San Diego State’s left-footed kicker Abelardo Perez came through with a clutch fourth quarter 42-yard field goal to lift the SDSU Aztecs (2-0) over Army (0-2) in last weekend’s match-up at West Point. The senior Tijuana-native attended Castle Park High and Southwestern College before enrolling at SDSU last year.  He has kicked longer field goals over the years, but few more important than the one that he nailed at West Point. It allowed the Aztecs to escape Michie Stadium with their unblemished 2-0 record intact.

   Dealing with pressure has never been much of a problem for the unflappable Perez.

   “Kicking field goals is my job,” Perez said following an earlier Aztec practice. “That is what I am here for. That is how I get my schooling paid for and that is why I was recruited. It is what I have to do to help my team win. During the off-season we visited the Navy Seals. They taught us some relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. I do those not so much to calm myself down, just to remind myself to calm down.”

   Ranked among the top collegiate kickers in the country, Perez will no doubt find himself in additional pressure situations as the season progresses. With Washington State (2-0) the nation’s highest scoring offense visiting Qualcomm Stadium Saturday afternoon, the entire team is going to be under the gun. They will have to play far better than they did against Army to have a chance of averting a blow-out against the Cougars (who have averaged 61.5 points per game).

   Last weekend the Aztec defense was shredded by the Black Knights triple option ground attack. Although they held Army to just 20 points, the Aztecs were run on for a whopping 403 yards. Fortunately for the Aztecs, Army displayed virtually no passing attack and came into Michie Stadium with one of the worse cases of fumbllitis in recent memory.  The butter-fingered Army ball carriers fumbled eight times, losing three of them. Those drive-stalling turnovers had a major impact on the outcome.

   When the Aztecs host the Washington State Cougars (Saturday 3:30 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium) they will be facing a high powered passing attack led by quarterback Marshall Lobbestae. Lobbestae, who started the season on the bench, has impressed passing for 591 yards and seven touchdowns in just two games. Nine different players have two or more receptions. Wide receiver Marquess Wilson is leading the team with two TDs and an average of nearly 100 yards per game, but Lobbestae has plenty of passing options and he involves all of them.

   Unlike the Aztecs, who rely heavily on running back Ronnie Hillman, the Cougars run the ball by committee. Four players have carried the ball 15 times or more. Rickey Galvin is currently the team leader with three touchdowns and a 72-yard per game average.

   While WSU’s first two opponents Idaho State and UNLV would never be confused with top-rate teams, scoring 64 and 59 points against any team makes one stand up and take notice. SDSU will need to solve some of its defensive deficiencies to stay in this one.

   Following the game, the annual KGB SkyShow will light up the sky over Qualcomm Stadium.