Nov. 12, 1979

The late 1970s was a time of political turmoil. The U.S. embassy was seized in Iran and the country was still recovering from the Vietnam War.

Meanwhile in San Diego, Aztec football drew a crowd one Saturday night against the University of Arizona, as 38,581 fans at what is now Qualcomm Stadium watched SDSU easily dispatch Arizona 42-10 behind 35 second-half points.

The showstealer in those days, like it is today, was the defense.

The Wildcats turned the ball over on five consecutive possessions and were limited to just 50 yards passing.

Without a doubt, the game, which improved SDSU’s record to 7-2 (4-1 WAC),  was one of the best defensive performances by Aztec football in its history.

The defensive prowess included a blocked punt, three fumble recoveries and an interception.

One of the quirks from that game was the Aztecs alternating between quarterbacks Chris Schaefer, sporting an awesome curly afro and mustache look, and Mark Halda on every play.

Every. Single. Play.

The quarterback has a big influence on the offense, so switching signal callers on every play might throw a wrench in the offense.

Something like that would require a lot of planning and practicing, right?

“We decided to do it yesterday (Friday),” head coach Claude Gilbert told The Daily Aztec.

They pulled it off pretty well, considering neither of the quarterbacks were particularly prolific in that game. Schaefer was 6-for-13 and Halda was 4-for-7.

Not to be outdone was the conference’s  leading rusher, SDSU running back Tony Allen, who had 28 carries for 151 yards two scores.