San Diego – For a final team outing, Colorado State players watched “Déjà vu” on Friday night. It probably was not the wisest choice in movie titles for a team carrying a six-game losing streak.
In a case of football imitating art, CSU went out and lost its seventh straight Saturday to end the season 4-8 with a 17-6 whimper at San Diego State. CSU mustered two Jason Smith field goals against a struggling outfit that had yielded 93 points on consecutive weeks to TCU and New Mexico.
Rams coach Sonny Lubick looked and sounded relieved to put the worst season in his 14-year tenure behind him.
“You are what you are and the record says what you are,” he said. “We went through that down slump and we never came out. I don’t know how many games we had a chance to win, probably three (including San Diego State), and we didn’t win any of those three.”
A midweek snowstorm prevented CSU from getting in much practice, but the Rams played as if they hadn’t practiced all season. They came out with a spark at the start of each half but even a rare sighting of a running game provided by reserve Michael Myers couldn’t crack the end zone at a near-empty Qualcomm Stadium.
CSU quarterback Caleb Hanie, who had to carry the entire offense this season without support of a running threat, said, “We couldn’t get it going and most of that was on me in the first half. It was the season as usual. If we scored on the first drive (he threw an incompletion on fourth-and-4 from the 29) it would have helped us out.”
Hanie cut the back of his hand and was relieved by Billy Farris at the end of the third quarter. Farris, who had closed out in routs the past few weeks, orchestrated a scoring drive, which ended in Smith’s second field goal after Farris was forced to throw the ball away on third-and-5 from the 6.
Trailing 10-6 early in the fourth quarter, CSU was within range of a win, only to have the Aztecs storm back for a 17-6 lead on Kevin O’Connell’s 14-yard quarterback draw up the middle.
“There’s going to be a lot of looking at yourself,” CSU defensive end Jesse Nading said of the offseason. “There’s going to be plenty to correct.”
The Rams finished in a tie with UNLV for last place in the Mountain West Conference at 1-7. San Diego State avoided the first 10-loss season in school history to finish 3-9, 3-5 in the MWC to tie Air Force for sixth place.
Unlike recent games against BYU, Utah and TCU, CSU was by no means outplayed by the Aztecs.
CSU came out after halftime with a purpose, nearly doubling the first half offensive output with a 69-yard drive for a 27-yard Smith field goal for the Rams’ first points of the night.
Although Hanie had three nice connections with Dustin Osborn and Johnny Walker, the drive fizzled inside the red zone, with second-and-7 from the 9 ending up fourth-and-8 from the 10.
In the first half, Aztecs cornerback Donny Baker picked off a Hanie pass at the San Diego State 9 with 29 seconds left in the on third-and-goal from the 4. Hanie’s arm was hit on the throw. The pick kept the Rams off the board for the first half, marking the first time CSU went scoreless in the first half since Wyoming dealt a shutout Oct. 21.
Unlike recent outings, CSU had some decent field position early. It didn’t matter whether CSU started from midfield or its own 20. The offense, which had 90 yards to show for the first half, wasn’t interested in forward progress.
The drive that was ended by Baker’s interception started at the Aztec 37, compliments of a Klint Kubiak fumble recovery. But without CSU could only move to the 22 before giving up the ball.
On the previous drive, Damon Morton returned a punt 31 yards to the Aztecs 46. CSU responded going three and out for the second time in the position.
THE GRADES
Offense
F: Third time this season CSU came away without a touchdown. Some decent individual efforts by RB Michael Myers (18 carries, 68 yards) and WR Johnny Walker (six receptions, 56 yards), and the Rams outgained the Aztecs 288-235 yards, but no end zone ventures means no passing grade.
Defense
B: Played well enough to win against a mediocre, mistake-prone offense except for giving up a few big running plays on the two TD drives. Prevented a rout by holding SDSU to a field goal after a punt was blocked in Aztec territory.
Special teams
C: Place-kicker Jason Smith provided CSU’s only points and Damon Morton gave CSU some decent field position on punt and kickoff returns. A blocked punt, however, handed San Diego State three points.
Overall
D: A long, grim offseason of soul-searching is ahead coming off a seven-game losing streak. Offense and defense were never in sync in the last two months of the season and the problems went well beyond the ineffective running game. It’s a long road back to Mountain West Conference superiority from a tie for last place.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached a 303 820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
