Faulk Injures Ribs in SDSU’s Victory : College football: Freshman gets 153 yards, two touchdowns before injury. Aztecs top New Mexico, 38-24.

SAN DIEGO —  San Diego State lost seven turnovers Saturday night, including five interceptions thrown by quarterback David Lowery, and struggled to beat a weak New Mexico team, 38-24.

But for the Aztecs, that wasn’t the worst of it.

The low point--and there were many--came with about four minutes remaining in the second quarter, when star running back Marshall Faulk had to leave the game after being hit by New Mexico linebacker Jesse Becton. Faulk was taken to Mercy Hospital for X-rays, where Dr. Robert Straumfjord, SDSU team doctor, said Faulk sustained two cracked ribs.

The injury proved to be the only thing that could stop Faulk in six games this season. He racked up 153 yards and two touchdowns Saturday before he left, including a 63-yard touchdown run the first time he touched the ball.

He now has 983 yards on the season. The injury prevented him from reaching the 1,000-yard mark in his sixth game, which would have made him the quickest to reach that milestone of any freshman in NCAA history. Emmitt Smith, formerly of Florida, holds the NCAA freshman record by reaching that plateau in seven games.

Faulk’s two touchdowns enabled him to tie the NCAA freshman record for rushing touchdowns of 18, set by Hawaii’s Jamal Farmer in 1989.

No, the key elements of this one are not going to come from the coaches’ offices after films are broken down. The important stuff will be emanating from trainer Brian Barry’s office as the week progresses.

Aside from Faulk, the Aztecs (4-2, 2-1 in the WAC) suffered two more damaging injuries in the first half:

- Right guard Carlson Leomiti, SDSU’s 360-pound hole-opener, left the game for good in the first half with an ankle sprain. Barry said it doesn’t appear to be too serious, and listed him as questionable for Texas El Paso.

- Cornerback Gary Taylor, named SDSU’s outstanding defensive back in 1990, suffered a groin injury in the first half and he didn’t return, either. Barry said it was a “pretty bad” injury and said Taylor is doubtful for next week.

And to make matters worse, Taylor’s backup, senior Zac Stokes, sprained his right ankle in the third quarter. SDSU finished the game with freshman Eric Sutton at cornerback.

“He got beat a couple of times but also made some plays,” SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said.

As for health, things weren’t much better for New Mexico. The Lobos stayed in the game even though they almost had to go to a swap meet to find some healthy running backs. Three Lobo backs went down during the course of the evening--and they already had lost regular starter Art Celestine to a knee injury two weeks ago.

Saturday’s starter, Marcellus Davis, left with a ankle injury; Taihi Jones left with a knee sprain; and then Derek Coffman left with an ankle injury.

Things were so bad for New Mexico that senior Trini Avila played both ways. He was in at linebacker in the first three quarters and switched to running back in the fourth.

But SDSU was determined to let New Mexico, ranked 104th in the nation in total defense, stay in the game. Lowery, who looked so good as Cree Morris’ replacement in Hawaii last week, threw two passes that were intercepted in the first half and three more were picked off in the second.

“It was a poor performance,” said Lowery, who nonetheless completed 17 of 30 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. “I made passes that I don’t think I would ever make again. It was complete brain-cramp, as Luginbill would say, on my part.”

New Mexico’s five interceptions tied a school record set against Memphis State in 1986.

Running back T.C. Wright, who carried 18 times for 102 yards as Faulk’s replacement, lost two fumbles. Receiver Patrick Rowe dropped two catchable passes. One touchdown was called back because of a holding penalty.

Which brings up another lowlight. The Aztecs collected penalties like the people vote in Chicago--early and often. They had lost 103 yards on 10 penalties by the end of the third quarter and finished with 12 for 131.

Despite the sloppiness, Luginbill wasn’t that unhappy afterward. He praised the defense, which was put on the short end of the field several times after turnovers but held the Lobos (1-6, 0-3) without a touchdown in the first half and to only 17 points through three quarters.

Thanks to turnovers, New Mexico started drives throughout the course of the game at the SDSU 10-, 8- and 26-yard lines.

“We constantly shot ourselves in the foot,” Luginbill said. “I’ve never been around a football team that had seven turnovers and 12 penalties and be leading by 21 points with a few seconds left in the game. I’m extremely proud of our defense.”

Linebacker Andy Coviello was particularly busy. He had a team-leading 15 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks.

“We got put in some spots tonight, but I think we grew up and made some plays,” Coviello said. “We had to.”

Said a grateful Lowery: “The defense played a hell of a game. It was probably the best game I’ve ever seen the defense play in my three years here.”

Still, the SDSU defense allowed 404 total yards in front of 21,338 people, and things weren’t decided until SDSU scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

The first half certainly wasn’t a Rembrandt, either. It was more like those pictures scribbled by your neighbor’s kid, the ones you see on their refrigerator and can never decipher.

The final four possessions of the half ended: interception, interception, interception, halftime.

New Mexico quarterback Jeremy Leach was removed after the first three series, likely because the Lobo athletic department insurance policy would have shot through the roof had he stayed around. Leach was sacked four of the six times he started to backpedal. Once, he ducked his head and started to cower and fall before an SDSU player had even touched him.

And you couldn’t blame him.

Part of the problem was that Shawn Arruti, a back-up center, was making his first start at left guard. He didn’t last any longer there than Leach did at quarterback.

Each team lost a fumble and each team had two passes intercepted. It was to be expected from New Mexico, which is 106th in the nation--last among Division I teams--in turnover margin. Entering the game, the Lobos had lost 24 turnovers and gained only 10.

Things started off quite normally for SDSU. On the Aztecs’ second offensive play, Lowery handed off to Faulk, who took the ball around right end and jetted 63 yards for a touchdown.

Two plays later, George Glaze recovered a fumble and, three plays after that, Faulk scored from the 1. It was 14-0, and it looked like SDSU would have an easy time.

After a David Margolis field goal cut SDSU’s lead to 14-3, the Aztecs moved from their 10 to the New Mexico 25. From there, Lowery threw a perfect pass to Patrick Rowe in the end zone, but it was called back because of holding. SDSU settled for a 38-yard Andy Trakas field goal, making it 17-3.

Margolis came back with a 25-yard field goal for New Mexico, making it 17-6, but SDSU scored again with 3:17 left in the half on a Lowery dive from the 1.

Wright lost his second fumble on the first play of the third quarter, and Alex Stowell pounced on it for New Mexico at the Aztec 8. Three plays later, Carl Winston caught a four-yard touchdown pass and Goodloe ran for the two-point conversion.

Suddenly, about the time the Aztecs were supposed to be cruising, they were running scared. Margolis kicked another field goal, this one from 35 yards out, with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter, and New Mexico trailed by only a touchdown, 24-17.