Red & Black Report-SDSU vs CAL: Sean Lewis- “Everything starts in house with us”

As a new feature this season, Sons of Montezuma offers this quick Red & Black Report. Think of it as a bit like an accounting ledger – RED are areas to address and BLACK are those areas contributing positively to the bottom line.

In this case, black means areas that help win football games. Let’s start with red.

Red: Slow Starts

For the second week in a row the Aztec offense to start the first half resembled a sloth rather than a speedy cheetah, a Yugo instead of a Lambo, a tortoise and not the hare.

While we all hope the tortoise comparison ends just as the story book and the AztecFast kicks in as the season progresses—beset by penalties, again, and missed throws by their young quarterback, SDSU couldn’t do much to get their touted AztecFAST offense in high gear early against the PAC-2’s Beavers.

The first play of the game set the tone as freshman QB Danny O’Neil overthrew an open Ja’Shuan Poke cutting across the field. The senior wide receiver transfer from West Virginia had come open on a crossing pattern and had his defender trailing by a few steps. The pass sailed high and wide.

When the offense did manage to hit on a big play, often it was called back due to a penalty.

In total, the team committed seven first half penalties after being whistled for nine the previous week against Texas A&M-Commerce. We said then that a plethora of penalties would be hard for this team to overcome early in the season and the Oregon State game demonstrated that convincingly. 

Penalties kill drives and they have been one of the main reasons SDSU has scored a combined three points in its four first-half quarters thus far this season. 

Coach Lewis addressed his team’s slow offensive starts in his Monday meeting with the media.  

“It goes back to us starting fast and the only way you’re able to do that is to be able to prepare at a really high level,” the new coach explained.

“If we’re inconsistent in our preparation with everyone in the organization – not just the players, but staff as well – you’re going to have inconsistency in your results that come on Saturday night. Everything starts in-house with us….”

The Aztecs will look to showcase that consistency when they line up against the Cal Bears in Berkeley on Saturday evening. However who will be the QB1 is also in question. Danny O’Neil suffered a leg injury though stayed in the game vs Oregon State.

If the rumors are true that one of the backups Javance Johnson or AJ Duffy will get the start against CAL, it will be a huge opportunity for either of them to pounce on a starting job if the Aztecs were to be successful.

If Danny truly gets the start however, eyes will be on how he can bounce back in getting the Aztecs out to a quicker start. If the injury proves to be too much and persists in lack of production, it will be very interesting to see just how long of a leash Coach Lewis will keep—especially if the game is similar to Oregon State being within one score 3 quarters of the game.

The Black:

This Aztecs team can tackle. Through two games, the Red and Black defenders have stood tall as their offensive brethren have struggled to find their footing. 

Although the defensive line is not yet consistently applying a great push upfront, the linebackers and safeties are flying to the ball and wrapping up ball carriers on a regular basis. Rare is the broken tackle that leads to yards after contact and sustained drives.

When a tackle is missed, often there are multiple Aztec defenders rallying to the ball to finish the play. 

Local product and Army transfer Tano Letuli leads the way for the SDSU defense. The Cathedral Catholic High alumnus has tallied 15 tackles through two games showcasing great instincts and quick feet to close gaps and make stops.

The defensive effort and toughness have caught the attention of Coach Lewis.

“I am pleased with the way the defense fought all the way through, and the effort that they gave to the program and team to position us in a place to win,” he said on Monday.

The Aztecs travel to Memorial Stadium to face Cal on the Berkeley campus Saturday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. Television coverage will be provided by ESPN2 with San Diego Sports 760 airing the radio broadcast.