SDSU football

Aztec Stat of the Week: Kickoff Return Records

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment

In San Diego State’s 21-19 win over Boise State, wide receiver Colin Lockett returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

In San Diego State’s monumental victory over conference-foe Boise State on Saturday, Aztec wide receiver Colin Lockett set the tone from the start when he returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.

It was Lockett’s second kickoff return touchdown of the season, and third of his career. No other Aztec player has ever returned more than one kickoff for a touchdown.

On top of holding the records for kickoff return touchdowns, Lockett is now chasing two other kickoff return records: career yardage and single-season yardage.

In the game, Lockett had 141 yards on three returns, and moved to third all-time in school history for most career kickoff return yards. He also moved to third all-time for most kickoff return yards in a season.

Most Kickoff Return Yards, Career

Following Saturday’s game, Lockett has 1,385 kickoff return yards in his career, the third-highest total in Aztec history.

He sits behind Darnay Scott and Monty Gilbreath, two former Aztec wide receivers who also served as returners on kickoffs.

In second place is Scott, who played at SDSU from 1991-1993. In just three seasons, he recorded 1,397 return yards on 64 returns. Arguably one of the best wide receivers in school history, he also ranks second in career receiving yards with 3,139 yards and seventh in career receptions with 178.

Following his time at SDSU, Scott was selected in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and had an impressive professional career. In eight seasons, he tallied 408 receptions for 6,193 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Gilbreath, who played at SDSU from 1986-1989, holds the school record for most kickoff return yards. In his four seasons with the Aztecs, he had 1,505 yards on 74 returns.

Gilbreath wasn’t just a kickoff return specialist, however, as he also ranks fifth in school history in career receptions (187) and tenth in career receiving yards (2,241). He also returned punts, and ranks second in school history with 835 punt return yards.

Assuming a bowl game is imminent, Lockett needs 121 kickoff return yards in the final three games to surpass Gilbreath. He would need to average just over 40 yards per game to break the record, a very reachable number considering he is averaging over 70 yards per game this season.

Most Kickoff Return Yards, Season

Not only is Lockett nearing the record for most career kickoff return yards, but he is also close to breaking the single-season record. Through 10 games, Lockett now has 707 yards on 27 returns this season, which currently ranks him third all-time at SDSU.

Gilbreath, the career yards leader, also holds the record for most kickoff return yards in a season, as he notched 880 yards on 40 returns in 1987.

Patrick Rowe, a wide receiver at SDSU from 1987-1991, ranks second with his mark of 799 yards in 1988. Like Scott and Gilbreath, Rowe is also amongst the school leaders in career receiving yards and career receptions. He ranks eighth and sixth all-time, respectively, with 155 receptions for 2,678 yards.

Lockett needs 174 kickoff return yards in the final three games to break Gilbreath’s single-season record.

Former Aztec wide receiver Darnay Scott, who played in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, is amongst the school leaders in kickoff return yardage (Associated Press)

 

Did you miss last week’s “Stat of the Week” post about tight end records? Check it out here!

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by Hunter Hewitt

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Aztecs in the NFL: Week 6

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / Leave a comment

Rookie long snapper Aaron Brewer has been solid for the Broncos all season, just like he was in his four seasons (2008-2011) at San Diego State.

LB Russell Allen – Jacksonville Jaguars, BYE

LB Antwan Applewhite – Carolina Panthers, BYE

LS Aaron Brewer – Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers
In the Monday night game, the Broncos scored 35 unanswered points and beat the Chargers, 35-24. Brewer snapped the ball well and was efficient in protection, and continues to prove that the Broncos made the right move by signing him over the pricey veteran snapper they had last season.

WR Vincent Brown – San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
Brown remains out recovering from a broken ankle suffered in the preseason. In a recent update on Rotoworld, it was reported that Norv Turner said Brown was “right on schedule”. He is eligible to return to practice in Week 7.

LB Miles Burris – Oakland Raiders vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Raiders missed their chance at being the first team to knock off the undefeated Falcons, losing on a last-second field goal, 23-20. Burris had 4 total tackles in the game, including a key stop on the goal line when he prevented running back Michael Turner from scoring. The drive eventually ended with the Falcons settling for a field goal from the 2-yard line. Burris has 18 total tackles this season.

OT/OG Brandyn Dombrowski – San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
Like Brown, Dombrowski remains on the injured-reserve list with a foot injury. According to an article published by The North County Times, he is expected to return in Week 8.

LB Heath Farwell – Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
In a match-up that could very well exemplify the current shift of power occurring in the NFL, the up-and-coming Seahawks defeated the perennial powerhouse Patriots, 24-23. Farwell contributed two tackles in the game, giving him a total of seven on the season.

RB Ronnie Hillman – Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers
In a bitter homecoming to his former stomping grounds, Hillman saw limited action in the Chargers loss to the Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. He had just two carries for three yards, but remains the primary backup running back behind Willis McGahee.

QB Ryan Lindley – Arizona Cardinals vs. Buffalo Bills
After starting 4-0, the Cardinals dropped their second straight, falling to the Bills in overtime, 19-16. Quarterback John Skelton was active for the first time since he suffered an ankle injury in Week 1, and entered the game when starter Kevin Kolb was knocked out with a rib injury late in the fourth quarter. With two injury-prone quarterbacks ahead of him, and Skelton struggling in his return (2-10, 45 yards, 1 INT), don’t be surprised if the Cardinals turn to Lindley at some point this season.

OG Lance Louis – Chicago Bears, BYE

LB Kirk Morrison – Buffalo Bills vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Morrison mystery continues, as he was inactive once again for the Bills in their win over the Cardinals. Unfortunately, there is still no clear reason as to why Morrison has yet to play this season.

WR Kassim Osgood – Detroit Lions vs. Philadelphia Eagles
In another overtime thriller, the Lions defeated the Eagles, 26-23. Osgood, the special teams extraordinaire, had one tackle in the victory.

WR Chaz Schilens – New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts
In a battle of two former Pac-10 (or Pac-12) quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez outdueled Andrew Luck, and the Jets handled the Colts, 35-9. Schilens continued his consistent production, grabbing two catches for 23 yards.

Did you miss the “Aztecs in the NFL: Week 5″ post? Check it out here!

LINKS:
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by Hunter Hewitt

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Aztec Stat of the Week: Quarterback Single-Season Rushing Record

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 2 Comments

Ryan Katz rushes for one of his three touchdowns on the ground in Saturday’s blowout victory over Hawaii (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

Ryan Katz

In Saturday’s blowout victory over Hawaii, quarterback Ryan Katz showed his dual-threat abilities, creating chaos for the opposing defense both in the air and on his feet.

He finished the game with 190 yards passing, 57 yards on the ground and five total touchdowns. Through six games, he now has a total of 268 net rushing yards.

So who is the all-time leader for net rushing yards in a season by a San Diego State quarterback?

 

Kevin O’Connell 

In 2007, quarterback Kevin O’Connell rushed for 408 net yards, beating his previous record of 402 yards set in 2005. He is currently at the top of the all-time list for net rushing yards in a season by a quarterback.

Kevin O’Connell is the all-time leader for rushing yards in a season by a quarterback (US Presswire/Spokeo)

 

Can Katz break the record?

Just halfway through the season, Katz has a great chance to cement his name in the SDSU record books. If he can mirror his first-half production on the ground in the second half of the season, he will finish with over 500 yards rushing.

Make sure to keep an eye on Katz the rest of the season to see if he can set a new mark for future running quarterbacks at SDSU.

 

Did you miss last week’s “Stat of the Week” post about two other all-time records set by quarterbacks? 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/
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by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS