SDSU Tries to Forget Those Ties That Grind : College football: Aztecs, coming off 31-31 deadlock with USC, play BYU, against whom they tied last season.

By SCOTT MILLER

Sept. 10, 1992 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

PROVO, Utah — Forget the final score.

The real odds of tonight’s Western Athletic Conference game between San Diego State (0-0-1) and Brigham Young (1-0) are these:

New BYU quarterback John Walsh, making only his second collegiate start, sends the SDSU secondary spinning like cherries on a slot machine. He looks like the second coming of Ty Detmer. By game’s end, college football fans watching on ESPN are left shaking their heads, wondering where this guy came from and talking about how BYU produces stud after stud for a quarterback.

The Aztecs, who have never won in Provo and are still piecing their hearts back together after last season’s 52-52 tie with BYU, have a habit of making quarterbacks look terrific.

And BYU has a habit of producing terrific quarterbacks. Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco, Detmer . . . and now sophomore John Walsh?

“He really played well in his first game,” SDSU defensive coordinator Barry Lamb said of Walsh’s performance in BYU’s 38-28 victory over Texas El Paso. “I was kind of hoping he’d stub his toe, have some problems. But he handled himself well.

“He ran their offense, he threw effectively, most of his decisions looked good to me.”

Walsh completed 17 of 28 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns. It was BYU’s seventh consecutive 300-yard passing game.

And here comes SDSU.

During Saturday’s 31-31 tie with USC, the Aztecs allowed Trojan quarterback Rob Johnson--making only his second collegiate start--to pass for 278 yards and four touchdowns. It was the most yards for a USC quarterback in two years and the four touchdowns were one short of Rodney Peete’s school record.

What’s new? Last season, SDSU allowed school records to be set by Detmer (599 yards passing) and Miami’s Gino Torretta (485), and the Aztecs allowed a personal-best by Wyoming’s Tom Corontzos (403).

But give them credit. They keep coming back for more.

“I think we match up real well,” said SDSU cornerback Gary Taylor, assessing the Aztec secondary and the Cougar offense. “They have speed outside, some nifty receivers who can catch the ball.

“We have veteran guys, and all of us played last year. We know what to expect. We have to establish ourselves so people don’t think we’re the kind of secondary they can throw on.

“We have to be physical and cover people.”

Said cornerback Damon Pieri: “Their receivers have deceptive speed. They run real clean, crisp routes. We’ve got to disguise our coverages a little better.”

BYU’s main pass-catching threats are junior wide receiver Eric Drage, who caught four passes for 117 yards against SDSU last season; junior split end Tyler Anderson, who caught three for 67; and senior tight end Byron Rex, who caught a 10-yard touchdown pass.

SDSU will counter with Taylor and Pieri, strong safety Chris Johnson and free safety Darrell Lewis. Taylor and Pieri are seniors; Johnson and Lewis are juniors. All played last season, although Pieri has moved from free safety to cornerback.

Also, sophomore Eric Sutton--who started three games a year ago--is in the rotation at cornerback.

“We’re a lot healthier now than we were a year ago,” SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said. “Last year, we had only 1 1/2 healthy cornerbacks (against BYU). “This year we have three, and the fourth one (John Louis) was starting for us a year ago.”

Luginbill’s biggest concerns are the size of BYU’s offensive and defensive lines and junior fullback Kalin Hall, who rushed for 114 yards against UTEP.

Hall, a transfer from Dixie College in St. George, Utah, was the national community college player of the year in 1991.

BYU’s offensive line features tackles Scott Brumfield (6-feet-8, 315 pounds) and Eli Herring (6-8, 330).

“Their offensive line is just huge--I’ve never seen anything like it,” Luginbill said. “They line up in the middle of the field and their tackles are on the hash marks. That’s how wide they are.”

Of course, BYU has big linemen, and the Aztecs have Marshall Faulk, who got his Heisman Trophy campaign off to a roaring start with 220 yards rushing against USC.

“I think this is the best San Diego State team I’ve seen,” said Coach LaVell Edwards, who is in his 20th year at BYU. “Marshall Faulk is truly outstanding. To get 220 yards against a great team like USC is something else.

“David Lowery is one of those great leaders. I’ve been impressed with the way they have played since he took over.”

Faulk will see a different style of defense tonight--BYU uses its safeties for run support--and he figures there are two ways to beat it.

“You just have to hit (the hole) early, before they square up, and don’t let them get the angle,” Faulk said. “Or, just outrun them.”

SDSU has several ghosts to outrun. In addition for being 0 for 9 in Provo (with the average score being 33-10, BYU), the Aztecs will face the added burden of putting the disappointing tie with USC behind them combined with remaining an an even-keel emotionally after blowing the four-touchdown lead to BYU last November.

“In my mind, we’re completely done with USC,” Lowery said. “I’ve dwelled on it enough already.”

As for BYU?

“In a weird way, I thought I’d be real into it this week,” Lowery said. “I’m not, though. . . . To win, I’m going to have to do what I have to do.”

Check that. Lowery set a school record against BYU last season with 568 yards passing. To win, the Aztecs will need Lowery, Faulk, the rest of their offense . . . and certainly, a sticky defense.

Aztec Notes

Freshman kicker Peter Holt is with the team and Coach Al Luginbill has hinted all week he might use Holt instead of senior Andy Trakas if circumstances or a “gut feeling” dictates. Holt will probably kick if Trakas misses an early field goal--or, Holt may be inserted for an early conversion kick. . . . BYU has a 17-game home winning streak, the second longest in Division I, behind Miami. SDSU has won seven consecutive WAC games. . . . Neither team reports any new significant injuries. SDSU H-back Will Tate, projected in fall camp to start, is still out after having arthroscopic knee surgery. . . . Red Cross and United Way volunteers will be at Cougar Stadium to collect donations for victims of Hurricane Andrew.