Down 16 to New Mexico, the San Diego State Aztecs stormed back to win the game and the Mountain West Conference on Mar. 8.
Aztec head coach Steve Fisher told Ted Leitner after the game that this was the greatest comeback in his career. Leitner then said the crowd environment was the best he has ever seen. Those comments are huge coming from them because they are San Diego legends who have been around a long time.
The Aztecs are following right behind the trail the Chargers laid out in December when they won in epic style against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers took San Diego fans on a roller coaster ride in this game with a playoff spot on the line. Down by 10 entering the fourth quarter, Chargers fans were depleted; they were ready to give up. Methodically, the defense made stops, and the Chargers offense tied it up leaving the Chiefs with one last try.
The crowd was going crazy. It was pandemonium: Almost every fan there thought we would win. The Chiefs didn’t think that way, though. They drove down the field and set themselves up for a routine game-winning field goal by Ryan Succop. By this time, the crowd was dead. Nobody thought he would miss it because it was only 41 yards. And then he missed. The crowd went crazier then you can imagine. The Chargers would win in overtime. They did the impossible and made the playoffs.
That’s sort of like what the Aztecs did. The fans were close to not believing anymore. Some fans left at the 12 minute timeout; they missed out. The comeback started as soon as the ball was put in play. They were down 16, and within minutes, they came back. They forced turnovers on nearly every possession, and they couldn’t miss their shots. Viejas Arena, the home of the Aztecs, was getting louder by the second.
“Shoutout to the fans too y’all got it done tonight,” said sophomore Skylar Spencer on Twitter after the game.
The Aztecs have a certain type of swag, and they get the job done in style. The fans, and especially the student section, get behind the team 100 percent. When they are down big and they come back very quickly, it can become one of the most exciting venues in sports.
Neither the Chargers nor the Aztecs were expected to do anything this year. What they each did was miraculous. Chargers head coach Mike McCoy should be the front runner to win NFL Coach of the Year next season. The Chargers will only get better while everyone else in the division will either lose ground or stay roughly the same. The Oakland Raiders could get better because they have more money to spend this off-season than anybody, but with their past, it is unlikely.
It is now time for the Padres to show what they are capable of. It will not be a surprise to people who follow the Padres when they make the playoffs. Petco Park became pretty electric back in 2010 when the Padres were fighting with the Giants for a playoff spot. This year, they open the season on ESPN for Sunday Night Baseball against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ESPN probably chose this game because of the star power the Dodgers have, but the Padres can’t wait to show America the talent they have.
Overall, sports in San Diego is on the rise, and by this time next year, it would be surprising if the Chargers, Aztecs and Padres are still considered jokes.