SDSU Aztecs

Aztec Stat of the Week: Long Snapping Efficiency

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment
Aztecs For Life

Freshman long snapper Jeff Overbaugh has played an integral role in San Diego State’s success this season (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

In football, special teams often go unnoticed.

Even when special teams plays are highlighted, certain details of those plays are typically overlooked. For example, when a game-winning field goal is shown, the announcers rarely talk about how well the ball was snapped.

Long snappers play a critical role on every football team. In addition to snapping the ball to the holder for field goals, they also snap the ball on punts, ensuring that the ball reaches the punter in a timely manner and in the appropriate spot for the punter to kick the ball well.

Although long snappers rarely receive praise, San Diego State football long snapper Jeff Overbaugh deserves some recognition. The true freshman long snapper has been flawless all season with his snapping duties, and he has the stats to prove it.

Through 12 games, Overbaugh has snapped the ball well on all 105 attempts. He is 52-for-52 on PATs, 12-for-12 on field goals, and 41-for-41 on punts – impressive numbers for a freshman playing a nerve-racking position at the Division 1 level.

A product of  long snapping guru Chris Rubio – like former SDSU long snappers Aaron Brewer and Tyler Schmitt – Overbaugh’s talents have helped the Aztecs’ special teams immensely. Teamed with freshman punter Seamus McMorrow, San Diego State is sure to have a solid punting game for years to come. And although senior kicker Chance Marden will be gone after the season, Overbaugh will have the Aztecs nearly worry-free when it comes to field goal snaps for the next three seasons.

Did you miss the “Meet the Aztecs: Q&A with Jeff Overbaugh” piece from earlier in the season? Check it out here

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by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Aztecs in the NFL: Week 14

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 4 Comments
Farwell Aztec for life

Heath Farwell, a special teams co-captain for the Seahawks, recorded five tackles on Sunday in a 58-0 victory over the Cardinals (Seahawks.com)

LB Russell Allen – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets
The Jaguars fell to the Jets on Sunday, 17-10. Allen had six total tackles in the loss, and still ranks fifth in the NFL this season with 85 solo tackles.

LB Antwan Applewhite – Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Panthers knocked off one of league’s best teams on Sunday, defeating the Falcons, 30-20. Applewhite did not play, however, as was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list last week because of a hamstring injury.

LS Aaron Brewer – Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
The Broncos continued their hot streak on Thursday, winning their eighth straight game by beating the Raiders, 26-13. Brewer continued to snap well on both field goals and punts for the Broncos, as they made all four of their field goal attempts and punted twice for an average of 44.5 yards. 

WR Vincent Brown – San Diego Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Chargers defeated the Ravens on Sunday, 34-24. Brown sat out once again as he is still recovering from the broken ankle he suffered in the preseason. He is not expected to return this season.

LB Miles Burris – Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos
Burris had seven total tackles in Thursday’s loss to the Broncos. He currently ranks sixth in the NFL amongst all rookies this season with 79 total tackles.

OT/OG Brandyn Dombrowski – San Diego Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Dombrowski did not play in the Chargers’ win over the Steelers as he was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list two weeks ago.

LB Heath Farwell – Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Seahawks destroyed the struggling Cardinals on Sunday, 58-0. Farwell was all over the field on special teams, and recorded five total tackles in the blowout victory. It was a season-high for Farwell, who is one of the Seahawks’ co-captains on special teams.

RB Ronnie Hillman – Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
Hillman had four carries for 24 yards in the Broncos’ win over the Raiders on Thursday. He remains the second option running back behind Knowshon Moreno, who carried the ball 32 times for 119 yards. 

QB Ryan Lindley – Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Cardinals woes continued on Sunday in the blowout loss to the Seahawks. John Skelton started the game at quarterback, but was benched after going 11-22 for 74 yards and four interceptions. Lindley replaced Skelton in the third quarter, and went 8-17 for 59 yards.

OG Lance Louis – Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Bears fell to the Vikings on Sunday, 21-14. Louis, who missed his second straight game, is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. His importance to the team has become evident in the last two weeks, as the Bears have lost both games without Louis in the lineup.

WR Kassim Osgood – Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers
In a division rivalry, the Lions lost to the Packers on Sunday, 27-20. Osgood continued to play on special teams for the Lions, but did not record any stats in the game.

OT Will Robinson – New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants
The Saints fell to the Giants on Sunday, 52-27. Robinson did not start the game, but saw time in a reserve role filling in for injured right tackle Zach Strief. He will remain a reliable backup for the Saints, as they have had injury concerns on the offensive line all season. 

WR Chaz Schilens – New York Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jets beat the Jaguars on Sunday, improving their record to 6-7. Schilens had two catches for 27 yards in the victory.

Did you miss the “Aztecs in the NFL: Week 13″ post? Check it out here!

LINKS:
Hunter Hewitt: WordPress – http://hunterhewitt.wordpress.com
Hunter Hewitt: LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterhewitt
Hunter Hewitt: Twitter – http://twitter.com/hunterhewitt89
Hunter Hewitt: Facebook – http://facebook.com/hunterhewittSDSU
Hunter Hewitt: About.me – http://about.me/hunterhewitt
Hunter Hewitt: BrandYourself – http://hunterhewitt.brandyourself.com/
Hunter Hewitt: GoAztecs.com Player Profile – http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hewitt_hunter00.html

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Warrior Wednesday: Ernie Anderson

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 10 Comments
Aztecs for life

ROLE REVERSAL – San Diego State photographer Ernie Anderson has a picture of him taken for a change

In a life where everything seems to be moving too fast at times, photographs have become a way to capture memorable moments and relive them forever.

Action photos from sporting events are some of the most popular, and these types of pictures are frequently seen on the official website of San Diego State athletics. While everyone enjoys seeing these photos, one thing people rarely see is the man behind the camera.

For San Diego State football, that’s Ernie Anderson.

A graduate of SDSU, Anderson was a member of the track team in the late 1960s. After feeling that his team deserved more coverage in the school newspaper, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

“I started taking photos at the track meets and taking them in to the Daily Aztec,” Anderson said. “They started using them and asked me if I had ever taken photos of football. I hadn’t, but I started with taking photos of Spring practice in 1968 and everything expanded from there.”

Soon after, Anderson became the photo editor for the Daily Aztec. Although he enjoyed his time as a photographer in college, he knew it wasn’t something he wanted to make a career out of.

“I’ve always had a creative side and photography satisfied that need,” Anderson said. “I decided I didn’t want to do it for a living because I wanted to take photos of what was exciting for me and not go on assignments that someone else dictated.”

After graduating from SDSU in 1970, Anderson earned a degree in public administration, and went on to receive his masters in the same field. Following his educational days, Anderson became the City of San Diego General Services Department Director. During this time, he continued to take photos at Aztec sporting events, but it wasn’t until he retired eight years ago that he began devoting more time to his photography.

Today, Anderson works as a volunteer and takes photos of SDSU sports, primarily football and basketball. Over the years, he has taken photos of Aztec legends such as Don Coryell, Brian Sipe, Tony Gwynn, Stephen Strasburg and others. His work has been published in national publications, including Sports Illustrated, but the relationships and memories mean much more to him.

“Aside from the challenge of getting the best photographs I can to preserve these moments in time, the relationships I’ve developed over the years with coaches, athletes and fans have been very satisfying,” Anderson said. “I volunteer my time as a way to give back to the school that has been a very important part of my life. I’m an Aztec for life.”

Ernie

Ernie Anderson during his college years in 1968 at San Diego State