AZTECS UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / DANA HADDAD : Aztecs Face 4 Must-Win Games to Capture Holiday Bowl Berth

People were raising their eyebrows one month ago when, with San Diego State taking a 1-0 Western Athletic Conference record to New Mexico, Coach Al Luginbill said, “We’ve got our backs against the wall.”

In the five days after the Aztecs’ 20-17 loss at home against Air Force, a defeat that put them in tie at the top of the WAC standings with Hawaii at 3-1, Luginbill has made no such statements.

That the Aztecs (3-2-1 overall) have their backs against the wall now goes without saying, Luginbill said. They must win Saturday at Colorado State (where they are 2-3) to keep their WAC and bowl hopes alive.

“I’ve said it from Day One,” Luginbill said, “to win this conference, you’ve got to win week in and week out. We didn’t win last week, so now five, six teams have a chance to go to the Holiday Bowl.

“All my attention has gone to Colorado State. I couldn’t tell you the position or the standings of anybody besides ourselves. I know we’re 3-1 and I know Hawaii is 3-1, because I’ve been told that so many times.

“I know one thing: We win each week for the next four weeks and it doesn’t matter.”

Five teams in the WAC have two losses. Three of the Aztecs’ four WAC opponents after CSU (2-3) are Hawaii, Fresno State (2-2) and Wyoming (2-2).

With SDSU’s defense playing well, the onus is suddenly on a talent-rich but misfiring offense. That the Aztecs were caught flat-footed in a WAC game is not out of character. For the sixth consecutive year, SDSU was caught flat-footed when it had a chance to go 4-0 in the conference.

Quarterback David Lowery can’t put his finger on the problem.

“When we get someone we can beat, we just gotta go out there and play consistent football,” he said. “We can’t be up and down, have a quarter when we score 30 points and three quarters where we don’t score any points.

“I feel we’re up for games. But some things go on during the games. . . . It’s just hard to explain.”

Offensive lineman Tony Nichols (flu), running back Wayne Pittman (flu) and defensive linemen Jamal Duff (sinus infection) and Ramondo Stallings (ear infection) attended practice and are expected to play against CSU. Linebacker Terrill Steen (knee) and receiver Jake Nyberg (groin) won’t make the trip.