the field,” Lowery said. “That’s all there is to it.”

Lowery--who has led SDSU to six consecutive victories since getting his first start Oct. 5--doesn’t think there is any question as to whether the SDSU offense will move.

“We’ve got great running backs and a great offensive line,” he said. “There is no reason we shouldn’t be able to.”

What Lowery will see when he drops back to pass, most likely, is a lot of bracket coverage--BYU will double-cover SDSU receivers on the inside of the field and leave the outside receivers in a one-on-one coverage.

“They’re strong up front, and their greatest position on defense is linebacker,” SDSU receiver Patrick Rowe said. “I still feel we’ll be able to have a balanced attack on them. Something is going to have to give, and I don’t think it’s going to be our offense.”

BYU has won seven consecutive games--the Cougars’ most since their 1984 national championship season. SDSU, which has won six in a row, has not won seven consecutive games since 1977, when the Aztecs went 10-1.

“Every game before this has been as big as this,” Lowery said. “Every game has been for the (championship) ring and for the Holiday Bowl.

“It’s just that this is the actual game. We’ve got to do it.”

BYU and SDSU have decided the WAC championship twice before in San Diego on the season’s final game--BYU won in 1979, 63-14; SDSU won in 1986, 10-3.

And here they are again. A sold-out stadium; a crisp, November night; one game, winner-takes-all . . . the stuff of which dreams are made. This is the night toward which the Aztecs have been pointing since August.

“I just remember Coach Luginbill saying at the start of two-a-days in August that the WAC championship would be determined here in San Diego in the month of November,” Rowe said. “As far as that prediction, it’s true.

“I’m very excited. The team is very excited. Now, we’re not too concerned with how we got here.

“This is about playing right now.”