If losing to Cal Poly again wasn't bad enough, San Diego State has this to look forward to in the coming week – more injuries on the defensive line on the eve of a nationally televised game at Notre Dame on Saturday.

Starting defensive end Tony DeMartinis was helped off the field with a left leg injury in the first quarter of last night's 29-27 season-opening loss at Qualcomm Stadium. He did not return and was using crutches on the sideline. Head coach Chuck Long said afterward he might be out for the year. Additionally, freshman backup Jerome Long was carted back to the locker room in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

The indefinite loss of DeMartinis would further strain the line, which is starting the season without starting tackle Siaosi Fifita, who is out with a knee injury. In DeMartinis' absence, SDSU used sophomore Eric Ikonne and Ohio State transfer Ryan Williams at end. Because of Fifita's absence, junior Jonathan Soto had to start at tackle last night instead of his more natural position at end.

Not very crowded

San Diego State gave away 5,000 tickets to the military and had 20,000 Marshall Faulk jerseys in boxes to give away to fans. But it wasn't enough to really excite the masses in San Diego on a pleasant August evening. Last night's announced attendance at Qualcomm Stadium was 26,851, its smallest crowd for a home opener since 2003, when SDSU drew just 21,145 against Eastern Washington.

SDSU at least had relatively strong turnout from students, whose normal attendance pattern in recent years is to attend the opener or Sky Show game but not other games. Many students still left by halftime, when Cal Poly led 16-7.

The San Diego Union-Tribune requested public season ticket sales to date but was told by SDSU officials that those figures are not available until after SDSU's next home game against Idaho Sept. 27.

Line size

SDSU's offensive line outweighed the Cal Poly defensive line by about 50 pounds per man (305 to 256 pounds on average). But the Mustangs made up for the lack of size with quickness and kept SDSU from converting a third down in the first half (out of six tries). SDSU finished just 2-for-11 on third down.

It was a textbook case of a smaller team making up for the disadvantages of playing with fewer scholarships in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). SDSU plays in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), which is allowed 85 scholarships, compared to 63 for teams in Cal Poly's subdivision.

Cal Poly stacked against the run, daring freshman quarterback Ryan Lindley to throw. SDSU finished with just 27 rushing yards on 23 carries.

Odds and ends

SDSU receiver DeMarco Sampson did not dress to play last night after sitting out most of the preseason with academic issues. . . . Lindley became just the second Aztecs freshman to start an opener, joining Todd Santos (1984).