AZTECS : Luginbill Seeks to Lift Team Spirit

SAN DIEGO â€”  Nobody has an answer for what is wrong with San Diego State after Saturday’s 17-6 defeat at Wyoming--the second unexpected Western Athletic Conference loss in three weeks.

But Coach Al Luginbill acknowledged the obvious Monday. He said his offense--particularly the passing game--is not executing.

As the Aztecs (4-3-1, 4-2 in the WAC) prepare to play host to Hawaii (7-1, 5-1) for a Holiday Bowl berth Saturday night, Luginbill apparently will have to be both technician and psychologist.

Luginbill is disturbed that the Aztecs have lacked emotion lately. He canceled practice Monday. Instead, SDSU players attended meetings from 4 p.m. to after 8 p.m.

“I want to see a spirited, enthusiastic, aggressive, possessed football team Saturday,� he said. “We’ve got to play with more enthusiasm.�

Eight games into the season, the Aztecs still drop passes or see them thrown in the wrong places. That is enough to allow opponents to target Marshall Faulk.

Faulk has not scored a touchdown in the last three games. He has averaged 105.3 yards per game in that span, but only 3.95 yards per carry.

Luginbill stood alone in a hallway at 8 p.m. Monday while his team was completing a closed-door session. It ended with a burst of hoots and cheers. The players emerged from the room and quickly went to other rooms. Doors closed, another meeting.

“I look at us as a time bomb that’s ready to explode,� Luginbill said. “We’re addressing that (morale) issue. We’ll find out Saturday whether we’re successful or not.�

The Holiday Bowl and the Big Ten Conference agreed on Monday to give bowl officials until 6 p.m. EST Sunday to decide whether they will invite a Big Ten team to the 1992 game.