AZTEC NOTEBOOK : For Trakas, His Travails Continue

It is becoming all too depressingly familiar to Andy Trakas.

San Diego State is in a close game. He is called upon to kick a field goal or an extra point.

The boot sails wide (choose one) left or right.

Trakas was sent in to attempt a 49-yard field goal during SDSU’s 20-17 loss to Air Force on Saturday with 4:25 left and, with 36,892 on the edge of their seats in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, his kick sailed wide right.

Not that a 49-yard attempt is a gimme, but you would figure that, eventually, Trakas would catch a break. He missed a conversion attempt in SDSU’s 21-20 loss at Air Force last year and missed two field-goal attempts during SDSU’s 31-31 tie with USC this season.

And that’s just a start.

“I hit it pretty good,” Trakas said. “I thought I made it.”

Trakas said he didn’t think of last year’s disaster at Air Force.

“I didn’t,” he said. “Coming into the game, I had a pretty good week last week. I was confident.”

Then came the kick.

“It felt like any other kick,” Trakas said. “I looked up and it was a foot wide.”

Small consolation, but Trakas’ 33-yard, fourth-quarter field goal and his two conversion kicks moved him into fourth place on the all-time Western Athletic Conference scoring list.

After setting a WAC record with 274 receiving yards against Texas El Paso last week, Darnay Scott caught six passes for 57 yards against Air Force.

Part of the reason was Carlton McDonald, who leads the nation with seven interceptions. Although McDonald didn’t intercept any passes on Saturday, he tipped a David Lowery pass with about eight minutes left, allowing Alex Armour to intercept it.

“We knew we’d have to slow Marshall Faulk down and Darnay Scott down,” McDonald said. “(Scott) is fast and you have to respect his speed. You let him catch it some but you don’t let him behind you.”

That old football scout and Los Angeles Raider season ticket-holder, Magic Johnson, had several complimentary things to say about Faulk before leaving town after the Laker exhibition game Friday.

“He is truly amazing,” Johnson said. “What a special football player. The thing that has impressed me the most is he has done it against everybody, not just the little schools. USC, it doesn’t matter who it is.

“And usually, young guys will make mistakes and say something crazy. But he has carried himself very well. That’s what I’m impressed about. He knows what to say. Not even meeting him, I know he’s a solid guy. He’s going to go far. He’s going to do really well in life. And boy, can he hit that hole.

“Tell him congratulations, I’m really impressed with him. Tell him I’m saying my prayers that he doesn’t get hurt.”

How upset were the Aztecs? Defensive back Darrell Lewis, offensive tackle Tony Nichols and wide receiver Darnay Scott all declined to talk after the game.

Injury update: SDSU linebacker Terrill Steen left the game in the third quarter with a knee sprain and linebacker Mark Roberts suffered a bruised hand. X-rays on Roberts were negative. Steen will be examined further today.

Faulk will be the subject of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Conversation” at 8 tonight. . . . Faulk, who finished with 129 yards, needed 198 to move into first-place on SDSU’s career rushing list. . . . Lewis intercepted his team-leading third pass in the fourth quarter. . . . The Aztecs are tied with Hawaii for first in the WAC at 3-1, and Hawaii is SDSU’s next home game Nov. 14.