Looking to fill White’s shoes
After 14 practices and an April 6 scrimmage in Orem, the Utah State University football team will conclude its spring camp with the annual Blue-White game Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Romney Stadium. Admission to the public is free of charge.
When talking about spring drills, Head Coach Mick Dennehy said they are primarily designed to give the new players a feel for USU’s system and gives players a chance to prove themselves at their respective positions.
Among the big shoes the Aggies will have to fill for the upcoming season is that of tailback Emmett White, who finished the 2001 season with his second consecutive season of at least 1,300 yards rushing.
With spring drills coming to a close Friday, the question of who will be White’s primary replacement is still up in the air, Dennehy said. Having a durable replacement is one of his main concerns.
“My biggest concern is the physicalness of the game, and the history of the guys that we’ve got in terms of their durability,” he said. “Nothing messes you up worse than giving a guy you feel like is your first-team guy the majority of the reps [while] getting ready to play an opponent, and having him go down.”
David Fiefia, Roger Fernandez and redshirt freshman Richard Watson are the three chief candidates, with junior college transfer James Samuel joining the mix in the fall.
Shortly after the start of spring drills, Dennehy said Fiefia was a little bit ahead of Fernandez and Watson, but has been hampered with two sprained ankles. Fiefia’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and his understanding of the offense make him the lead candidate, Dennehy said.
“He [Fiefia] knows his assignment well [and] he knows who to block,” he said.
One of the fastest guys on the team, Fernandez also catches the ball well, Dennehy said. However, with Fiefia and Fernandez weighing in the 180-to 190-pound range, both have been susceptible to injuries, Dennehy said.
The biggest of the three backs, Watson gives the Aggies a more formidable presence in the backfield, and has great vision, Dennehy said. However, he isn’t as fast as Fiefia and Fernandez and still has a lot to learn about the offense.
“Richard knows where he is going,” he said. “He sees the defense so well and has great balance.”
While no one running back has asserted himself, Dennehy said he doesn’t plan on making it a position by committee.
“I would prefer not to,” he said. “I would prefer to have a guy who is the main guy, but I also think you can overwork one guy, too.”
Although Dennehy plans on having a “main guy” to man the position, he said the backups can expect to get more playing time. Instead of the past two seasons in which White received 90 percent of the carries, Dennehy said he could foresee the backups receiving up to 40 percent of the carries.
“With the size of the kids we are talking about, I can foresee us playing another guy more extensively,” he said.
Regardless of whether or not this happens, healthy competition among players is something Dennehy said he welcomes, and only serves to make the team better.
“I think these are guys that try to help one another out,” he said. “They’re secure enough about their abilities that they don’t want to see their fellow competitor break his leg.”