Aztecs Don’t Even Finish ’92 With Pride

SAN DIEGO â€”  Exactly how San Diego State managed to be humiliated nationally, 63-17, by No. 1 Miami still wasn’t clear late Saturday night, when Aztec after Aztec stumbled out of the locker room, eyes glazed over and mouths unable to come up with an explanation.

Humiliation? It was SDSU’s worst loss since 1979, when Brigham Young used Aztec defenders as traffic cones en route to a 63-14 victory.

National? The Aztecs picked a miserable night for a pratfall. For one thing, the Gino Torretta-Marshall Faulk Heisman hype brought ESPN to town to broadcast the game.

And among the reporters covering the game were those from Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, New York Times, Washington Post, Detroit Free Press and USA Today.

“We figured we could maybe go out with a little pride,� SDSU quarterback David Lowery said. “I guess we swallowed that pretty well.�

About the only bright side, Lowery said, was that a smashing like that can be a bit easier to take than heartbreakers such as SDSU’s 45-41 loss to Fresno State last week or its 52-52 tie with BYU last year.

“It’s easier to take than a heartbreaker game where you get ahead, the clock runs down and you blow it,� Lowery said. “These are just embarrassing. You feel embarrassed out there.�

With Faulk out with a knee injury, the Aztecs incorporated much more short passes into their offense. Quick, three and four yard pops over the middle or to the outside. They hit on some and missed on others.

Lowery finished by completing 19 of 38 passes for 152 yards. Three of his passes went for touchdowns--one for SDSU and two interceptions which Miami returned for scores.

Not exactly the ration you’re looking for.

And SDSU rushed for a pitiful seven yards. Faulk’s absence was felt, although even a back of Faulk’s caliber isn’t going to make up a 63-17 difference.

“It hurt,� Aztec receiver Keith Williams said. “You take 100-some odd yards our of your offense. It hurt our rushing game bad. It seemed like they were keying on the pass.�

At halftime, the Aztecs had minus-10 yards rushing.

The key was, Miami came into the game with a chip on its shoulder. No way were the Hurricanes looking past SDSU.

For one thing, they knew Torretta has a chance to win the Heisman. For another, they wanted to shut down Faulk. And were well aware that SDSU Coach Al Luginbill and several Aztecs said that Fresno State quarterback Trent Dilfer was better than Torretta and that Fresno State had a better running game than Miami.

The results? Torretta, after throwing for 310 yards and one touchdown, is probably the Heisman leader. Faulk didn’t play, and there won’t be much talk about Dilfer or Fresno State around SDSU for awhile.

“(Dilfer) is a good player, too,� Miami Coach Dennis Erickson said. “He’s a good player--but he’s a sophomore.�

The emphasis was on the word “sophomore.�

Asked about the Heisman, Erickson replied: “All I know is that the reason (Torretta) is where he is at is because he makes big plays.

“Gino Torretta has made big plays for us for two years, and we’re undefeated because of it. He doesn’t throw interceptions. He just doesn’t make mistakes. He helps us win.�

Erickson said he thought Torretta should have clinched the Heisman during Saturday night’s game.

“I do,� he said. “I don’t know how they’re going to vote.

“I’ve never had a guy involved in the Heisman before. I’m a football buff. I just want to go to the banquet so I can meet all those guys who won it.�

More negative reviews are coming in regarding the Aztecs and their style of play.

Miami’s Mark Caesar called the Aztecs “a bunch of low-class, cheap-shot artists. That’s all they were looking for, was a fight. At that point in the game, they really couldn’t beat us.�

Caesar and SDSU’s Carlson Leomiti ignited a brawl in the third quarter. Lowery, who saw two passes intercepted for touchdowns in that quarter, was leveled by Caesar just after releasing the second intercepted pass. A shoving match between Caesar and Leomiti followed and that was capped with a brawl that sent both teams massing into one end zone. Aztec receiver DeAndre Maxwell was ejected.

“The four years we played them, they’ve been that way,� said SDSU lineman Tony Nichols, who was involved in a first-quarter fight. “It’s the intimidation factor. We fought them three times. But I’m not blaming them.