Sports at Lunch, Tom Craft, Craig Thompson and Jeff Schemmel

Willie Buchanon, the San Diego State All-American cornerback, already had been introduced once on July 20 at Sports at Lunch at the Hall of Champions, but when Tom Craft took the microphone to talk about his 2005 football team, the Aztecs head coach asked Buchanon to stand again.

The reason? He was expressing his belief that this is quickest defense ever to play at San Diego State.

“One of the reasons we were picked eighth,” Craft said of the Mountain West Conference meetings Monday and Tuesday at Coronado, “is we lost four linebackers and two safeties. But we feel this is one of our fastest defenses that we’ve up on the Montezuma.”

Then Craft paused and asked Buchanon to stand again as he mentioned the Poinsettia Bowl, the new San Diego bowl game that will feature a MWC team and an at-large entry.

“He is an all-time player,” Craft said. “It would be great if we can get in that Poinsettia Bowl and have Willie, Fred Dryer, Don Coryell and some those players on our sidelines. When you win, you have that great tradition. That’s what we want to get done. Willie, keep that date open.”

Craft then went through his lineup, describing a team with the best depth the Aztecs have enjoyed since the former SDSU quarterback and offensive coordinator took over the struggling program in 2002.

He thinks his safeties, Marcus Demps and Reggie Grigsby, “give us two of the best cornerbacks in the conference.” Freddie Keiaho replaces Kirk Morrison at middle linebacker and Craft expects him “to turn heads” while playing with a group of linebackers “that can really run.”

The defensive line’s is the biggest area of depth concern. On offensive, the Aztecs may have their most cohesive unit since 1998 when they advanced to the Las Vegas Bowl.

Sophomore running back Lynell Hamilton was the Aztecs’ only preseason all-conference pick. He returns to a deep backfield that includes Brandon Bornes and Michael Franklin.

The receiving corps has some balance for the first time in Craft’s four seasons with tight ends Eric Miclot and Lance Louis and wideouts led by Robert Ortiz, Brett Swain and Jeff Webb.

Craft wants to name a quarterback after the first or second scrimmage, with sophomore Kevin O’Connell coming off shoulder surgery, redshirt freshman Darren Mougey off a strong spring and Matt Dlugolecki returning for his senior season.

“Now we’re not so concerned if a starter gets hurt,” said Craft, whose team has had change starters because of injuries all three of his seasons.

The Sports at Lunch also included comments from new San Diego State athletic director Jeff Schemmel and Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson.

Schemmel talked about building winning programs at San Diego State and Thompson the growth of the MWC. What else did they say? You should have been at the Hall of Champions' Sports at Lunch.