2009 San Diego State Football Predictions
Can new head coach Brady Hoke work the same magic at San Diego State that saw him put Ball State on the map with a 12-win season last year? Get my take in this 2009 college football betting preview.
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Offense – The Aztecs decided it was time for a change following a 2-10 campaign, which included a 1-7 mark in Mountain West Conference play. The program parted ways with Chuck Long after three seasons and made Brady Hoke their new guy after he led the Ball State Cardinals to a 12-win season a year ago. He and highly regarded offensive coordinator Al Borges have their work cut out for themselves with a unit that ranked 104th in the nation in scoring offense (19.3 points per game). At least they will get to start rebuilding with a promising quarterback in sophomore Ryan Lindley. He passed for 2,653 yards and 16 touchdowns. You can expect to see Lindley looking for No. 1 target Vincent Brown often this season. Brown caught 64 passes for 631 yards and five touchdowns and his production should increase with Borges calling the plays. Roberto Wallace, who caught 31 passes in 2008, should see a spike in his numbers also. The running game was awful last season, averaging just 73.2 yards per game (117th nationally). The Aztecs hope they can find a reliable option at the tailback spot in Brandon Sullivan, Atiyyah Henderson or Davon Brown. Henderson rushed for 800 yards in 2006 but has not been able to build on that success, rushing for only 490 last season. I think Sullivan will end up being the guy. And with three offensive line starters returning, at least the new coaching staff won’t have to start from scratch up front.
Defense – Former New Mexico head coach Rocky Long has been brought in to run the defense. He has implemented the same 3-3-5 scheme that has been successful in his previous stops. We can’t expect this group, which ranked 113th nationally in scoring defense (37.2 points per game allowed) and 113th in total defense (460.8 yards per game allowed), to make drastic improvements over night. It’s going to take time to bring in the right personnel to fit his scheme. The most important position in his defense is the combo safety/linebacker spot. Martrell Fantroy is expected to be the first player Long tries in his hybrid position. The defensive line was awful a season ago. It was the biggest reason why the Aztecs ranked next to last in the country against the run, allowing 247.5 yards per game. Coach Hoke will coach the line and he will try to get more out of a group which doesn’t have the same talent as the elite teams in the conference. He does inherit a player with good potential in end B.J. Williams. Williams racked up 10.5 tackles for loss last season. The linebacker unit is the strength of the defense with Jerry Milling, Luke Laolagi, and Andrew Preston. Laolagi and Preston combined for 181 tackles last season. Long would like to blitz a lot more to cause disruption and to allow his guys to make plays, but he might not be able to as often as he would like if the secondary continues to struggle in coverage.
Prediction: 8th Mountain West Conference - Coach Hoke has challenged his team to show more toughness and I think he will get it out of them. That, along with a softer schedule, and the Aztecs have an opportunity to double last season’s win total in year one under the new coaching staff. Bet Mountain West football at BetUS and get up to 145% in sign up bonuses!
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