For Aztecs, Hurricanes, It’s All Eyes On the QBs

SAN DIEGO —  They’re a couple of gunslingers, the triggermen in two shoot-em-up offenses.

Today, Gunslinger East meets Gunslinger West. The man in Miami traveling white meets a man in San Diego State home black. It’s the show within the Show.

And as No. 3 Miami takes on the Aztecs at 1 p.m. in a nationally televised game in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, this may be a performance San Diego fans will remember for a long time: Craig Erickson, Miami’s mobile quarterback, and Dan McGwire, SDSU’s long, tall quarterback. A couple of kids scorching the NCAA statistical charts from opposite ends of the country.

The coaches will tell you the game will not be decided by the quarterbacks alone. True. If the Aztecs are to score more than 30 points for the ninth consecutive game, McGwire will need protection. And Erickson’s effectiveness will depend in part on whether the Aztec defense makes any big plays.

But these two quarterbacks will play a part--almost surely a large part--in this afternoon’s outcome.

CRAIG ON DAN: “I think San Diego State has had a . . . successful season, and directly responsible for that is their play at quarterback. Dan has done an outstanding job for them. I think it will be a shootout, to say the least.”

DAN ON CRAIG: “I won’t answer questions about the quarterback matchup. I don’t look at it that way. I won’t even watch his offense when it’s on the field. I’ll be on the phones, and talking with my receivers. . . . There’s no pressure on me this game. People say it’s Miami and national television, and you have to perform well. I’ve performed well the last two seasons. Just because it’s Miami, I’m not going to play any different.”

In the not-too-distant future, these guys will be playing on Sundays rather than Saturdays. That’s why NFL scouts have visited both schools with regularity this year, and that’s why no fewer than 14 of them have been credentialed for this afternoon’s game.

“The obvious thing is the mobility of Erickson as opposed to (McGwire),” said Bill Tobin, vice-president/player personnel for the Chicago Bears. “But McGwire has the size and a stronger arm.”

Tobin visited a couple of SDSU practices earlier this week, but has since returned to Chicago and will watch this afternoon’s game on television. Like most NFL men responsible for personnel, he didn’t want to say too much. He wouldn’t, for example, talk about where the two will be drafted. But he stressed that he likes them both.

“When I said Erickson has more mobility, I don’t want that as a negative on (McGwire),” he said. “One is faster but not nearly as big. The tradeoff is size for quickness.”

Said Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard: “The size gives McGwire a couple of advantages, but Erickson is a good runner who avoids the rush. . . . There’s something a little deceiving, also (about size). When you’re that big, you don’t really look as quick as someone 6-1 or 6-2.”

McGwire, 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, is the tallest Division I quarterback in NCAA history. Erickson is 6-2, 196. McGwire is third in the nation in pass efficiency (152.4) and fourth in total offense (334.5 yards per game.) Erickson is fourth in pass efficiency (147.1) and fifth in total offense (308 yards per game).

Both set school records for total offense this season. McGwire was responsible for 528 yards of total offense Nov. 17 at New Mexico; Erickson had 472 at Cal Sept. 15. McGwire has completed 60% of his passes this season; Erickson 58.8%.

“They’re both good quarterbacks,” Tobin said. “Both are accurate, both can throw the ball and have good production. Their stats bear it out.”

McGwire has thrown 25 touchdown passes and only six interceptions; Erickson has thrown 20 and 6. Both have improved dramatically from a year ago, when McGwire threw 16 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions, and Erickson had 24 and 15.

McGwire, in fact, is currently on pace to set the NCAA record for lowest percentage of pass interceptions in a season. Only six of his 396 attempts have been intercepted--1.52%. The record, 1.65%, was set by Brigham Young’s Jim McMahon in 1981.

“You have a matchup of possibly the two finest professional quarterback prospects in the country,” agent Leigh Steinberg said.

Steinberg currently represents 18 NFL quarterbacks, including Jeff George and Troy Aikman, the last two No. 1 picks in the draft, and Andre Ware, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner.

Some people think McGwire’s size is an advantage;, others are wary, as no NFL quarterback has ever been that tall.

“If (McGwire) were 6-4, he would clearly be the No. 1 pick in the country,” Steinberg said. “And he may well be at 6-8.”

