Familiar faces in different places for Ag D
It’s a story of familiar faces in different places for the 2008 Aggie defense.
Utah State returns nine starters – and three players that started at least three games in 2007 – so many of the numbers and faces will match, but don’t look for some of them in the same spot.
Senior De’von Hall will move from his position at outside linebacker to the defensive backfield, where he will roam the field at one of the safety spots.
“It makes our defense faster and stronger with De’von moving to safety, and he knows the defense, so we’ll get the calls out there quick,” senior DB Roy Hurst said.
Hurst is no stranger to spring position switches. He will be moving from his spot at safety – where he started three games and had three interceptions – to cornerback in 2008.
Hurst said the move gives the Aggies more depth, makes them bigger and stronger at corner and helps with the overall team speed on the defensive side of the ball.
A focus on team speed this spring is something Hurst and Hall both talked about.
“Fast defense wins games,” Hurst said. “(The coaches) want us to run to the ball. If we miss a tackle, the next guy is right there.”
Hall said the team worked hard in the winter and the evidence is in the speed they’re showing this spring, with defensive backs running low 4.4 second 40-yard dashes.
“There’s some big guys moving fast out there,” Hall said.
Along with bringing size and speed to the Aggie defensive backs, both players feel like they are moving back to their natural positions. Until last season, Hurst had played corner all his life. Hall said he’s been waiting for the switch back to safety for a while.
“Our depth was one of the things that allowed us to move De’von Hall and still have good depth at linebacker,” Aggie head coach Brent Guy said earlier this spring in a press release.
Some of that depth includes a returning second-team all-Western Athletic Conference selection at middle linebacker in Jake Hutton and 2006 WAC Freshman of the Year, Paul Igboeli, who had 95 tackles for USU last season.
Up front, the Aggies return junior defensive tackle Alan Bishop and senior defensive end Ben Calderwood, who had 41 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Calderwood looks to be working in at a defensive tackle spot this spring, as well.
“Ben can take down a double and hold his gap better than any d-lineman we have, so I don’t have any problem with (him playing at defensive tackle),” Hall said.
And with the move of Hall to the defensive backfield, the Aggie secondary looks to be a very veteran group. They return their two leading ball hawks from last year – Hurst and junior safety James Brindley, who tied for the lead with three picks last season. Seniors Caleb and Josh Taylor also return for the ’08 Aggie defense. At his safety spot, Caleb had 81 tackles and two interceptions. Josh, a cornerback, had 42 tackles and six pass breakups.
Hall is no stranger to interceptions, either. At the University of Wyoming last year, Hall picked a pass off and returned it 38 yards for a score. Besides being able to play the pass, Hall said he will also bring a physical presence to the USU defensive backfield.
“I’m either going to pick it, or the person who catches the ball is going to be punished for it,” Hall said, as a warning of sorts. “I’m telling you, there’s going to be some big hits, sonic booms.”
And even though the snow piled in Romney stadium and temperatures this spring seem more like late fall, Hall and the defense are still out there popping pads, no matter how much it stings.
But, finding out about his team’s toughness is one thing Guy said is important during spring practices.
“All we really do is hit,” he said. “There is no easy day after we get the pads on, it’s all hitting. We find out who can be durable.”
Hall said: “The helmet’ll get cold. The plastic is hard like metal. The ground gets cold. You’re joints get hurt … You’re going against each other full speed and it’s cold outside, you’ve got to have heart and a love for the game to do it.”
-da.bake@aggiemail.usu.edu