The one-win wonders: Aggies struggle for consistency
A 1-11 campaign raises the question, is it still fun to have a Division-1 college football team if they aren’t any good? Is a crisp fall afternoon in Cache Valley a washout if it is spent watching USU lose to the likes of Idaho or New Mexico State?
Pity anyone for whom an afternoon of watching college football is a joyless waste unless their team wins. Those who are overly focused on the outcome cheat themselves out of enjoying a quintessentially American experience: the marching band, the smell of burgers frying, the pop of shoulder pad meeting shoulder pad, and singing the fight song with the team after the game, win or lose.
If every university that suffered through a losing year dropped football, as it has been suggested USU do, the NCAA would be a small assembly indeed.
It would be easy to catalogue the Aggies’ many failings on the gridiron or to index the statistics from bad to miserable. But it is far nobler to remember the high points. Kevin Robinson was a human highlight reel, climbing the ladder to catch the ball in a crowd. Presumptive NFL pick Marcus Macauley, the Fresno State cornerback who was burned for consecutive touchdown catches by Robinson (only one counted), surely knows all about Robinson’s slick moves and sure hands. Robinson led the Aggies in receptions with 36, yards with 582, yards per reception with 16.2, and touchdowns with five. He was the only Aggie receiver to catch more than one scoring pass, and he led the team in scoring with 32 points. Robinson was also USU’s top special-teamer, leading USU in punt and kickoff returns. Finally, Robinson led all-purpose yardage, with 111 yards a game.
Shortly after completing the greatest season in the history of Utah high school football for Logan High, Riley Nelson gave USU a spark when he came off the bench against Idaho and won his first start, the memorable Fresno State homecoming game. Nelson completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 925 yards and six touchdowns. A multi-dimensional threat, Nelson scrambled 79 times for 290 net yards, making him the second-leading rusher on the team. Nelson led the team in total offense with 151.9 yards per game.
Another local product, Sky View High’s Ben Calderwood, came into his own as the leader of USU’s defensive line. As a whole, the line was down from the year before due to the departure of sack leader John Chick and the failure to qualify academically by top tackle Brian Soi. However Calderwood led the next generation of Aggie linemen like Frank Maile and Darby Golden with 6.5 tackles for a loss. Calderwood also tossed in a pair of sacks and 23 solo tackles.
Tying for the Rookie of the Year award with Nelson was freshman linebacker Paul Igboeli. Igboeli emerged once Jake Hutton went down with an injury and ended up finishing second on the team in total tackles with 69. The aggressive Texan led USU in tackles for a loss with eight for 41 yards, and in sacks with three. He was also one of five Aggies to force two fumbles.
Perhaps USU football didn’t gain an overabundance of yards, but they certainly gained character. 2006-2007 was the definition of a rebuilding year, and having been through the fires of 11 losses, the myriad returning contributors will be ready to move out of the Western Athletic Conference cellar in 2007-2008.
MVP- Kevin Robinson
Most Improved- Ben Calderwood
Rookie of the Year (tie)- Riley Nelson, Paul Igboeli
-graham@cc.usu.edu