Just in case they might have forgotten, a reminder is taped by the door to the Aztecs' weight room.
It's a picture that says, “Remember 2006? Cal Poly 16, San Diego State 14.”
Underneath the score, a Mustangs player has his arms spread wide in celebration at Qualcomm Stadium. The Cal Poly Alumni Association has been distributing the picture to promote a tailgate party at tomorrow's 6:30 p.m. rematch against SDSU.
“You're always giving your team reminders for motivation,” SDSU coach Chuck Long said.
SDSU's upset loss against Cal Poly is considered one of the darkest days in Aztecs football history. After all, Cal Poly plays in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision, where players are supposed to be smaller and slower. Their rosters are limited to 63 scholarship players. By contrast, teams in SDSU's Football Bowl Subdivision have more depth because they are allowed 85.
“It's not something that we've forgotten about,” linebacker Russell Allen said. “Definitely come Saturday, we'll have that in our minds.”
Notes
Despite its smaller size and depth, Cal Poly has an equalizer: the triple-option offense. It's the same style of offense that undersized Navy uses to get into bowl games each year. The Mustangs also are an aerial threat with 6-foot-6 wide receiver
Ramses Barden, who is Cal Poly's all-time touchdown receiver with 32. He considered turning pro as a junior. He's also 6 inches taller than both SDSU starting cornerbacks.
SDSU running back Atiyyah Henderson pulled a hamstring yesterday and is questionable to play. Depending on which package SDSU starts with, senior Tyler Campbell, sophomore Brandon Sullivan or sophomore Davon Brown could start at running back.
SDSU plans to place tarps over lower-level seat sections that don't normally sell because of poor viewing angles. It's part of an effort to make games more intimate even when ticket sales are down. “We'll probably expand that effort even next year to make the stadium cozier from the top down,” Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel said.
SDSU enters the season without a lease to play at city-owned Qualcomm Stadium. The last lease expired after last season, and the two sides have been negotiating. The city has said it has lost $310,000 staging SDSU games the past two years and just wants to break even, which would mean an increase in SDSU's rent. In the meantime, SDSU will play under the terms of the old lease, Schemmel said.
Long enters the third season of his five-year contract with a 7-17 record. Asked his expectations for this season, Schemmel said, “To put it simply: improvement. There are lots of ways to measure that, and it won't always be in wins and losses. What I will evaluate him on is continued improvement on the field and in the classroom.”
Brent Schrotenboer: (619) 293-1368; brent.schrotenboer@uniontrib.com
