San Diego State’s Brady Hoke era got off to a rip roaring start last weekend in the historic Rose Bowl. Surprisingly, the Aztecs jumped out to a 14-3 first quarter lead over UCLA and initially at least, appeared to be headed for a very unlikely major upset. How major? Let’s just say that the one and only time this match-up didn’t end in a Bruins victory was when Calvin Coolidge was occupying the White House.

 Last weekend, a sizable contingent of red-clad Aztec faithful trekked up to Pasadena and filled a couple end zone sections of the cavernous Rose Bowl hoping to see first hand the initial miracle of the Brady Hoke era. And for a while it looked like it might happen.

 Doing his best imitation of Dan Fouts, Aztec quarterback Ryan Lindley marched the team 69 yards downfield on the team’s first possession right through the Bruins vaunted defense. 7-0. After the Aztec defense allowed just three points on the ensuing Bruin drive, Lindley was at it again. This time, he found an open Vincent Brown. Brown then turned on the jets and outraced the Bruin secondary for a 14-3 lead. The jubilant Aztec fans were on their feet screaming their lungs out while the much larger hometown crowd sat in stunned silence. 

 Those screams of Aztec exhilaration however, soon turned into the all too familiar groans of exasperation.  Despite falling behind the Bruins kept their composure and came to their senses. They took advantage of numerous Aztec miscues. Their vast superiority in size, strength and skill also came into play in the final three quarters. The Aztecs put them right back in the game with a botched kickoff and shoddy coverage and later with three interceptions and a blocked field goal that went coast to coast. The final result: UCLA 33 SDSU 14.

 The Aztec defense which ranged from not very good to atrocious last season appears to be significantly better. It is certainly healthier. They were able to hold the UCLA ground game to a respectable 144 yards and surrendered 215 yards through the air. At times they pressured the Bruins quarterback and they battled hard throughout.

 The offense looked great initially and then inexplicably went cold. They committed far too many turnovers. The running game, which struggled last year, again needs to contribute more to the offense. That way Lindley does not have to play the role of Superman every week. With a little help Lindley’s passing (and Brown’s receiving) could become a real weapon. In order to beat a team like UCLA the Aztecs needed to play nearly flawless football. They didn’t. They have to start by not beating themselves with things like blocked field goals, botched kickoffs, interceptions and fumbles.

 The good news is that this week the Aztecs won’t be playing anybody from the Pac-10. In fact, their opponent, Southern Utah, is not even a Division IA school. Southern Utah plays in the Subdivision IAA and struggled to a 4-8 record a year ago. They did however, win their season opener routing Dixie State 36-7. While SDSU has lost twice in recent years to Cal Poly which plays in the same division, the Aztecs will be favored to win this one. Win or lose those in attendance will be treated to the annual KGB SkyShow immediately following the game. The Sky-Show always brings a crowd. Whether or not the Aztecs can match the after game fireworks with some fireworks of their own remains to be seen. Kickoff is set for 5:30.