Ramscome in with a full stable of weapons but are on a losingskid
The trouble with our matchup format is the fact that, more oftenthan not, intangibles get swept to the side in favor of numbercrunching. And usually, the statistics can tell the story.
But in San Diego State’s game with Colorado State at 12 p.m. PSTSaturday in Fort Collins, they may not. On paper, the Rams (5-5 2-3)clearly appear to be the better team. CSU possesses a full stable ofhyped offensive weapons.
The Aztecs (5-5, 2-3), meanwhile, appear to be a skeleton crew.Star receiver Jeff Webb and top rusher Lynell Hamilton are out ofaction, and quarterback Adam Hall and offensive tackle Mike Kracalikare hobbled. Recent trends, however, show something completelydifferent.
CSU has dropped two-straight Mountain West Conference games,losing 37-34 Friday at New Mexico and 35-28 two weeks ago at Wyoming.Suffering such a skid when the games count the most is not a pleasantprecedent that Sonny Lubick’s squad has set.
The Aztecs, meanwhile, are battered, but riding a wave ofmomentum. With two-straight wins, SDSU has catapulted itself backinto the MWC bowl picture – albeit somewhere off in the distance. Andwhile CSU has gagged the last two weeks, the Aztecs come off acontest with UNLV in which they willed themselves to an improbable7-0 victory.
So it remains to be seen what carries more weight: momentum orpaper.
When the Aztecs pass
Hall will play, but we’ll find out how effective he can be dealingwith yet another ankle injury. Don’t expect the senior to be toomobile – running the option like he did against the Rebels is aboutas likely as an 80-degree kickoff temperature at Hughes Stadium.He’ll also face the added handicap of operating without his favoritetarget, Webb. Receivers Devin Pitts, Robert Ortiz and tight endJeremy Justice will need to fill the void. CSU’s secondary isexploitable, having allowed 2,165 yards and 15 touchdowns so far, butSDSU is operating at far from full strength.
Key matchup: Hall vs. pain
Advantage: Rams
Whenthe Aztecs run
While Hamilton’s injury takes the Aztecs’ most lethal weapon offthe field, they do have a pair of capable backups. Scat back MichaelFranklin (last season’s top SDSU rusher) and senior DeAngelo Neddhave shown flashes of potential in limited duty this year. What’smore, the Aztec hogs have controlled the line of scrimmage fortwo-straight games. And they’ll be facing a CSU run defense that wasthoroughly abused last week by New Mexico rusher DonTrell Moore tothe tune of 242 yards and three touchdowns.
Key matchup: SDSU offensive line vs. CSU front four
Advantage: Aztecs
When the Rams pass
We’ll get this out of the way first: CSU quarterback Bradlee VanPelt is really, really good at throwing a football. The senior hasthrown for 2,392 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is also very efficient,completing 61.2 percent of his passes and only being interceptedeight times. Deep threat Dave Anderson (1,070 yards) is his favoritetarget, while possession receiver Chris Pittman has 50 catches. Thatsaid, the unit they’ll be facing is equally impressive. SDSU’sball-hawking secondary was in full force last week as cornerback JeffShoate and safeties Marviel Underwood and Josh Dean each came up withcrucial interceptions.
Key Matchups: Anderson vs. Shoate
Advantage: Push
When the Rams run
We’ll get this out of the way next: Bradlee Van Pelt is really,really good at running the football. This season, he has gained 906yards on 140 carries, scoring eight times. The Aztec defense has beenunyielding this year against the run, but has yet to play aquarterback with his game-breaking scrambling ability. If Van Peltcan keep SDSU guessing, he could open the way for running back MarcusHouston (644 yards, 9 touchdowns). If Van Pelt is contained, Houstonprobably won’t be a factor either. The latter, however, is a big if.
Key matchup: Van Pelt vs. linebacker Kirk Morrison
Advantage: Rams
– Michael Klitzing
