Aztecs Clean Up on Long Beach With 1 Quarter

SAN DIEGO —  San Diego State filled the Murph all right Sunday night, filled it with a blizzard of 30 third-quarter points--including 23 in one white-hot span of 51 seconds--in a season-opening 49-13 dismantling of Cal State Long Beach.

The 30 points tied a school record for third-quarter points, equaling a 1967 effort against Northern Illinois. The Aztec record for points in a quarter is 32, set in 1927 against Chapman College--then known as California Christian.

“The third quarter was as good as we can play for a quarter,” SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said. “If we ever put together four in a row, somebody is in trouble.”

Luginbill spent much of his summer selling tickets in SDSU’s drive to boost attendance. The Aztecs didn’t come close to filling 60,000-seat San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, but a crowd of 26,749 saw the first season-opening victory for SDSU since 1986, when the Aztecs defeated Long Beach, 27-24.

For four years in a row, SDSU has been glum after its first game. There were several reasons Sunday why they weren’t.

Quarterback Cree Morris, who was only named the starter over David Lowery on Tuesday, survived a slow start and finished by completing 13 of 25 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown.

Running back T.C. Wright found holes to the left, holes to the right and holes up the middle, particularly during a 78-yard punt return to set up SDSU’s first field goal. It was the sixth-longest punt return in SDSU history. He finished with 240 total yards--113 rushing and 127 on punt returns.

Receiver Darnay Scott, a freshman from Kearny, led the Aztecs in receiving with 88 yards and was spectacular at times. On his first play in Division I college football, he caught a 19-yard touchdown pass.

And for a night, the people attempting to stop the Long Beach offense for SDSU became a defense instead of a de-pfft-ense. And that’s why SDSU led at halftime despite having just one touchdown.

“I really thought our defense and special teams kept us in the ballgame when we weren’t doing anything right offensively,” Luginbill said. “I expected us to be slow coming out of the gate, but not that slow.”

It wasn’t a good day for every Aztec, though. Receiver Patrick Rowe suffered a right shoulder sprain that caused him to miss much of the game and thus halted at nine his NCAA record of consecutive games with more than 100 yards receiving. He finished with 29 yards on only two catches.

And kicker Andy Trakas missed a third-quarter conversion kick, which stopped his string of 91 consecutive conversion kicks.

Not that there were any long faces in the SDSU locker room.

“It felt real good,” Wright said. “It felt like this is the way it is supposed to be. This is the way the Aztecs are supposed to play football. It finally clicked.

“We can give any team problems, whether it is Long Beach, Miami or whoever.”

The point-a-minute offense? SDSU introduced the 23-points-in-under-a-minute offense.

It started innocently enough, when SDSU took the second-half kickoff 58 yards in seven plays. Wright finished it off with a four-yard dive and, after a two-point conversion pass, the Aztecs were ahead, 21-7, with 11:43 remaining in the third quarter.

Then, wham!

--On Long Beach’s first possession, Robert Griffith stripped the ball from receiver Mark Seay, and free safety Damon Pieri picked it up and scrambled 27 yards for another touchdown. This was the touchdown after which Trakas missed his kick. 27-7.

--On the ensuing SDSU kickoff, Seay fielded the ball in the end zone, tentatively started to return it, changed his mind and sank to a knee. Too late--the official ruled that he had crossed the goal-line. Safety. 29-7.

--After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on Long Beach for protesting the safety, the 49ers kicked from their own 5. Wright returned it 31 yards to the 49er 33. Two plays later, Curtis Butts went around right end for a five-yard touchdown run. 36-7.

And there was still 10:52 remaining in the quarter. “I felt very, very good about their effort in the third quarter,” Luginbill said. “They totally dominated every aspect of the game.”

It was not even close to what took place in the first half. Morris started slowly, completing just one of his first seven passes and, at one point, missing on six attempts in a row. But by the end of the third quarter, Morris and his mates had rung up enough points that Lowery was summoned to play the fourth quarter.

It was a sluggish first half for the Aztecs until they shifted into their two-minute offense when they took possession at their own 28 with 2:37 remaining in the second quarter.

Trailing, 7-6, Morris quickly found Merton Harris open for a six yard gain and, two plays later, hit Patrick Rowe for 18 more.

One play later, Larry Maxey went up and snared a pass over the middle for 26 yards, setting up a dramatic debut for one of SDSU’s prized local recruits last year.

That would be Scott, and although Luginbill has indicated he would love to redshirt him, others close to the Aztec football team say there is no way Scott will sit this season.

His first play was one to remember. It was a streak pattern down the right sideline, and he hauled in a 19-yard pass from Morris in the end zone.

It was a sigh of relief, allowing the Aztecs to take a 13-7 lead into the locker room after an out-of-sync first half.

Things started well for SDSU. After Long Beach’s first possession came Wright’s 78-yard punt return.

Not a bad way to set up SDSU’s first offensive possession of the season. But, with a new quarterback and a few kinks, the Aztecs were forced to settle for a 24-yard Trakas field goal.

The 3-0 lead didn’t last long. On Long Beach’s next possession, the 49ers again were forced to punt. Again, it went to Wright. This time, though, he fumbled and 49er Bob Titus pounced on the ball.

Talk about slamming shut the door on momentum. On the next play, Long Beach quarterback Todd Studer passed 17 yards to Mark Seay for a touchdown.

Trakas’ 46-yard field goal on SDSU’s next possession pulled the Aztecs to within 7-6, and they didn’t take the lead until Morris hooked up with Scott.