SDSU FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW : Aztecs Hope It’s Crash and Learn : College football: No bowl, no title, no Heisman--those were the hard lessons of 1992.

After such a promising start, a San Diego State football season that was supposed to catapult the Aztecs into national prominence came down to this:

* A school the Aztecs left behind in 1975 when they decided to take a step “up” and join the Western Athletic Conference, Fresno State, came back this season and knocked them out of a bowl berth.

* And the next week, a school known for taunting and trash talking, Miami, actually looked angelic and shy next to the Aztecs.

And while doing so, they pummeled SDSU.

“The major disappointment I had with the season was that it was very inconsistent,” said SDSU Coach Al Luginbill. “Obviously, the season from start to finish was disappointing. We didn’t meet some expectations out there.”

To solve that, the Aztecs will target their recruiting on some community college help on the defensive perimeter positions--outside linebacker, cornerback and safety. Maybe at H-back, too.

But they already have fumbled away a perfect opportunity.

The Aztecs were in line to win their first WAC title since 1986, they were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 1977, and Marshall Faulk was the leading Heisman Trophy contender.

“We came in with good intensity,” quarterback David Lowery said. “We just thought we could roll through the WAC, no problem.

“We’ve just got to change our attitudes around here.”

It was a season in which the Aztecs talked the talk but couldn’t walk the walk:

If this man predicts lottery numbers, we want in: He may not have had any experience in coaching Heisman Trophy candidates, but Luginbill knew one thing after the Aztecs beat New Mexico on Oct. 3.

“Our team is going to have to screw this up for Marshall Faulk not to be the best player in the country,” he said.

Ahem. The Aztecs lost four of their next seven games--all four of which were on television. In two Heisman polls taken this week, Miami quarterback Gino Torretta led one and Georgia running back Garrison Hearst led another.

Faulk, who led the nation in rushing at 163 yards per game, has not led any recent Heisman polls.

The award will be presented in New York on Dec. 12. No word yet on whether guilty Aztec coaches and players will be chipping in to buy Faulk a replica of the award, which is almost certain to land in somebody else’s clutches.

Not that the Aztecs should be in the Holiday Bowl, but: After their victory at Brigham Young on Sept. 10, with one WAC game down and seven to go, several Aztecs figured they had it made.

“We won the WAC championship, man!” screamed Aztec defensive end Steve Matuszewicz afterward. “We’re going to the WAC championship!”

Added Darnay Scott: “The conference championship is ours! It’s ours. I predict it. I believe it’s going to happen.”

Five WAC teams will participate in bowls this holiday season. The Aztecs will not.

Can you say, “deja vu”?: When did Aztec quarterback David Lowery utter these words:

“I don’t know what the hell this feels like, to tell you the truth. I’ll wake up (this morning) and say, ‘We had it.’

“I’m tired of waking up and saying that. We had it in our grasp and, again, we let it slip away.”

A. After a stunning loss to Air Force?

B. After an even more stunning loss to Wyoming?

C. After a numbing loss to Fresno State?

D. After a humiliating loss to Miami?

The answer: None of the above. Would you believe after the season-opening, 31-31 tie with USC?

If he had known what was to come, he probably would have transferred by mid-season.

The First Michael Landry Swinging Helmet Award: Goes to . . .

Luginbill. Hands down. For saying, the week of the Hawaii game:

“I’m angry, I want you to know that. It’s just a build-up of frustration and anger that you feel like you just want to--I hate to say it--go hit somebody.

“I just want to plant somebody, hurt somebody.”

The Aztecs were then involved in three benches-clearing brawls in their final two games. Each time, it was the Aztec bench that went to the other side of the field.

Landry, though, wasn’t around to see the two Miami fights. After swinging his helmet at Fresno State players, Landry was suspended and had his scholarship permanently revoked By Luginbill.

Talk about planting somebody. . . .

He has the ball. No, that guy has it. No, that guy over there has it: After Air Force ran a fumblerooski for 51 yards to set up a key touchdown, the Aztecs were perplexed.

“Trickery, I don’t know if that has a place in college football,” Luginbill said. “But, if it does, then we certainly got out-tricked.”

Trickery certainly had its place against the Aztecs in 1992.

Air Force, Colorado State, and Hawaii each ran the fumblerooski play against SDSU for an average of 25.3 yards per play.

Fresno State lateraled a punt for a 40-yard touchdown.

Miami ran a halfback pass for a 68-yard touchdown.

If they were a sitcom, they would be canceled: A month after the 35-7 loss to UCLA on ABC, the Aztecs were talking about an ESPN game with Air Force.

“I’m so excited and looking forward so much to Saturday’s game because it is on national TV,” Luginbill said. “I guarantee you as we sit here that you will see a different football team than the one that played on national TV last time out.”

The Aztecs lost, 20-17.

That network TV record again in 1992: 1-5-1 (0-3-1 on ABC; 1-2 on ESPN).

The First Dave Lay Disappearing Offense Award: If this award were subtitled, it would read, “Seems the Media Isn’t Always Wrong.” And it goes to Luginbill and first-year offensive coordinator Bret Ingalls.

After SDSU defeated Texas El Paso, 49-21, the Aztecs were unhappy with their reviews. Seems people were daring to say their offense was predictable and inconsistent.

“We had 600 yards, 49 points, no turnovers, no offensive penalties, and nobody has given them an ounce of credit for playing well . . .” Luginbill said. “My God, it’s the most bizarre thing I’ve been involved with.”

Luginbill told the team: “Don’t try to please outside forces because it’s impossible.”

Turns out, the media were on target. The Aztecs lost two of their next three--failing to score a touchdown at Wyoming--and four of their last six.

The offense, which finished in the top seven nationally in each of the past three seasons under Lay, ended up 13th at 434 yards per game.

Leave the taunting to the ‘Canes, OK: Before the Miami game, Luginbill said that Fresno State’s Trent Dilfer, not Miami’s Torretta, is the best quarterback the Aztecs would face this season.

He also said Fresno State’s offense was better than Miami’s.

And, Scott said: “(Faulk) is a lot better than Torretta is. Torretta don’t do nothing but throw passes, and half of them are incomplete, anyway.”

In two seasons against SDSU, Torretta had thrown for 795 yards and five touchdowns.

That 1992 final again: Miami, 63-17.

“You don’t make statements like that,” Miami Coach Dennis Erickson said. “How ridiculous is that? Keep your mouth shut and play the game.

“The one thing I’ve taught this team is to keep your mouth shut and compliment your opponent. I don’t want to give anybody any fuel, and we got some fuel, to be honest with you.”

It was a season in which the Aztecs gave more than they got.

Fuel, that is.