College football Saturday and bye week blog updates

November 17, 2012March 5, 2013 / Hunter O. Hewitt / 24 Comments

The Aztecs celebrate after their most recent victory over Air Force (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

Aztec fans –

Hope you all have had a great week. The bye week has been nice for us to get our bodies back and also get caught up in the classroom.

I apologize for the lack of stories this week, but be sure to keep an eye out next week for a handful of new posts. Most notably, there will be a special Feature Friday post with a video on tight end Gavin Escobar and one of his unique off-the-field hobbies.

College football Saturday

The bye week also meant that we had plenty of time on Saturday to catch up on college football across the country. For the first time in awhile, I was able to watch football all day.

Here are a few notable games from today’s action:

Wyoming – 28
UNLV – 23
Wyoming, SDSU’s final regular season opponent, won its third straight game and improved to 4-7. They will face the Aztecs on Nov. 24.

Tulsa – 23
UCF – 21
Tulsa and UCF are two schools who received more votes than SDSU in last week’s AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll. With UCF losing, the Aztecs could potentially jump them in the rankings.

Rutgers – 10
Cincinnati – 3
Like Tulsa and UCF, Cincinnati received more votes than SDSU in both polls last week. Their loss could also help the Aztecs move up.

Air Force – 21
Hawaii – 7
This game was on Friday, but it was Air Force’s sixth win of the season, making them bowl-eligible. They have already accepted an invitation to play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas on Dec. 29.

Game to keep an eye on: BYU vs. San Jose State, 10:30 p.m est

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by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Aztec Stat of the Week: Pass Break-Ups – Leon McFadden

November 13, 2012April 26, 2013 / Hunter O. Hewitt / 2 Comments

Leon McFadden breaks up a pass vs. North Dakota, one of his 10 pass break-ups this season (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

When San Diego State defeated Boise State on Nov. 3, Aztec cornerback Leon McFadden recorded four tackles and a pass break-up in the game. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, likely because teams often shy away from throwing to McFadden’s side, but one statistic inched him closer to leaving his mark in the SDSU record books.

With the pass break-up against Boise State, McFadden improved his season total to 10, good for most on the team. He now has a total of 37 pass break-ups in his career, which ties a school record. He has matched former SDSU defensive back Eric Lewis, who also broke up 37 passes from 1995-1998.

What is most impressive about the statistic is that McFadden has managed to tie the record with a limited number of opportunities. Tabbed as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference before the season began, he has developed a reputation as a shutdown cornerback.

Opposing offenses often focus on the side of the field where McFadden isn’t, taking away chances for the senior cornerback to make plays. Despite the reduced opportunities, he has still managed 56 total tackles and three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, in his final season at SDSU.

With two games remaining and only one pass break-up needed, McFadden has a great chance to break the record and solidify himself as one of the best defensive backs to ever play at SDSU.

*UPDATE (12/21/12)

Leon McFadden recorded two pass break-ups in the final game vs. BYU. He now holds the record for most pass break-ups in San Diego State history with 39.

Did you miss last week’s “Stat of the Week” post about kickoff return yardage? Check it out here!

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Warrior Wednesday: Equipment Staff

November 7, 2012February 10, 2013 / Hunter O. Hewitt / Leave a comment

Some of the SDSU equipment staff following the big win over Boise State. From left to right: Sonny Sanfilippo, Mark Kellogg (student manager), Angie Garza, Rich Hodgkinson, and Lindsay Degnan (student manager)

Helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys, cleats, gloves – all of these, amongst others, are necessary equipment for a college football team.

With a team of over 100 players, purchasing, fitting, distributing and laundering all of this equipment is no easy task. Add that to overseeing over a dozen other sports, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly demanding job, one that can not be done by just one person.

Luckily for Angie Garza, director of athletic equipment services at San Diego State, she has help, and lots of it.

Garza, who worked as a student equipment manager when she attended SDSU from 2001-2004, was the assistant director of equipment services at SDSU from 2004-2009. She then accepted a job to become the head equipment manager at the University of San Diego, but was hired again by SDSU in 2012 when the head position opened up.

Garza’s staff includes Ben Harman (assistant director), Dennis Brown and Sonny Sanfilippo (equipment attendants), and nine student managers. Rich Hodgkinson, a current student at SDSU, is the head student manager.

Sanfilippo, also a graduate of SDSU and former student manager, is pleased to see former Aztecs on the equipment staff. With the everyday stresses an equipment staff member faces, it would be difficult to stay motivated if they worked for a school that they did not attend.

“We take a lot of pride in working for our former school,” Sanfilippo said. “It would have been tough to leave here after being a student manager knowing that someone is running the show who didn’t go here. I feel that the program is in good hands now.”

For their commitment to assisting all of the athletic teams and providing them with everything needed to compete at the highest level possible, the SDSU equipment staff members are this week’s Wednesday Warriors.

Be sure to check out the official Facebook page of the SDSU football locker room for exclusive photos and information directly from the equipment staff!

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

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College football Saturday and bye week blog updates

Aztec Stat of the Week: Pass Break-Ups – Leon McFadden

Warrior Wednesday: Equipment Staff