Big Boys

Malcolm Thomas slams home two of his 20 points/(619 Sports photo/David Olender)

Each year, head coach Chris Carlson has started his season at UCSD by challenging the big boys down the road on Montezuma Mesa. It’s an opportunity for the Division II Tritons to step up their level of competition, while giving the D-I Aztecs a chance to knock off the rust and start the year with a win. And usually, the Tritons keep it close for a half.

The script played out to form Saturday afternoon in front of 5,520 fans at Viejas Arena. The Aztecs led the Tritons just 31-28 at the half before stifling them out of the locker room, opening the second half on a 16-0 run which led to a comfortable 77-52 victory.

Steve Fisher’s team is going to be a work in progress this year, but he has some impressive tools to work with, and more on the mend. With Billy White (wrist), Tyrone Shelley (foot) and Tim Shelton (knee) all sidelined by injury, the scoring load went to Malcolm Thomas and Brian Carlwell, two junior transfers who were making their SDSU debuts. Thomas scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half and added a game-high 9 rebounds. Carlwell added 9 points, 5 rebounds, a blocked shot and two steals.

Fisher deemed it a good start against an always determined opponent in UCSD:

UCSD head coach Chris Carlson thought the Tritons learned a lot in the matchup:

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Damn right, I said it. And I can say it because I saw it.

The San Diego State Aztecs lost Saturday afternoon to the No. 1 team in the country. You think I care what the polls say? You think it bothers me that every so-called expert in the nation would disagree with me?

To them, and to the rest of the college football world, I would say this: prove it. And you know what? They wouldn’t be able to do so.

The TCU Horned Frogs (now 9-0) are No. 1 because of everything they displayed at Qualcomm Stadium in dismantling Brady Hoke’s improved Aztecs, 55-12.

There isn’t one thing in the game of football that this team doesn’t do well — very well. There isn’t a single weakness. Except, of course, for the fact that in the B.S. world of the BCS it would be impossible for anyone to come out and admit that a little-old team from Mountain West could beat the “big boys” from the SEC or Big 12.

Hogwash.

Just last season, Alabama from the SEC spent nearly the entire season at No. 1, lost a hard-fought conference title game to Florida, and then was sent to the Sugar Bowl to play a Utah team that wasn’t supposed to be able share the same field with the Crimson Tide.

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