Aztecs QB bounces back

The lost fumble could have been devastating.

San Diego State had a certain victory over New Mexico on Oct. 20, but quarterback Kevin O’Connell’s fumble gave the Lobos new life and led to the winning touchdown with 15 seconds to play in a 20-17 Aztecs loss.

The play may have cost the Aztecs the game, but O’Connell didn’t lose his teammates. He justified their support by leading a comeback Saturday to beat Wyoming, 27-24.

“My teammates never let me get down on myself,” O’Connell said. “It took me a couple of days to deal with it. I had the football in my hand, and that was the game.

“It was hard to get over it because I’m a leader on this team and a captain, and I let the guys down on this team. (Beating Wyoming) validated everything, and it gets us back on track.”

The victory over the Cowboys was the second big rally that O’Connell has led this season.

San Diego State, which plays at UNLV at 8 p.m. Saturday, beat Colorado State on Oct. 6. O’Connell led a seven-play, 80-yard drive, with his 1-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left giving the Aztecs a 24-20 victory.

Then against Wyoming, he led San Diego State back from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit. His 27-yard TD strike to wide receiver Vincent Brown with 1:06 left was the game winner.

“He’s really grown in the leadership department,” Aztecs coach Chuck Long said. “One of the things we teach quarterbacks is playing all the way through adversity.

“He’s got a little flair going now. His confidence has grown throughout the season, and the rest of the guys are feeding off that. That’s where it has to start is at quarterback, and the rest trickles down.”

Few ever doubted O’Connell’s ability.

He stands a towering 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 235 pounds but is as agile as he is athletic.

O’Connell’s 1,140 career rushing yards is a school record, and he scored on a 29-yard touchdown run against the Cowboys.

“I haven’t seen a guy like that, with the exception of Vince Young, that’s that tall and can run that well,” Long said. “If you can get him in the secondary, there are not a lot of guys that can catch him.”

O’Connell’s passing ability isn’t too shabby, either. He has completed 57.7 percent of his passes for 1,829 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. His 6,455 career passing yards rank fourth in San Diego State history.

Until recently, in fact, the Aztecs have seemed to be a one-man team. Their fortunes rested on whether O’Connell delivered.

But now, San Diego State’s receivers are stepping up. Brett Swain, who averages 19 yards per catch, is emerging as one of the Mountain West Conference’s more dynamic wideouts.

“They’ve asked me to do a lot, but that’s how I want it,” O’Connell said.

NFL scouts are starting to notice, and Long wouldn’t be surprised if someone placed a call to O’Connell when next April’s draft rolls around.

“He’s going to test well for them,” Long said. “And he’s somebody you’ve got to take a look at.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2914.