AZTECS UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / SCOTT MILLER : Freshmen Faulk Feels at Ease Among All-Americans at Show

Running back Marshall Faulk, whose ninth-place Heisman Trophy finish was the second-highest ever for a freshman, returned to practice Thursday after sitting out sick on Wednesday.

It was the day after Faulk’s appearance, with the rest of the Associated Press All-Americans, on the Bob Hope Christmas special. Faulk said he felt at ease with the group in Nashville, where the special was filmed last weekend.

“I was having thoughts about being out of place while going there, but once I got there they treated me as if I were a senior, just another player,” Faulk said. “They just said, ‘Oh, you’re the one who’s the freshman.’ That was the way they identified me.”

Faulk said he took some kidding from his teammates Thursday about his appearance on Hope’s show.

“They told me they thought it was supposed to be funny,” Faulk said.

Sophomore cornerback John Louis took the news of his demotion without showing much emotion. On Wednesday, SDSU Coach Al Luginbill told reporters that Louis had lost his starting job and would be replaced by freshman Eric Sutton in the Freedom Bowl.

Louis said he wasn’t surprised.

“Not after the way I played at Miami,” said Louis, referring to SDSU’s 39-12 loss. “That was a poor performance. He’s coaching to win games and has to make moves he thinks is going to help the team.”

Louis, who was beaten several times at Miami, called it the worst game of his life.

“It was just a lack of concentration,” he said.

The SDSU football team’s talent show, featuring freshmen and newcomers, was banned when Luginbill became the coach three years ago, but it will return in Irvine on Dec. 27.

Tight end Ray Rowe requested permission for the team to do it again, and Luginbill agreed.

“Coach wanted everyone to fit in first and build their confidence,” receiver Patrick Rowe said. “He said we could do it after the season.”

The newcomers are forced to perform a song, lip-sync a song from their favorite group, do a stand-up comedy routine . . . basically anything, said Patrick Rowe, as long as they get up in front of the team.

And what did Rowe do in his day five years ago?

“I stood up with eight other freshmen and sang the Brady Bunch theme song,” Rowe said. “It was good--I was able to hide in the back.”