Guy hoping Aggies will show they learned lesson
At least one question will be answered Saturday about the USU football team: whether it learned the lesson Brent Guy hoped it would from last week’s loss to Fresno State.
“I have never seen a 58-yarder in a game,” Guy said of the Bulldogs’ game-winning field goal. “So, they are all painful, but hopefully we learned the lesson we can play good football.”
The Aggies host the Hawaii Warriors (4-4 overall, 3-2 in Western Athletic Conference action) at 1 p.m.
Guy said his definition of “good football” includes USU’s six “explosives” (offensive plays gaining 20 yards or more), compared to Fresno State’s three. The Aggies had 206 rushing yards to the Bulldogs’ 154, gained 399 yards of total offense (just 12 fewer yards than the Bulldogs) and were 3-of-3 on fourth-down conversions.
The Warriors have won three of their last four games. Two of those victories came against Fresno State and Nevada – teams the Aggies failed to beat.
“We will have a confident Hawaii team coming in, so we are going to have to play like we did in the first and fourth quarters of last week’s game,” Guy said.
The Warriors’ main strength is still in the passing game, but Guy said they are not as potent as last year’s BCS team that went to the Sugar Bowl. Hawaii is third in the WAC and 52nd in the country in passing (222.5 yards per game). They average 103.5 rushing yards per game (eighth in the WAC, 105th in the nation).
“They are not as impressive on film as they have been in previous years,” Guy said. “They are not like Colt Brennan and those four wides (receivers) running around. They can still throw and catch. They have a little bit more of a running game.”
Warrior head coach Greg McMackin said he isn’t overlooking the 1-7 Aggies.
“I think they are a well-coached team, and we are not going to take them for granted,” McMackin said. “Our team is trying to get better each week. It doesn’t matter who we play, we are going to get better.”
Borel the second-best WAC running QB?
Aggie sophomore quarterback Diondre Borel has accumulated 1,125 passing yards this season.
If he keeps to his average of 140 yards per game, Borel will end the season with 100 more yards than Leon Jackson III’s 1,576 last year.
McMackin said Borel’s running ability puts him right next to the Wolf Pack’s Colin Kaepernick.
“(Borel) is running all over the place,” McMackin said. “Nobody is like the guy (Colin Kaepernick) we faced this week, but he’s a close second. He can throw the ball and he runs.”
Against the Bulldogs, Borel passed for 193 yards and rushed for 73 more.
“He is getting better every week,” Guy said. “I think that just comes with the experience that he is getting. Those guys he is playing with in front of him did a good job. He didn’t get sacked and avoided the rush. That helps a lot when you are not worrying about those things.”
–samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu