Say what you want about San Diego State football, wobbling at 3-5 with the most recent loss to a Nevada team that had dropped 16 in a row before blanking the Aztecs in an embarrassing head-shaker at Snapdragon Stadium.
And there’s plenty to say.
How, though, would coach Brady Hoke react to what some deem as a program low point in the last decade and a half? Would he tap dance and mince words? Would he lob out hollow, overreaching positives? Would he bristle and backpedal, shoulder blocking a harsh reality into one of those us-against-the-big-bad-world misdirection moves?
What’s truly under the emotional and mental hood?
“Believe me, we’re pissed off,” Hoke said Tuesday, during his weekly press conference. “I’ll promise you that. And we should be.”
Give it to Hoke, which is a rarity these days. A large chunk of the fan base, after a 7-6 season in 2022 and run of five losses in the last six games, would be happy to give him the heave-ho.
For the first time — and by far the toughest time — Hoke seemed fully and head-on accountable. There is milquetoast “owning it” built into tired old lines like, “We need to coach better” and the like.
This felt different. This sounded different.
The fan base needed to hear the frustration and raw honesty. It does not translate to points for an offense that has slipped to 112th in total offense among 130 major-college teams. It in no way patches up a defense ranked No. 110 in the country.
It’s self aware, though. It’s a start.
Hoke might not be able to fix and steady things at a critical time, for the program or his stewardship of it. He stuck his chin out on Tuesday instead of choosing to be testy and defensive.
“I understand that,” said Hoke, when asked if bigger program criticism and grumbling were fair. “We’re not happy, either. We’re working our tails off to right the ship.”
A San Diego State fan sleeps as a UCLA fan dances during the Aztecs’ Sept. 9 loss to the Bruins.
(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The ship, without a doubt, is listing dangerously. Hatches are giving way. The team and program are taking on water. The most recent loss created a boiling point, less than two seasons removed from a 12-win sprint.
Changing fortunes — and the narrative — will demand more than a spot weld here and there. With four regular-season games remaining and fragile bowl hopes in tow, this calls for all-encompassing surgery.
“We’ve got to get better,” Hoke said. “We know that … stay together as a group and as a team.”
Keeping things whole, well, that will be the thing. The unraveling has started. There’s no sugarcoating that. If it continues, that is the kind of situation that sparks coaching changes, especially with stadium bonds to pay for and a restless and impatient fan base gathering pitchforks.
On Tuesday, it seemed as though Hoke feels the urgency.
“I don’t think anybody does that,” Hoke said of accepting an exasperating loss like Nevada. “Do you? I don’t either. And (the players) don’t, either.”
Nevada players celebrate after beating San Diego State.
(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Aztecs find themselves in a tricky and unusual spot, fumbling a game like the one against the Wolf Pack before an off week. They’ve had to feel a groaner like that simmer and hover. There was no game a week later to cleanse the palate.
How they react likely will signal the direction of the stretch run against Utah State, a coin flip.
“Sitting on it isn’t the best feeling because, you know, you kind of want to get it out of your system,” said Cedarious Barfield, a senior safety. “But you kind of had to think about it another week sort of thing.”
Has Hoke accurately gauged the pulse of players on the peeved-off scale?
“I agree,” Barfield said. “We’re very competitive guys. … The record doesn’t show what we kind of wanted, so we’ve got to channel that into the next game, kind of play with an edge.”
San Diego State coach Brady Hoke, right, watches players before their game against Nevada.
(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
They’re seeing and hearing it from their coach. It beats the head-in-the-sand alternative. Does it change anything? We’re about to find out. Words set the table. Actions matter most.
Understanding the situation is one thing. Doing something about it is another.
“I know there’s been some losses none of us have liked to take,” Hoke said.
So, we wait. We watch. It becomes a reality show of the blocking, tackling kind. Plenty feel this is unfixable and a sign of bigger problems on the horizon. They might be right.
Hoke stepped forward, though. Too late? In the nick of time? We’ll know soon enough.
Forward, for what it’s worth, remains the only acceptable direction.
