A Test of Aztec Mettle : College football: Lowery says SDSU must regroup tonight to beat Hawaii in important WAC showdown.

They have sputtered, gasped, coughed and wheezed, but there is one thing the San Diego State Aztecs have not done in this ragged, disappointing season.

They have not stopped breathing.

It’s not the best way to enter a championship game, but, as SDSU prepares to play Hawaii tonight in a game that could determine the Western Athletic Conference title, the Aztecs will tell you that a weak pulse is better than no pulse.

The stakes are clear: If No. 24 Hawaii (7-1, 5-1 in the WAC) wins tonight, the Rainbows win their first WAC title and will make Holiday Bowl reservations before leaving town.

If SDSU (4-3-1, 4-2) wins, the Aztecs can clinch the WAC with a victory next week over Fresno State (6-4, 4-2), which has a bye this week.

All in all, it’s quite different from last season’s WAC conclusion, when a sky-high Aztec team, winners of six in a row, had a season-ending showdown with Brigham Young.

“I think it will test our character,” Aztec quarterback David Lowery said. “How bad we want it. How hard we worked in the spring. How hard we worked in the off-season. We’ll see what we’re made of.

“Last year, people were saying how good we were and that we had a good chance to win the WAC. Now, everyone is doubting us.”

Said H-back Larry Maxey: “Last year, everybody was so hyped up because it was our first run at a championship. This year, its more of a focus. Practice has been intense (this week).

“Last year there was a lot of emotion, and after we got up on BYU (by four touchdowns), there was a letdown (and BYU tied SDSU, 52-52). We want the emotion to build as we get closer to this game.”

SDSU has lost two of its past three, to Air Force and Wyoming. The Aztecs averaged 36.2 points per game in their first five games and only 14.3 in their past three games.

Things have gotten grim enough that linebacker Tracey Mao suggested to Coach Al Luginbill on Monday that the team cancel practice that evening in favor of a team meeting.

Players met in individual position groups, they met as a team, they met without the coaches and they met with the coaches. There was yelling. There was cursing.

At times, it was ugly.

“I apologized to the whole defense,” Maxey said. “For myself and for the whole offense. They have given us opportunities to win. We haven’t.”

Said Mao: “We got a couple of things taken care of. Things people wanted to say to the coaches but weren’t able to say. The reason we took extreme measures is because this is do-or-die this week. We either win it or we don’t.

“There’s no, ‘We lost this week but we’ll win next week and go to a bowl.’ We don’t win this week, we’re not going to any bowl.

“I personally wouldn’t want to--I’d be so embarrassed. We should be so far beyond where we are now. We should be undefeated in the WAC.”

Players and coaches agree that the Aztec record should be much better than it is. But the past three weeks, nobody seems to have had any answers.

Mao and Luginbill have accused the offense of sitting back and waiting for a big play from Marshall Faulk or Darnay Scott.

Maxey says that maybe the offense gets lax inside the opponents’ 20.

“It takes a little more desire inside the 20 because you don’t have as much field to work with,” Maxey said. “You have to beat your man by a little more.

“It’s not a question of talent and play-calling. It’s just a matter of getting it done.”

While no Aztecs will admit openly that the offensive problems lie with new offensive coordinator Bret Ingalls, more and more players are beginning to hem and haw when the subject of former offensive coordinator Dave Lay arises.

“This is his offense,” Mao said. “He perfected it. He was damn near perfection. I’m sure it was a lot easier for him to run it than anybody else.

“Not taking anything away from Coach Ingalls, but Dave Lay--this is his offense. I don’t know if he invented it, but he had the offense to where it was second or third in the nation.”

Lay was fired after last season, when the Aztecs finished sixth nationally in total offense. They are 17th in 1992. And they have dropped from 14th to 23rd in scoring offense.

But despite their rocky road to what has become a two-game championship run, the Aztecs don’t lack confidence.

“It’s not a question of whether we can beat this team,” Maxey said. “It’s a matter of, will we go out and do it? Come Saturday, believe me, you’re going to see some crazed football players out there. . . .

“We are more talented this year than last. There’s no question in my mind that we’re more talented this year. We just haven’t played with enthusiasm. We’ve got to play with emotion.

“I’d really like to blow these guys out. To be honest, there’s no reason why we couldn’t.”

Aztec Notes

Don’t count on SDSU offensive lineman Carlson Leomiti, a Samoan, to underestimate Hawaii. “I think they’re pretty good,” he said. “When you have a bunch of Samoans on your team, you’ve got to watch out for those guys.” . . . The Hawaii offense, behind spread-option quarterback Michael Carter, has compiled more than 400 total yards in two of its past three games and leads the WAC and is third nationally in rushing with an average of 282.5 yards per game. . . . Marshall Faulk, with 1,309 rushing yards, needs seven more to set a WAC sophomore record. Former Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis holds the mark with 1,315. . . . Faulk, who leads the nation in rushing at 163.6 yards per game, won’t be the only first-class runner on the field--Hawaii’s Travis Sims is fourth in the nation at 132.3. . . . SDSU kicker Andy Trakas has made four consecutive field goals. . . . Hawaii kicker Jason Elam, an All-American candidate, leads the WAC in scoring (9.75 points per game), field goals per game (1.5) and is third in punting (46.0). . . . Aztec injuries: defensive lineman Ramondo Stallings (ankle), linebacker Terrill Steen (knee), offensive guard Joe Heinz (ankle), strong safety Chris Johnson (arm) are all out. All except Stallings have been regular starters. For Hawaii, wide receiver Cy Hirota (hand) and outside linebacker Andrew Toeaina (elbow) are doubtful, wide receiver Ollie Myrick (knee) and linebacker Faamita Liilii (knee) are questionable and defensive back Joe Davis (concussion) is probable. All are reserves.