Before being hired at San Diego State in December 2005, defensive coordinator Bob Elliott had been a pretty wanted man.
His defenses had performed so well at Kansas State that he earned interviews for head coaching jobs at Utah in 2002 and Indiana in 2004. Nebraska also showed interest in hiring him as defensive coordinator in 2002.
It's a stark contrast to the past two years, when his defense has ranked among the nation's 15 worst in stopping the run.
But there is hope now, Elliott said. Barring additional injury problems, Elliott said, “I think we're going to be a better defense.”
Said head coach Chuck Long: “I think they're going to be a lot better.”
Critics might retort that it couldn't get any worse. Last year, the Aztecs gave up almost 500 total yards per game and ranked 115th out of 119 Division I-A football teams in total defense. The difference this year, Elliott says, is experience and commitment. It hasn't always been there previously.
“Before, we'd have days where we'd come out and there'd be a lack of focus and lack of intensity,” starting junior linebacker Luke Laolagi said. “But I feel like every day we come out here now, we work hard and try to get it turned around.”
Elliott said the top issue has been “commitment,” which he defines as “being willing to do the hard things it takes to win.”
“I think it's gotten better gradually in the two years we've been here, to the point now where I feel pretty good about our team,” Elliott said.
Such player commitment shows itself most in the summer, when NCAA rules prevent coaches from holding practices and mandatory workouts. It's up to the players to do so on their own.
“I don't know what went on here before, and it really doesn't matter, but I think our first summer here (2006), from all indications, wasn't very good,” Elliott said. “I don't know because I wasn't watching them, but we just didn't feel, coming from the players, that there was a huge commitment. The second summer we think was better.”
It didn't help last season when SDSU didn't return any starters in its secondary from 2006. “We had to start all over again,” Elliott said. “At the beginning of the season again we were like babies back there. We were really young.”
This year, the SDSU defense returns starting experience at all but one of its 11 positions: defensive tackle, an area that's been hit by injuries so far in camp. The SDSU secondary appears to be vastly improved from where it was last year. “I feel so much more confident in this group of guys,” said Elliott, whose team opens the season against Cal Poly on Saturday.
Ikonne grows into role
With starting defensive tackle
Siaosi Fifita out with a knee injury, SDSU's first-team defensive line includes a new face at defensive end: sophomore
Eric Ikonne from Dallas. Ikonne has yet to play a game for the Aztecs but has impressed coaches in camp. In high school, he seemed to sneak under major college recruiting radars because he didn't play much football before his senior year. Mostly only South Dakota State and other smaller schools showed interest in him before former SDSU linebackers coach
Bill Inge landed him in 2006. Ikonne also was much smaller then – about 200 pounds. Now he's listed at 250.
“I was small, and there wasn't much film on me,” Ikonne said. “I just popped up out of nowhere.”
Besides Ikonne, SDSU's revised first-team d-line includes returning starter B.J. Williams at end, converted end Jonathan Soto at tackle and sophomore tackle Ernie Lawson.
Notable
SDSU players are off today before their next practice tomorrow evening. The Aztecs already have been game-planning for Cal Poly, with the defense getting extensive looks at the Mustangs' option offense.
What's the biggest difference in style between this year's starting quarterback and last year's? Last year's starter, Kevin O'Connell (now with the New England Patriots) would take off running if his first two choices at receiver weren't open. The new starter, redshirt freshman Ryan Lindley, hangs around to look for the third option.
“That's a pretty big difference there,” Long said. “They're very similar in the way they lead.”
Brent Schrotenboer: (619) 293-1368; brent.schrotenboer@uniontrib.com
