AGGIE FOOTBALL HAS FIRST FULL SQUAD WORKOUT

Images of two-a-day-football practices feature players battling heat, dehydration and fatigue twice a day. However Utah State has taken a different approach to minimize those problems with practices at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Aggies held their first full-squad workout of this year on Saturday at 7 a.m. and were greeted to cool temperatures in the low 50s.

“It is a lot cooler,” said USU quarterback Jose Fuentes of the early practice session. “I don’t think people will get as dehydrated. You get to save your legs for the afternoon practice, because you are not in the heat getting drained. You get a longer break in between and you get to sleep more, so that helps keep you rested.”

Utah State started this system midway through last year’s two-a-days and after debating, decided to implement this practice routine again this year.

“It creates a regmin where they know when they have to be here,” said USU head coach Mick Dennehy. “They get up early, they practice, it is cooler, they get breakfast afterward, they get more time to get off their feet between practices, which really helped our afternoon practices last year. It is a little inconvenient for everybody getting up a little bit earlier, like the training staff and the equipment staff, but it has helped the quality of our practices.”

“One practice in the cool (weather) is better than two in the heat,” Fuentes said.

Utah State will open the season hosting Utah on August 31. Season and single-game tickets are available through USU’s website at www.UtahStateAggies.com, or by calling 1-888-U-STATE-1 or (435) 797-0305 or in person at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.