Don’t give up on Chuckie Keeton

Late in the first quarter of Friday night’s game in Salt Lake, Aggie fans and players collectively held their breath once again as their leader fell victim to a low hit from a Utah linebacker.

As Chuckie Keeton hit the turf and immediately grabbed his knee, I couldn’t help but wonder if we had just we witnessed the last play of a prolific career.

It wasn’t.

Chuckie was noticeably rattled from the hit but managed to lead the Aggie offense down the field to tie the game moments later. The Aggies, the same Aggies who barely squeaked past Southern Utah only a week ago, were holding their own against a rival from the Pac-12 on the road.

Aggie fans could hardly contain themselves from busting out the #ChuckieforHeisman hashtag on Twitter.

As the game progressed in the second half, the offense struggled against the notoriously disciplined Utah defense. Chuckie’s passes began to fall flat, turnovers and mistakes piled up, and the magic seemed to run out for the Aggies.

The second half was rough enough that some Aggie fans wanted Chuckie to be taken out of the game. Some felt that Kent Myers would have given Utah State a better chance to win if given an opportunity to play.

This is not fair.

Keeton did quite a lot with very little against the Utes.

Is it Chuckie’s fault that Kennedy Williams dropped a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter? Is Chuckie responsible for the first quarter ejection of Marwin Evans? Should we blame Chuckie for JoJo Natson’s dismissal from the program or Hunter Sharp’s suspension? Brandon Swindall’s season-ending injury is on Chuckie too, right?

There is plenty of blame to go around for Friday’s loss. Keeton had a costly fumble and two interceptions. He was far from perfect but you can’t blame his mistakes for the loss. The Aggies will both win as a team and lose as a team.

Chuckie is a leader for this team. If the man is physically able to play, he needs to be on the field. The season is still young and Chuckie’s story is far from over.

Along with Matt Wells, Gary Andersen, Bobby Wagner and Robert Turbin, Chuckie Keeton helped put Utah State on the college football radar. His first name was trending nationally on Twitter during the game for a reason. The dude is star.

“Chuckie Keeton is a winner,” said head coach Matt Wells after the game. “He’s a warrior in every sense of the word. I love that kid, I’ll go to the end with that kid.”

Healthy or not, Utah State football won’t be the same without Chuckie Keeton.

— Ben Fordham is studying public relations in his third year at Utah State. Ben is a huge fan of Aggie Athletics and the Buffalo Bills. Contact him via email at bfordhamsix@gmail.com or on Twitter @bfordham6.