Said Joel Buchsbaum, associate editor of Pro Football Weekly: “I think the general public thinks of Erickson as being better than (Vinny) Testaverde. . . . a can’t miss guy. McGwire is the unknown. . . .

“I think, if anything, McGwire is the first rounder and Erickson is the guy who could fall.”

Buchsbaum is a highly respected draft analyst, and here are some excerpts from his notes:

JOEL ON DAN: “The guy has gotten so much better over the last year. Hasn’t had a bad game (this year) yet. Very consistent arm motion. Can throw all of the passes. Very, very strong arm. Pure passer. Can stretch the field both horizontally and vertically. Has learned to look off receivers. Dramatic improvement in timing and touch from his junior year.”

On the other hand: “Not real quick arm motion. Average release quickness. Going to have to be strictly a pocket guy--you’ll have to build your offense around him. The thing he hasn’t improved much is his drop-back--he still glides and bounces when he goes back. Not as accurate deep as I thought.”

JOEL ON CRAIG: “Top competitor, loves challenges. Good football instincts; smarts. Quick delivery; can zip the ball. Throws well off back foot, doesn’t fluster easily. Can ‘touch’ ball between defenders. Poised.”

On the other hand: “Doesn’t have great size, speed or arm strength. Goes through stretches where he is erratic. Throws too many balls off his back foot. Needs to set his feet more. A little inconsistent with delivery.”

Both quarterbacks work out of similar offenses. Miami and SDSU each run a one-back set and attempt to spread the defense all over the field, thus creating more open space. Miami doesn’t run as many two- and three-tight-end schemes as SDSU, but its execution is similar.

“I think Dan could go into their offense and run it extremely well, and Craig could come in ours and run it extremely well,” SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said. “There wouldn’t be a lot of drop-off.”

Erickson, from West Palm Beach, Fla., has learned the Miami system over the course of four years. He was an apprentice on the bench during his first two years before earning the starting job last year. Like Bernie Kosar and Steve Walsh before him, he led Miami to a national championship in his first year as its quarterback.

McGwire, from Claremont, Calif., had to take a crash course in quarterbacking the Aztecs. He transferred to SDSU in 1988 after two seasons at Iowa. He became unhappy with the Hawkeyes when he was benched after starting two games his sophomore season. McGwire redshirted in 1988 and became the Aztec quarterback last season.

Miami Coach Dennis Erickson on McGwire: “He sees things so much better (than last year). He gets rid of the football quicker--knows where he’s going with it sooner.”

Luginbill on Craig Erickson: “He’s a streak player. He will play extremely well, and then he won’t. We need to have him stay down in that funk level.”

Later, Luginbill added: “I think they’re very similar. Look at Erickson’s touchdown-to-interception ratio. The important thing with a quarterback is: Is he getting the football into the end zone? Both of those young men have done that.”

The biggest difference today might be the Miami defense. Sure, SDSU is averaging 43 points and 535 yards a game, but Miami has the best defense, by far, that SDSU will have seen this season.

“(McGwire) may have a tough time against Miami,” Buchsbaum said. “They are mean and they will go after his knees. They are not choirboys.”

Aztec Notes

San Diego State will attempt to accomplish four things this afternoon: 1. Establish a running game to open the passing game; 2. Continue to throw the ball well; 3. Get a few big plays from the defense, such as an interception, fumble recovery or sack; 4. Slow Miami down early--the Hurricanes have scored first in all 10 of their games. . . . SDSU Coach Al Luginbill and Miami Coach Dennis Erickson both agreed their defenses would not be able to completely stop their opponents. “They’re as good an offensive team as there is in the country,” Erickson said. “You’re not going to stop an offense like that.” . . . Streaks: Miami has won 53 consecutive games against unranked teams. SDSU is 6-0 at home this year. . . . The highest-ranked opponent SDSU has ever defeated was No. 12 Iowa State in 1981, 52-31.

According to the NCAA, Miami has faced the nation’s seventh most difficult schedule this season and SDSU has the 41st most difficult schedule. . . . Big game: San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium officials granted SDSU’s request to have the end zones painted red and black today. Normally, the end zones are painted blue and gold--Chargers’ colors. Steve Shushan, assistant stadium manager, said he couldn’t remember the last time they painted the field in SDSU colors, but said it has been “at least four or five years. It’s such a big game we said we wouldn’t mind doing it.” The end zones will be re-painted blue and gold in time for Sunday’s Chargers-New York Jets game.