Last weekend Aztec running back Ronnie Hillman had another career night at the “Q”. The sensational sophomore confounded the Wyoming Cowboys (5-2, 2-0) for a combined 309 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t enough however, as the Aztecs fell to the Cowboys 30-27 in what was thus far the most frustrating loss of the season. The loss dropped SDSU’s record to (4-3, 1-2) and seriously impaired their chances of gaining a second consecutive postseason bowl bid. Favored by two touchdowns, the loss should have never happened.

   In the first half, the Aztec defense played as if it had never previously been on a football field. The Cowboys, behind true freshman quarterback, Brett Smith sliced through the porous Aztec defense like a hot knife through butter. Smith passed for two first half touchdowns and ran for two more as the Cowboys took a 30-13 half-time lead into the locker room. Over and over again the Cowboys killed the Aztecs with screen passes that they turned into long gains. Smith kept the Wyoming offense on the field for what seemed like the entire first half by continually converting third down situations with the aforementioned screens or his own timely running. Throughout the first half the Aztecs looked completely off-balance and confused on defense.

   The Aztecs did post 13 first quarter points and did it on two outstanding plays. On the first, tight end Gavin Escobar, playing with a broken left hand hauled in a Ryan Lindley pass and rumbled 44 yards to open the scoring. With about four minutes left in the first quarter, Hillman latched on to a Lindley pass and took it 71 yards for a score and the temporary 13-7 lead. Abelardo Perez botched the extra point on what turned out to be his nightmare before Halloween night.

   The game was lost during a stretch that began late in the first quarter and continued throughout the second. The leaky Aztec defense failed to hold the Cowboys on four consecutive drives to make the halftime score 30-13. They we cascaded by boos on their way to the locker room.

   The Aztecs staged a brilliant third quarter comeback thanks to two Hillman touchdowns. The first was an Aztecs record-setting 99-yard run. Hillman’s second was a three-yard touchdown jaunt. It drew the Aztecs to within three at 30-27. At the same time, the Aztec defense that looked so clueless in the first half came alive and pitched a shutout in the second.

   The Aztecs drove down the field twice to get within easy field goal range, but Perez couldn’t find the range and the Aztecs came up short.

   On November 5, help is on the way in the form of the winless New Mexico Lobos (0-8). The putrid Lobos have given new meaning to the word futility. They have lost their last three games by a combined score of 160-7. Kickoff at the “Q” is set for 5:00 p.m.