AZTECS PULL A RABBIT OUT OF THE HAT WITH WIN. NEED TO FOCUS ON OFFENSE

DEFENSE, SPECIAL TEAMS SHINE WHILE OFFENSE CONTINUES TO TARNISH

Oregon State up next and the Aztecs need offensive answers if they are hoping to compete

New Pac-12 Conference looks to be a three team race with Boise State, Oregon State and Fresno State rising to the top

There is much that ails the Aztecs this season. It seems to be a broken record: Good defense and special teams, non-existent offense. This year seems to magnify the offensive sluggishness. The Aztecs are near national bottoms in several key offensive categories including total offense, passing offense, third-down conversions and time of possession. Coach Lewis was on an extremely hot seat heading into the Texas State game last week, but after a shocking and surprising victory, his seat is still hot, but there’s been a reprieve. He is aware of the issues and addressed some basic core tenants this week.

“We need all 11 guys collectively doing it the right way. How they’re coached to do it, when they’re coached to do it, regardless of the circumstance. When that’s right, and we’ve got all 11 guys doing it, it looks like the two-walk-in touchdowns that we had. Those are small glimmers of hope.”

He spoke of those two Aztec scores, both made available by defensive takeaways. Much seems to be out of sync. Five of the Aztecs twelve drives were three-and-outs. Add in a two play safety and the Aztecs are limited to scoring opportunities.

Lewis added, “When it’s not all 11 playing together, the football gods are going to find the guy who isn’t doing it the right way. How are we coaching it? How are we teaching it? How can we evolve in that regard so that we can get that information to the guys as we go forward.”

He is not without blame as he had a snafu in game management when time ran out on a desired field goal attempt. “I can’t mismanage the end of the first half. That’s my responsibility as I manage the game. I’ve got to get better. And, so, everyone collectively needs to do their job better and do those basic things better so that there is stability to our execution.”

The Aztecs special teams were winners last week as Jaylon Hawkins returned the second half kickoff 96 yards to bring the Aztecs within seven points. Late in the fourth quarter, it was the defense’s time to shine when linebacker Cameron Cooper returned a tipped pass 32 yards for a score to close out the game. Both of these players earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. These units will be called upon again this week and they will need to step up against Oregon State. Interesting to note, the offense and freshman players of the week came from the Beavers. Quarterback Braden Atkinson and Wide Receiver Jesse Legree won those honors as they are taking the offense by storm. The offense will be under the microscope and offensive coordinator Matt Johnson will be especially on the hotseat. Coaching both the offense and the quarterbacks, he has managed to drive the Aztecs offense into the ground and he may be one game away from being let go. I doubt he would be let go mid game, but would not be surprised if he were let go with another poor performance.

Oregon State looks to be formidable

The Beavers (3-2, 1-0 Pac-12) come into the Saturday game as 14.5 point favorites. Kickoff is at 3:00 Pacific Time on the USA Network. Expect the Beavers to continue to execute their offensive first strategy. Coming off of a convincing 56-26 win over Colorado State, the Beavers are showing why they are one of the top three teams in the Pac-12 iteration. Two early losses to Houston and Texas Tech were respectable losses, but have also helped to build the character for this team. They are led by quarterback Braden Atkinson who has thrown for 1,848 yards on 137-197 passing for 16 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. AJ Newberry leads ground gainers with 271 yards on 45 carries. The big standout is Jesse Legree, a 5’10”, 172 pound freshman out of Baltimore, who is taking the west coast by storm. He has 28 receptions for 741 yards and 9 touchdowns. The 26.5 average yard per catch is eye-popping. Expect the Aztecs coaches to look at this number and realize he has tremendous speed and turns catches into long gains. No one has made effective adjustments yet, but the Aztecs have been noted for defense

Pac-12 Standings

Heading into Conference play, there are the Big Three, which will probably fight each other during the seasonal round robin. Boise State has both the offense and defense to carry them forward. Oregon State is prolific with their offense. Fresno State leads with defense. obvious leaders and laggards with alot of space in between. Each will play each other during the season with most odds makers looking at Boise State to win their two matchups.

1. Boise State
2. Fresno State
3. Oregon State
4. Colorado State
5. San Diego State
6. Colorado State
7. Washington State
8. Utah State