Pundits Counting on Faulk : College football: Those who speculate on Heisman race will be keeping track of the Aztec-Ram contest.

The calculators are ready. The computers are warmed up. Time for another installment of . .

Heisman Trophy Mania!

How many yards can Georgia’s Garrison Hearst muster today against Florida?

How will San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk fare against lowly Colorado State?

They will be waiting for today’s SDSU-Colorado State game (11 a.m. PST), waiting for the results in New York, checking out the yardage in Los Angeles, up in Washington, out in Georgia, down in Florida.

Rather than sorting things out at the end of the season, each week is charted--ESPN leads the charge--like the stock market. How many yards did this guy get? Could he have had more? How good was the defense he faced? Not very? What else? How tall was the grass? What kind of pizza should we order tonight, Honey? Wait, we’re still on the air here. OK, we have any more highlights to roll?

They will expect lots of Faulk highlights from Hughes Stadium. His 129 yards last week against Air Force didn’t satisfy the hordes. ESPN proclaimed that Hearst has overtaken Faulk in the Heisman derby.

And don’t think today those trophy watchers don’t have their eyes on this little beauty: Colorado State (3-5, 2-3 in the Western Athletic Conference) has a defense ranked 105th in the nation (454.8 yards per game). Even better, the Rams are 99th nationally in rushing defense (227.1 per game).

So Faulk should rush for about 250 today, right?

“I’m approaching it like I approach every other game,” Faulk said.

He said he had no clue where the Ram defense is ranked.

“I don’t even care,” he said. “The worst team in the league could do you the most harm.”

The Aztecs (3-2-1, 3-1) have learned this season that a Heisman Trophy race is a high-powered microscope that leaves teams and players strewn in its path.

“As much as I think the world of Marshall Faulk, and I think (the Heisman) would be a tremendous honor, I could really do without all this right now and just win,” Aztec Coach Al Luginbill said. “I don’t spend the slightest amount of my time predicting or listening to what people say. I don’t even want to be involved. It takes away from our focus--I’ve learned that over the first six games.”

Still stung by criticism after his team’s 49-27 victory over Texas El Paso two weeks ago and by a 20-17 loss to Air Force last week, Luginbill talked to the team Monday about ignoring expectations.

“I totally misevaluated the day-in and day-out demands of this,” Luginbill said. “Until you’re in it. . . .

“I don’t want any part of it. I am not concerned about anything except Colorado State. We’ve tried to please too many people here, in my own opinion. I’d rather please myself.

“Our players have tried to be everything to everybody. They need to do things for themselves. I’ve experienced this environment now and I feel a lot better in the direction I’m leading the team.”

Luginbill said the criticism after the UTEP game, in which the Aztecs scored 49 points and had 597 yards of total offense, still mystifies him. At that time, Faulk was questioned for being “contained” to 156 yards and the Aztecs in general were criticized for not looking sharp. They led after three quarters by only a touchdown, 28-21.

“(The players) were so frustrated,” Luginbill said. “We had 600 yards, 49 points, no turnovers, no offensive penalties, and nobody has given them an ounce of credit for playing well.

“My God, it’s the most bizarre thing I’ve been involved with.”

What did Luginbill tell his team on Monday?

“Guys, you got us here, so let’s make sure we please ourselves, too,” Luginbill recalled. “Don’t try to please outside forces because it is impossible.”

Now, about those 200-plus yards Faulk is supposed to get today. . . .

ESPN is guaranteed to be chatting up the Heisman before you’re finished with breakfast this morning. USA Today will be out with its Heisman watch on Monday. On Tuesday, the Scripps Howard wire will come out with another Heisman poll.

People are asking more questions than Ross Perot. On and on and on it goes.

Faulk refuses to be drawn into a war of words with Hearst, who has questioned the quality of the WAC.

“I don’t compare myself to Garrison,” Faulk said. “I leave that to the judges. Him and others are saying bad things about me, but I’m not going to let it bother me.

“I don’t have anything to prove. I’m just going to play.”

Aztec Notes

Running back Marshall Faulk said his sprained left hip feels better this week than it did last. “It just bothers me when I turn a certain way, for maybe a minute or so,” he said. . . . Coach Al Luginbill on today’s game: “It’s crucial that we contain (quarterback) Anthoney Hill defensively. If we play good, solid defense against this football team, our defense is going to give itself an opportunity to make this football program solid.” . . . Faulk needs only 69 yards to move into first place on SDSU’s all-time rushing list, ahead of Norm Nygaard (1952-1954). . . . Faulk continues to lead the country in rushing at 187 yards per game. . . . Colorado State receiver Greg Primus needs 27 yards to become only the second receiver in WAC history to surpass the 3,000-yard mark. Former New Mexico standout Terance Mathis was the first. . . . For the Aztecs, linebacker Terrill Steen (knee) and receiver Jake Nyberg (groin) are out. For the Rams, cornerback Sylvester Mabry (knee) and linebacker Kareem Ingram (ankle) missed last week’s 31-14 loss to Wyoming but are both expected to play today. . . . The weather for today’s game is expected to be cloudy, in the high 50s with a chance of rain.