SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Football

Where are they now?

SDSU Game Report

Aztecs dismantle Idaho State, 38-21

By Phillip Brents

Photos supplied by PhotoPX.com

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 4, 2004 -- SDSU head coach Tom Craft would like to believe the Aztecs’ 38-21 season opening win against Idaho State is the start of something special this season as the Aztecs attempt to post the program’s first winning season since 1998.

At right: Kevin O'Connell (La Costa Canyon) passed for 58 yards and one touchdown in SDSU's 38-21 season opening win against Idaho State.

Certainly, the Bengals had to be impressed by what they saw in the first quarter: a 21-0 SDSU lead. The Aztecs built up a 38-0 cushion before the visitors put up three late scores against a SDSU lineup featuring substitutions.

The Aztecs’ dismantling of Idaho State came in front of a school-record 57,216 fans at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Quarterbacks Matt Dlugolecki (Santa Margarita Catholic) and Kevin O’Connell (La Costa Canyon) combined to account for 291 passing yards and three touchdowns. A junior, Dlugolecki had 233 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior running back Michael Franklin (New Orleans, La.) rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown, including a 67-yard bolt for a score on the Aztecs’ first play from scrimmage. Franklin also led the receiving corps with 84 yards while junior Robert Ortiz (Horizon) hauled in a pair of touchdown passes to go with 58 receiving yards.

Junior linebacker Matt McCoy, the 2003 Mountain West Conference tackles leaders, led the SDSU defense with six unassisted tackles.

Among area products, junior redshirt Alex Thompson (Palomar College) had 14 carries for 74 yards while freshman redshirt Brandon Bornes (RBV) rushed eight times for 46 yards. Jason Van (Helix) saw action late in the game, rushing three times for 16 yards, while Kyle Conerly, also a senior, returned one punt for 15 yards.

Freshman Sean Henshel (El Capitan) had two punts for 68 yards, including a longest kick of 45 yards.