Aggies confident for in-state game
After the near win at Auburn last week, the Aggies now return to Logan to face 0-1 Weber State. The Wildcats led Wyoming by four points through most of the fourth quarter. They failed to stop a last-minute touchdown drive with 22 seconds left, or nail the 53-yard field goal as time expired, to secure the victory.
“Everyone in that program probably felt like they should have won that game and beat a Mountain West school,” USU head coach Gary Andersen said. “That is not a football team either that is going to sit back and say, ‘It was just great to be there and be close.'”
This may sound familiar. The story is eerily similar to USU’s almost program-defining season opener, last week in Alabama.
Andersen said the Auburn loss was as difficult as he has ever seen.
“We didn’t win,” Andersen said. “To say there is no moral victories is an easy way to say it, but it is a lot worse than that; it’s a lot deeper than that. I think that there is a part of me that is on that field that will be there forever.”
The key to a Utah State victory will be how well the Aggies bounce back from a heartbreaking loss and redefine their season.
Weber State was picked to finish fifth and sixth in the Big Sky Conference, according to conference preseason media and coaches polls. But last week’s contest suggests the Wildcats are much better than expected.
Weber is breaking in new quarterback Mike Hoke. The 6-foot-2 junior, from Hawaii, appeared in 16 games in his two years for the Wildcats and is able to run the ball if need be. Last week, Hoke completed 19 of 28 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 13 times for 91 yards. He threw one interception in the loss.
Hoke has the job of replacing Cameron Higgins, Weber State’s all-time career passing leader with 12,274 yards and 98 touchdowns.
Weber State’s Xavian Johnson will most likely be Hoke’s favorite target against the Aggies. The redshirt, freshman wide receiver from Las Vegas caught seven passes for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week. He could prove to be a problem for the Utah State secondary.
Line play will be vital for the Aggies on both sides of the ball, especially defense. This may be a problem since the Aggies allowed Auburn to throw for 286 yards, and win through the air in the final minutes of the game last week. If Higgins has time to throw the Aggie defensive backs will have a tough time shutting down Johnson.
Offensively for Utah State, The Aggies had the ball for over 37 minutes against Auburn. The line made it all happen by dominating the Tigers in the trenches — at least offensively. Expect the veteran front to make room for running back Robert Turbin to have a breakout game.
The X-factor for the Aggies will be quarterback Chuckie Keeton.
Speculations arose before the season about how well the freshman would handle himself mentally, as the general of an offense. Keeton buried the criticism at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but how will the 18-year-old handle coming back from a gutting defeat?
The in-state match-up is slated for Saturday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m., on Merlin Olsen Field at Romney Stadium. It will be a test of how well both teams can bounce back from heartbreaking losses, when each team thought they had the victory sealed.
In recent past, Utah State has a history of playing extremely well against a big-name opponent one week and very poorly the next, against a team they are expected to beat in a lopsided victory. Last year, Utah State pounded out a 31-16 victory on Oct. 1, against Brigham Young University, and dropped a 24-6 loss to Louisiana Tech a week later on the road.
The Weber State game this season will also be a little more special for Andersen, as he will face Weber State head coach Ron McBride.
“(McBride) is a dad for me,” Andersen said. “He pushed me to get into this profession and encouraged me. And I take some pride in the fact that I have been able to do what he thought I would do, when I was 20 years old and basically confused on what the next step of life would be; and he told me where to go and what to do.”
Andersen played for McBride at University of Utah 1985-86, and coached under him as an assistant from 1997 to 2002.
“I don’t want to be a proud papa this weekend,” McBride said. “Truth in all things: Gary loves you, but wants to kick your ass.”
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu