San Diego State’s struggling offensive line has taken another hit.

Make that two.

Starting offensive linemen Tyler Roemer and Keith Ismael are out for this week’s Mountain West game at Fresno State and, in Roemer’s case, perhaps longer.

“Roemer’s not playing at all,” Long said. “He’s been suspended indefinitely. ... Ismael’s under concussion protocol. The feeling by our trainers is he won’t play.”


Roemer, a sophomore from ,Fernley, Nev., has started 23 straight games at left tackle over the past two seasons.

Ismael, a sophomore from Oakland, also has started 23 straight games at either center or guard. Ismael also was under concussion protocol two weeks ago following SDSU’s game at New Mexico, but he was cleared to play in last week’s game against UNLV.

Long would not go into detail as to what Roemer did to get suspended, other than to say it involved a “violation of team rules.”

Players often can earn their way back into the team’s good graces following a suspension. It remains to be seen if that possibility exists for Roemer.


“I have no idea when he’s coming back,” Long said.

With Roemer and Ismael out, the expected starters from tackle to tackle are: senior Ryan Pope, junior Daishawn Dixon, sophomore Dominic Gudino, junior Nick Gerhard and sophomore Kyle Spalding.

It is the first career start for Spalding, who will play right tackle and fourth start for Gerhard, who will be next to him at right guard.

Pope, who has been playing through an injury to his left knee, moves over from right tackle. Gudino returns at center after missing last week’s game with knee/ankle ailments. It was an ankle injury that sidelined him two games earlier in the season.


Dixon, at left guard, becomes the only linemen this season to start every game at the same position.

The offensive line was expected to be one of the Aztecs’ strengths this season,. That hasn’t been the case at all.

In fact, SDSU’s vaunted running attack has been limited to fewer than 100 yards in two of the past five games. That had happened only once in the 60 previous games.

SDSU managed just 89 yards on 34 carries (2.6 ypc) in last week’s 27-24 loss to UNLV.


The Aztecs were able to keep things together for half the season with starting quarterback Christian Chapman, tailback Juwan Washington and fullback Isaac Lessard sidelined by injuries.

The three finally returned to their starting roles against the Rebels.

“So we get our backfield back and our line of scrimmage is new and beat up,” Long said.

It couldn’t have come at a worse time for SDSU (7-3, 4-2 MW). The Aztecs’ slim hopes Mountain West Championship end with a loss to Fresno State (8-2, 5-1), which clinches the division with a victory.


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kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com / on Twitter: @sdutkirKDKenney