BYU Can’t Catch Faulk, or Aztecs

PROVO, Utah â€”  The changing of the guard in the Western Athletic Conference might correlate directly to Marshall Faulk’s changing gears.

Faulk set a Cougar Stadium record with 299 yards rushing on Thursday night as San Diego State defeated Brigham Young, 45-38, in front of a sellout crowd of 65,261.

It was the Aztecs’ first victory in Provo in nine tries and gives them an early advantage on the Cougars, who have won the WAC title three consecutive years and 13 of the past 16. The Cougars also had a 17-game home winning streak ended.

Faulk scored on touchdown runs of one, 10 and 65 yards. He had another run of 37 yards to set up his 10-yard touchdown.

“I play in spurts,� Faulk said. “I hit it up, hit it up in there (the line of scrimmage), hit it up in there. . . . I probably go 95% and wear them down. When 100% settles in, it’s all over.

“When I get in the open field, I just put on the afterburners. I don’t want to ever get caught. That’s the worst feeling in the world.�

The Aztecs (1-0-1, 1-0 in the WAC) needed every yard they could squeeze out of Faulk. After 83 points and 1,007 total yards, the game came down to one fumbled punt.

With 1:44 left and the Aztecs ahead by a touchdown, Brad Clark fumbled Scott Oatsvall’s punt at the Cougar 32 and San Diego State’s Steve Matuszewicz, a reserve defensive lineman, pounced on it.

“I grabbed it like it was a golden egg, man,� Matuszewicz said. “I wasn’t letting go of it.�

Suddenly, five days into their season, the Aztecs have played USC and BYU, and have not lost.

“We’ve worked hard to get to this point,� Aztec Coach Al Luginbill said.

BYU quarterback John Walsh refused to blink despite the fact that he was on the run most of the game. Walsh completed 23 of 44 passes for 380 yards and five touchdowns--three of them to his favorite target, Eric Drage. But Walsh was sacked five times.

San Diego State finished with 446 yards of total offense--310 rushing--and BYU had 561--380 passing.

Despite outgaining the Aztecs, 269 total yards to 180, BYU trailed, 24-17, at halftime.

While Faulk gained 88 first-half yards, it was another back--BYU’s Kalin Hall, the 1991 national community college player of the year--who was constantly on the run. Hall, from Dixie Community College in St. George, Utah, ran for 112 yards in nine carries. He finished with 143 yards.

The biggest surprise came early in the first quarter, when the Aztec defense actually made the Cougar Stadium crowd aware of its presence.

With Walsh on the run on a second and eight from the Cougar 41, he lofted a pass intended for tight end Byron Rex. Aztec free safety Darrell Lewis drifted over, picked it off and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.

It was the first interception return for a touchdown for the Aztecs since Nov. 22, 1986, when Harold Hicks returned an interception 100 yards against Hawaii.

Perhaps uncomfortable with the unusually assertive role, the Aztec defense reverted to form five minutes later when Hall went up the middle, spun off of defensive back Robert Griffith and wasn’t touched until Gary Taylor grazed a piece of his shoe 67 yards later.

Hall stumbled at the five but, two plays later, Walsh found Rex alone in the end zone to tie the score, 7-7.

Aztec receiver Darnay Scott offered an impression of his touchdown catch over USC’s Jason Oliver last Saturday when he leaped high over Hassan McCullough and Vic Tarleton to snare a 30-yard scoring pass and San Diego led, 14-7.

A 40-yard field goal by Aztec Andy Trakas and a BYU touchdown, left San Diego with a 17-14 lead.

Four plays later, San Diego State was in the end zone again--this time on Faulk’s one-yard run.

The Aztecs led, 24-14, with only 1:50 left in the half--but the Cougars maneuvered into position for a 33-yard field goal from David Lauder.

At halftime, the Cougars remained within striking distance--24-17. But that was exactly how far short they came up at the finish.