Craft’sright play-calling leads to SDSU making key plays
Quarterbacks: B+
Adam truly surprised me with his grit on Saturday. Against a UNLVRebels team that had allowed over 260 yards to Air Force in itsprevious contest, Hall ran the option with much success, using hissurprisingly nimble feet to gain some necessary yards. Through theair, Hall did not perform masterfully, but got the job done when theAztecs needed it, laying out a beautiful touchdown pass to RobertOrtiz for the only score of the game.
After Hall went down with an ankle injury midway through thesecond half, Matt Dlugolecki came in and led the charge, throwing agorgeous pass to Kyle Conerly that kept possession for the Aztecs. Nothrow all day meant more.
Running Backs: C
Lynell Hamilton bruised, battered and bulled his way against amighty Rebels defensive line. He carried the ball 24 times for 96yards before going down in the second half, and worked his way aroundthe corner throughout the contest. Michael Franklin was not as luckyagainst the defense, averaging only 2.8 yards per carry, but he keptthe ball moving without putting it on the ground.
Wide Receivers: C-
This could be a great example of the yin and the yang. The Aztecpassing game seemed to be on for one minute and off for the next.Ortiz snagged a great touchdown pass early in the game, but JeremyJustice dropped an easy touchdown pass late in the game. Aftergaining 23 yards on a perfectly designed play with less than a minuteleft in the first half, Wesley Williams fumbled the ball on the3-yard line and ended hopes of a possible 14-point swing for SDSU.
Offensive Line: B+
Forthe second game in a row, the O-line has performed well. Hall wasscampering all night, but that was mostly because of happy feetrather than lapses in protection. The line paved the way for theAztecs to keep possession of the rock for almost two-thirds of thetime.
Defensive Line: B+
Despite registering zero sacks and only two tackles for loss, theunit played very well. The line stuffed UNLV’s vaunted running game,limiting Rebels Larry Croom and Dominique Dorsey to more than twoyards per carry.
Linebackers: A
Simply put, this may be one of the best units in the country. MattMcCoy had another inspiring effort with eight tackles, and KirkMorrison came up big when needed. Morrison had a huge fumble recoverythat swung the momentum over to the Aztecs’ side, and kept his unitoff the field.
Defensive backs: A-
Three interceptions. Five total passes defended. And none moreimportant than Jeff Shoate’s pick with less than three minutes leftin the game. Save for one big drive late in the game, UNLV could notpick up any consistency through the air, and the d-backs played a bigpart in shutting down Johnson AND Johnson (Earvin and Michael, thatis).
Coaching: A-
Tom Craft actually used The Rebels’ weakness against them, runningthe option and loading up the line. Great job crafting (get it?) anew scheme into a dusty playbook.
– Jon Gold
