Pressure’s On SDSU Offense, Its Architects : Football: Controversy over offensive coordinator Dave Lay’s firing puts focus on offense. Luginbill doesn’t mind the scrutiny.

It is there, invisible, ready to envelop the San Diego State Aztecs like an All-American defensive lineman on a perfectly read draw play.

Pressure.

The full Aztec squad takes the field this morning for the beginning of two-a-days, and, seven months after Coach Al Luginbill’s controversial firing of Dave Lay, the Aztecs’ highly successful offensive coordinator, the spotlight shines on the offensive coaching staff.

People usually notice the Aztec offense, anyway, because it is seemingly always on the move. But with a change in command, eyes will be squinting just a little tighter in tracking the offensive unit.

“The eyes are always there,” Luginbill said. “It’s not new, that’s the key. This offense was put together by a staff, not one individual. The changes that were made are subtle--mainly in terms of terminology.

“It’s not like we have foreigners coaching. It’s not like we’ve revamped the staff.”

Under Lay, the Aztecs finished in the top seven nationally in total offense in each of the past three seasons. For reasons that Luginbill still will not explain, he replaced Lay with Bret Ingalls--the offensive line coach in 1991.

Then, Luginbill reassigned Dan Underwood, last season’s assistant head coach and tight ends coach, and brought in former recruiting coordinator Dave Schramm to coach the offensive line and tight ends. SDSU also hired Sean Payton as the running backs coach.

Lay has accused Ingalls and receivers’ coach Curtis Johnson of using offers from Cal Coach Keith Gilbertson as leverage to oust Lay. Johnson denies it and Ingalls will not comment on the matter.

Underwood, meanwhile, was reassigned after he stormed into Luginbill’s office to stick up for Lay, sources have said.

All Luginbill will say on the matter is: “I did what I felt was best for the university’s football program. If I had the same thing in the same situation again, I’d do the same thing.

“I still won’t say why, but I know one thing: I’m not a dishonest person and I’m not a ruthless person. People who know me know what type of individual I am.”

Last season, the Aztec offense started slowly under new quarterback Cree Morris and didn’t begin to click until David Lowery took over. If the Aztecs get off to a similar start this season, given the current circumstances, the shadow will fall directly over the coaching staff. No secret there.

“There probably will be extra pressure on the offense,” Lowery said. “That’s a given with any coaching change. The only thing we’ve changed, though, is our terminology. We’re running the same schemes, the same routes.

“It’s definitely nothing personal toward either side, but there is always added pressure in a coaching change. Same with players.”

Lowery likens the current offensive situation to his own from a year ago.

“Basically, it’s like me and Cree,” Lowery said. “It’s just a different person out there. We’re not going to change the way we play. I should be able to execute this offense as well as I did the other.”

Added running back Marshall Faulk: “(People) will be watching this offense, of course. If it goes down, they’ll think that in firing Dave Lay, Coach (Luginbill) made a bad decision.”

That pressure, Luginbill says, is part of the game.

“There’s going to be pressure on our offense and on our defense to perform every time we step on the field,” Luginbill said. “That doesn’t change. I’ve been very protective of our assistant coaches and I will continue to be.”

Luginbill and his staff, though, nervously eye their schedule. The Aztecs start off against USC, Brigham Young and UCLA. There are no University of Pacifics to be found.

“I expect us to move the football and I expect us to move it well,” Luginbill said. “We’re playing against USC, though, and not (Cal State) Long Beach--their programs are going to be completely different.”

Said receivers’ coach Johnson: “There’s a big difference in who we opened with last year and who we open with this year. We play what are traditionally (some of) the best teams in the nation. The first two teams we play have won national championships in their histories.

“As a staff, we don’t say anything about what happened six months ago. We’re more interested in goal-setting and making decisions on what is occurring now.”

Ingalls, who turns 32 on Wednesday, came to SDSU in December, 1988, from the University of Idaho. He has coached the running backs and offensive line at SDSU.

“He’s coached all aspects of (the offense),” Luginbill said. “Every area in this type of offense. He’s an excellent student of the game. He’s bright, he’s quick, he understands.

“He’s been in championship runs and he’s coached in championship football games. He’s a doggone good football coach.”

Ingalls says the only heat he feels is the same stuff that hits him every August: The pressure of getting ready for a long season.

“The biggest challenge we have is getting ready for the first three games,” Ingalls said. “Any pressure we feel is the same as it always is. We’ve got to get prepared real quickly to compete in and win football games.”

A year ago, the Aztecs lost to Air Force and UCLA in their first four games. If the Aztec offense gets off to another slow start, though, don’t expect Luginbill’s nerves to show.

“Hey, listen,” Luginbill said. “If we were going to panic at San Diego State, it would have been a long time ago.” Said offensive lineman Tony Nichols: “Coaches do things on the field to help our team. We do things on the field to help our team.

“That’s part of their job.”

Aztec Notes

The Aztecs were put through conditioning tests Friday morning and, for the first time in Coach Al Luginbill’s four years, every one of the freshmen passed. “A tremendous surprise,” Luginbill said. . . . Seven veterans did not pass the tests, but Luginbill wouldn’t name them. “Four of them, we’re talking about being split seconds away,” Luginbill said. “Overall, this is the best shape our team has reported back in since I’ve been here.” . . . Junior defensive lineman George Glaze, who started six games last season, has walking pneumonia, according to Luginbill, and will not be ready until at least next week. . . .

Although he may be one of their biggest fans, Aztec quarterback David Lowery wasn’t too disappointed that the Guns ‘n Roses concert originally scheduled for Friday night at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium was canceled. “I would have been the first in line (for tickets), but I knew I had practice,” said Lowery, who had a pair of drumsticks from the group’s drummer hanging in his room last year. “I was asking everybody if it was really on Aug. 14 and when I found out, I was ready to croak. Now, I’m hoping they reschedule it on Oct. 10 or before the UCLA game (both bye weeks for the Aztecs).