The long anticipated game between the Jacks and Coyotes looked like a battle of two programs at different stages of the transition to division I.
SDSU is there, USD is in their final year of the transition. They're in the Summit League, but still won't be postseason eligible until next season.
"We need to get through the transition period," USD head coach Dave Boots said. "Once we are tournament eligible, then you start to build the program. And you don't have to answer those questions. This fall we had our first freshman class where that's not an issue. We'll be tournament ready."
For longtime SDSU head coach Scott Nagy, he knows first hand what USD is going through after the Jacks struggled in the early years of the transition. And is impressed by what they've done.
"I know they're still talking about the transition, but we've been there, and they've done a much better job than we did," Nagy said. "He did a better job."
Despite a lopsided game, you could tell by a sellout crowd, it's good this game is back.
"I'm glad it's back, there was a nice crowd," Boots added. "The sportsmanship was good, but it's not much fun getting beat by thirty."
And Nagy expects a much different game next time.
"It'll be much different," Nagy said. "We hammered UND and then went up there and got hammered. So we know it'll be a different game."
"We need to get better so this isn't a one sided rivalry, that's what has to be done," Boots said. "We need to get better."
