Coaches Not Dwelling on Loss to Air Force : Football: SDSU Coach Al Luginbill and offensive coordinator Bret Ingalls say it was just a few plays that cost Aztecs the win.

It was a game that was nearly suitable for framing: The San Diego State defense actually held an opponent to two touchdowns.

Trouble was, the Aztec offense misfired at enough crucial junctures Saturday to fumblerooski away a 20-17 loss to Air Force.

As for the last time the blame for a loss was hung on the Aztec offense instead of the defense, don’t bother looking. Dinosaurs may have still roamed the land.

It was SDSU’s lowest scoring Western Athletic Conference game since a 58-7 loss to Texas El Paso in 1988.

But if you’re expecting panic in the SDSU football complex, forget it. Coach Al Luginbill says he is not worried. Offensive coordinator Bret Ingalls says he is not concerned. They are running practices this week in the usual manner.

They were even caught smiling Tuesday. Don’t worry, be happy.

“We played hard, we did not make the plays we needed to, and we lost by three points,” Luginbill said. “I am not embarrassed to stand up for our kids’ efforts.”

The SDSU offensive line was fine except for a few key plays, Luginbill said. The Aztecs are happy with the play of quarterback David Lowery, Ingalls said.

“We talked to our football team about this,” Luginbill said. “You look at Air Force and they are seven points from being undefeated (in the WAC).”

Of course, they are also 10 points from being 1-5 in the conference instead of 4-2.

Still . . .

“Maybe we need to be slapped in the face and let’s go on,” Luginbill said.

For the first time in Luginbill’s four years at SDSU, the Aztecs did not have any defensive penalties in the Air Force game. He said that it was the best game the SDSU defense has played against Air Force during the current coaching staff’s tenure. The defense held Air Force to 92 total yards in the second half--51 of which came on the fumblerooski play.

Offensively, however, there were crucial missed blocking assignments, crucial holding penalties and crucial dropped passes against the Falcons.

“When you add four sacks and five drops, that’s nine plays in the passing game,” Luginbill said. “Say you pass the ball 40 times. That’s one-quarter of your plays. Add four (holding) penalties and it’s very easy to see why we were inconsistent offensively.”

The Aztecs have been criticized for, among other things, having a predictable offense and for poor recent play from the offensive line.

Luginbill, however, is not worried. Specifically:

* On whether the offense is too predictable: “It would be predictable if all we did were run, or if all we did were throw. Our balance comes from both. Last week, we didn’t pass well, and that starts with our pass protection. For whatever reason, we were not in sync. You have to look at the running game, and what we rushed for. That was a lot better than we’ve ever done against Air Force in the four years (the current coaching staff) has played them.”

Actually, the Aztecs rushed for 138 yards on Saturday and had 149 during a 48-18 victory over the Falcons two years ago.

* On whether having only eight running plays in the one-back set makes the running game too predictable: “No, we’re hitting every part of the defense, inside, outside, the middle. The running game is not throwing us off. It’s been the passing game.

“Whenever we’ve had an off-night offensively--two this year (Air Force and UCLA), a bunch a year ago and a bunch in 1989--it’s been the passing game that’s been off.”

* On poor play from the offensive line: “We’ve never had four sacks in a game (until Saturday). The line includes the tight ends, and that position was responsible for two sacks and the tackle position was responsible for the other two. You don’t know why things like that happened; you just don’t.”

Ingalls said the offensive line run-blocked well but “didn’t play up to its capability pass protection-wise.”

Asked if he was surprised that the offensive line would slip in the pass-protection area midway through the season, Ingalls replied: “The odd thing about that was they did protect for all but four or five snaps. But they were critical plays.”

Critical enough that the Aztecs, while still controlling their WAC destiny, have placed themselves in a must-win position for each of their final four conference games.

For the second time in a week, an Aztec defensive lineman will undergo reconstructive knee surgery. Senior Steve Matuszewicz will undergo the procedure on his left knee Thursday, ending his SDSU career.

Matuszewicz, who has been troubled by injuries throughout his college career, suffered ligament damage during SDSU’s final fall scrimmage in August but was able to play sporadically through it.

However, he re-injured it running up the stairs of the team hotel Friday night before the Air Force game.

“I decided to call it quits before I ended up hurting the team,” Matuszewicz said. “I wasn’t able to run as well, and I decided I better get it done.”

Matuszewicz started 10 of 12 games for SDSU in 1989, making 25 tackles and obtaining 2 1/2 sacks. His highlight, though, might have been recovering a Brigham Young fumble late in the game to help preserve SDSU’s 45-38 victory this year.

“That’s just not the same as being in there every play and making more of a difference,” Matuszewicz said.

Matuszewicz’s surgery will be performed exactly one week after junior Tyrone Morrison’s. Darrell Lewis, a teammate and close friend of Morrison’s, said Morrison is doing OK.

“He’s down about the situation and in some pain, but he’s going to be down as long as he feels helpless,” Lewis said. “But when that’s over with, he knows the task at hand. He wants to play again. He knows the odds are against him, but he knows he only has one more chance and when you have one more chance, you give it all you’ve got.”

Aztec Notes

Running back Wayne Pittman and offensive tackle Tony Nichols (flu) and defensive end Ramondo Stallings (ear infection) missed practice Tuesday but are expected back today. . . . SDSU’s game at Wyoming on Nov. 7 has been picked up by ABC for a regional telecast. The kickoff has been moved back to 12:30 p.m. PST from 11 a.m.