Three thoughts after San Diego State’s 41-20 loss to UNLV on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.
1. Remain calm, all is well
Time was when a new coach was given five years to turn around a program.
These days it’s about five games — as far as fans are concerned, anyway.
Patience is in short supply.
SDSU was not expected to contend for a Mountain West championship — the Aztecs were picked for eighth place in a preseason media poll — in Sean Lewis’ first year as head coach.
Six wins and bowl eligibility this season would have been considered a success. At 3-7, that no longer is possible.
Not enough wins has been accompanied in some circles by not enough excitement from the new “AztecFAST” offense. And so there are complaints.
The most rabid fans show it with their presence on social media platforms, starting threads like “Lewis Must Go. Now.”
More casual fans show it with their absence from Snapdragon Stadium.
SDSU athletic dIrector John David Wicker visits for a few minutes each week with hosts of the Aztecs football pregame show on San Diego Sports 760.
“Transition this year, (and) there’ve been growing pains,” Wicker told the show. “We’ve seen it. Obviously, we’re not where we want to be, but we’ve been very competitive.
“First year of the program, our fan base should be excited about some of the progress they’ve seen. I know people are frustrated. Certainly, I’ve heard that from some folks. Those were probably the same folks that said I should have fired (men’s basketball coach) Brian Dutcher after the second year. And look where we are today.
“I’m excited about this coaching staff. We hear great things from our student-athletes. We hear great things from the parents of student-athletes. … It’s a process. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
2. The NIL-ephant in the room
Wicker’s brief radio appearance included, as seemingly most conversations with coaches and ADs do these days, a pitch for NIL contributions.
“A big piece for us is going to be NIL going into this,” he said. “(He would) encourage people to look at Aztec Link (SDSU’s football collective) and how they can this football team from an NIL standpoint as we’re getting into an important time of the year.”
That “important time” is Dec. 9-28, when the NCAA transfer portal is open. The Aztecs have the challenge of keeping their best players from being lured away while attracting players from the portal who could contribute to next year’s team.
A story in The Athletic two weeks ago that focused on UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka’s departure over an NIL dispute mentioned that “the typical NIL budget for an entire Mountain West-level football roster is $300,000-$500,000.”
Aztec Link is hoping to raise $1 million this year for SDSU.
For SDSU fans who already have been required to pay substantially more for tickets, parking and food the past three years at Snapdragon Stadium, it’s a big ask.
It will be interesting to see how they answer. And even if they do pony up, what does it mean?
Ohio State is said to have a “payroll” this season that’s north of $22 million. Nike’s Phil Knight is believed to have a blank-check policy at Oregon. Nebraska also has plenty of deep-pocketed boosters. Obviously, SEC schools do as well.
So, maybe, try to be the best of the best in the Mountain West and, two years from now, in the Pac-12.
Even that will be a challenge.
The same week when the Aztecs were in Boise State, where they lost 56-24, the Broncos announced a $25 million estate gift. The release from Boise State AD Jeramiah Dickey said “the investment will be used to benefit Bronco football.”
SDSU received a verbal commitment in June from Jaden Williams, an edge rusher at Mission Viejo High School who has 23 sacks this season. On Wednesday, Williams decommitted from SDSU — and committed to Boise State.
Probably just a coincidence.
3. Two more weeks
One thing Lewis has pointed to with pride this season is the Aztecs’ resilience late in games, continuing to play hard regardless of the score.
That resilience will be tested during the final games of the season.
SDSU plays at Utah State on Saturday afternoon and at home Nov. 30 against Air Force. All three schools are 3-7.
SDSU needs two victories to improve on last year’s 4-8 finish under Brady Hoke.
The Aztecs are in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Utah State lost six straight before winning two of its past three games. Air Force lost seven in a row before back-to-back wins.
Utah State and Air Force are both coming off the season’s most impressive victories. The Aggies had a season-high 55 points in a 55-10 win at Hawaii, a team SDSU beat 27-24 in Week 6. The Falcons won 28-0 at home against Oregon State, a team SDSU lost to 21-0 in Week 2.
Despite Utah State’s strong showing over the weekend, SDSU opened as a 4 1/2-point favorite against the Aggies.
Maybe oddsmakers appreciate the Aztecs’ resilience, too.
“We have two more weeks to cherish with this group,” Lewis said after Saturday night’s game. “This very special group has poured so much into our program, our city, our community. I’m looking forward to those two weeks and look forward to get better and elevate our play with each and every opportunity.”
