Speight seized opportunity vs. Spartans

Of late, Utah State’s backfield has looked less like a stable full of choices for the Aggie offense, and more like an infirmary.

With freshman runners Curtis Marsh and Robert Turbin nursing injuries-Marsh, a high ankle sprain and Turbin, turf toe-and senior tailback Aaron Lesue under the weather, the Aggie running game would seem to be in shambles.

And maybe it would be, if not for a breakout performance from Derrvin Speight last Saturday.

The redshirt freshman out of Irving, Texas, seized the opportunity and ran for 99 yards-the most by a single USU back all season-and has now worked himself into the starting role for the Aggies’ game Saturday at the University of Utah.

“Derrvin had been on the backburner, until Saturday,” USU offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey said. “With some injuries to some other guys, he got an opportunity, and based on how he performed, he’s going to warrant some more playing time … If he continues to be productive, he’ll continue to be there.”

Speight has been waiting patiently for just such an opportunity to arise.

“My mom, throughout my whole career, she said, ‘Wait your turn, everything happens for a reason,'” he said. “And I just kept working hard and didn’t get down any. I saw my opportunity, and I guess I seized it, trying to put my foot in the door, make some plays and get a win for the ball club.”

Speight certainly seems to have his foot in the door, especially after he was a part of the Aggies’ best drive of the season, an 82-yard march down the field that saw Speight run the ball 10 times for 39 yards. The drive was capped off by Speight’s first collegiate touchdown on a one-yard run.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know it was an 82-yard drive,” he said. “I just kept hearing, ‘It’s another Aggie first down’ … I was just out there playing football.”

Dickey saw the drive as just a glimpse of what the offense can, and should, be doing.

“We’ve made some steps, obviously not as quickly as we’d like to. But what Derrvin was able to do the other night, I think our whole team saw that as long as they perform as a unit, we can move the ball solidly on the ground,” he said.

But to perform as a unit, there has to be some consistency, Dickey said. With all the injuries, that hasn’t really been possible.

“This season, so far, because of injury, we’ve played four running backs, and that’s a lot,” he said. “I’ve gone years where I’ve only played two and that’s it. We’ve been hit by the injury bug a little bit, but we’re playing with what we have.

“But in our offense, it is good for a guy to get out there and get in what they call a groove, where he’s seeing things. He’s getting the ball. He gets a little lathered up, so to speak. He gets in the flow of the game.”

And for the Aggies, Speight just might be the guy.

Only time will tell, but he certainly looked like it during much of the second half against San Jose State, as he found the seams created by good blocking from the offensive line and exploded through them to the second level for good some good gains.

That’s exactly what Dickey said backs in the Aggie offense need to do-pick a hole, explode through it and break a few tackles.

And that’s exactly how Speight likes to run the ball.

“That’s kind of my game, see a hole and just explode,” he said. “Just try to get through it as fast as you can.”

“He’s really got the talent to do everything,” Dickey said. Speight has the speed, power and quickness that allows him to run inside and outside, he added.

So is it a match made in heaven?

Not quite yet.

Dickey said he still has some concerns about Speight’s ability to handle the load in such a run-heavy offense.

It takes a lot of mental, as well as physical, toughness to be the feature tailback in Dickey’s offense, he said.

“If we give him the ball 38 times, I don’t know how he’s going to react,” he said. “Is he going to get tired on us?”

Despite his excitement, Speight might also realize what it means to carry the load for the Aggies.

“I wouldn’t fight (becoming the feature back), not one bit,” he said. “I’m not the guy that just wants the ball every play, either. I do want the ball, I’m not going to lie, but it’s no problem sharing time and keeping fresh legs in the game.”

One back Speight shared carries with on Saturday and can expect to share with again against Utah is fullback Jacob Actkinson.

Actkinson gives USU a strong blocking presence in the backfield but also has the ability to catch the ball. He can even line up at tailback for the Aggies. In fact, with all the injuries, he has been getting some reps at the position during practice this week.

But in all the positives, Dickey still sees room for improvement.

“The guys looking at the film know we’re not even close to where we’d like to be, where we’d like to get to down the road,” he said. “We’re making progress, but obviously you want to make it a lot faster than we’re making it.

“We’ve been close, but being close is no fun.”

NOTES

Expect to see a healthy dose of Speight, with a mix of Actkinson and possibly someone else-Marsh if he’s able to go.

Marsh tried to practice Tuesday but wasn’t able to do much, Dickey said. It may be better for his high ankle sprain to get completely healed so it doesn’t continue to nag him, Dickey said.

Also, Lesue is sick, and Turbin definitely won’t play with turf toe.

Offensive guard Pace Jorgensen is practicing after sitting out a healthy portion of the San Jose game with back problems. Jorgensen is a critical part of the Aggie running game, Dickey said.

-da.bake@aggiemail.usu.edu