Spring football opens with injuries, young lines
It may be day one for USU spring football, but the Aggies are already way ahead of last year’s pace. USU head coach Mick Dennehy said he feels better prepared as he starts his second year at the helm. Same goes for the players after practice Monday. “The kids are bouncing around well,” Dennehy said. “You look at it and try to be realistic, and relatively speaking we are probably better in a lot of places all over the field because we have a lot of guys back.” For the next four weeks, the Aggies will practice every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The team will have two scrimmages (March 30 and April 7) before the Blue-White game April 13. Spring practice gives the USU veterans a chance to work out while allowing the coaches to see the young players. “If they can take advantage of all the repetitions they get in the spring and come off the field in 15 days better,” Dennehy said, “then I think we will be an improved football team.” Most new players, who are either JC-transfers already on campus or freshman who have grey-shirted (did not enroll until Spring Semester), are focused on the offensive and defensive lines. The Aggies lost a lot of seniors on the O-line and had depth problems on the D-line. Dennehy said the defense will also be young, as new players will have some immediate impact. Several players from the 2000 team will sit out or have limited practice time. “You don’t need to beat the hell out of the old guys when you know they can play,” Dennehy said. So Emmett White, who had his hand repaired in the off-season, will take it easy. Same goes for linebacker Jesse Busta and offensive lineman James Newton, both coming off shoulder injuries. Senior linebacker Tony Newson missed the Monday workout to attend a funeral. Defensive lineman Nate Putnam will miss the entire session after going under a second surgery on his shoulder. Quarterback Jeff Crosbie is out indefinitely with a mouth illness.